Secret Oven — Restaurant in Ko Samui

Nestled within the warm hum of Thailand’s evening air, we found ourselves at Secret Oven—an unexpected pocket of Italy halfway across the world. The aroma alone was disarming: truffle, guanciale, and aged Parmigiano-Reggiano weaving through the air like a quiet invitation. The Carbonara al Tartufo arrived as a small tower of perfection—silky handmade pasta glistening under ribbons of creamy egg yolk sauce, crowned with delicate shavings of black truffle. Each forkful was decadence incarnate—salty, smoky guanciale melting into rich, earthy truffle essence, the cheese binding it all in luxurious unity.

Across the table, the Penne alla Calabrese delivered its own bold seduction—Italian sausage simmered in creamy San Marzano tomato sauce, blanketed in molten fior di latte. It was rustic yet elegant, comforting yet extravagant. Every bite reminded us how passion translates beyond borders—Italian soul, Thai precision, and genuine warmth.

The staff moved with quiet professionalism, their smiles sincere, their timing impeccable. Candlelight reflected softly off polished copper accents and crisp linens. It wasn’t just dinner—it was an orchestra of texture, flavor, and grace. A taste of Rome in the tropics, where craftsmanship and hospitality merged to create a moment that felt timeless, unforgettable, and...

Pizza looks great on pictures, a little less so on the plate. The cheese is terrible, tastes like a wet sponge. Salami was very good quality, though. But the pizza marinara has an overload of caramelized onions on it, see the picture - that's the onions my daughter removed from 2 slices! Way to sweet and just not good. For excellent pizza in Lamai, head to Rino or Mozza, they're also cheaper, and you get a real Italian pizzaiolo making your dinner!

Based on the reply from the owner I can only say that I know what is real Neapolitan pizza and what isn't, and that I never eat industrial pizza. The cheese is poor quality, it tastes like a wet sponge. And a pizza with "cooked onions" as the menu states (should really say "caramelized onions") should not be overloaded with such onions. If you want to sell it as pissaladière, then label it as such, but please don't call it "pizza marinara". A dough with tomato sauce and one pound (yes!) of caramelized onions is not a pizza.

And to make it absolutely clear: I am not commercially involved with any restaurant, in Samui or elsewhere. I only posted my honest opinion of...

A bit disappointed with this dining experience. Reviews looked really good but it didn’t live up to expectations.

Some items we ordered including salad and one of our pizza’s came with ingredients that were not advertised. Main issue was we ordered 2 steaks medium-rare that came blue. Ended up sending them back two times as they were still not cooked even to rare, and was then given steak cooked medium-well. Sides were also cold by the time we got the steaks back.

They did take 10% off and offer a free dessert after giving us the bill, however it is still quite disappointing to have to send back a meal several times and still not receive it as per original request.

Highlight of night was the diavola pizza. Pizza dough was light and fluffy, and toppings were tasty + plentiful. Gnocchi gorgonzola was also very nice, gnocchi nice and soft.

Staff were apologetic but unhappy with efforts of kitchen.

Actual restaurant was very clean, nicely decorated.

Also, music was very sad… This may seem picky but it brings the atmosphere of the restaurant down...