Amantaka Restaurant Review and Menus

Amantaka Restaurant

Amantaka's Restaurant has an indoor dining room for when weather is inclement, but, while we dined there our first night, we enjoyed having our breakfast al fresco on the outdoor veranda, with a view of the grounds. Our second dinner we enjoyed outside by the illuminated pool, with beautiful flowers at each table and candlelight. Afternoon tea is served each afternoon in the Library, and one evening after putting my son to bed I enjoyed dessert there, while working. You can also opt for the convenience of in-suite dining.

Amantaka Breakfast

Amantaka's breakfast menu offers all the Western options you'd expect, plus several Lao choices:

Our favorite breakfast items were:

1. Lao Noodle Soup with Chili and Fresh Herbs

Noodle soups are integral to many Southeast Asian breakfasts, and this Lao noodle soup, with a fragrant broth, rice noodles, a choice of pork or chicken, and an abundance of fresh herbs and chili, as well as chili sauce to provide an extra kick, was superlative. Very satisfying as well–it will likely hold you over until afternoon tea.

2. Bagel with Smoked Salmon

While it's something of coals to Newcastle for us as New Yorkers to order bagel with smoked salmon for breakfast, the munchkin insisted that was what he wanted one of our mornings–and it was surprisingly great. The salmon was very fresh (perhaps house cured?) and the tomatoes were much riper and better than New York versions–perhaps hardly surprising, given the many vegetables that are grown locally.

3. Housemade Toasted Muesli

Aman Resorts have some of the best housemade toasted muesli and granola, and Amantaka was no exception. I happily added some as a crunchy topping to my bowl of yogurt and fruit.

4. Homemade Yogurt with Fresh Fruit

Amantaka's homemade yogurt was creamy and mild, and I asked for it with mango, although it can come with any fresh fruit, or simply plain, with slices of apple banana and local honey to sweeten it to taste.

5. Breakfast Pastries

Breakfast pastries are fresh made and hit the spot for anyone with a taste for something sweet at breakfast. Our basket came with an assortment of a croissant, pain au chocolat, and a danish.

6. Fresh Squeezed Juices

After the anemic and very poor quality “fresh squeezed juices” at the Conrad Maldives, it was great to again have high quality fresh squeezed fruit juices at Amantaka. Orange, pineapple, watermelon, mango, and papaya are all offered, and vegetable juices are also possible.

Amantaka Dinner 

For dinner, Amantaka offers both a Western Set Menu and a Lao Set Menu. The first night I tried the Lao menu, and the second night the Western menu. 

There's also a kids' menu, which the munchkin approved of since it included pasta and a grilled cheese sandwich as choices. There are even baby purees offered for families traveling with their infant.

And don't overlook the dessert menu–the items I tried were excellent.

Here are my favorites from the dishes we tried:

1. Chocolate Fondant with Coffee Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce

The chocolate fondant dessert is really a molten chocolate cake, so it does require 15-20 minutes of lead time. It's worth it–or, if you don't want to wait, order it soon after your main courses arrive. Sure, this is hardly original as desserts go, but it was executed perfectly, with high quality chocolate, a molten center, Lao coffee ice cream, and caramel sauce. A must for any chocolate and coffee lover.

2. Duck Spring Roll

Amantaka's duck spring roll dish was inspired–a great combination of fried duck in a crispy wrapper, served atop creamed cabbage and accented with tamarind sauce. While I was less taken with the somewhat tough beef tenderloin main course that followed this on the Western menu, the duck spring roll was so sublime it made up for the less stellar entree.

3. Profiteroles with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and Warm Chocolate Sauce

Profiteroles don't appear all that often on dessert menus, so when I see them, I order them. This was a lovely version, with refreshing mint chocolate chip ice cream and a silky warm chocolate sauce. 

4. Grilled Beef Wrapped in Betel Leaves

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Disclosure: I paid the regular mandatory half board and touring charge, $170 + tax/service per person per day at time of travel, and the views expressed in this post are my own.

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