For Sicilian seafood and seafood pasta in Chiang Mai, go to Mandorla Sicilian Bistrot in Nimman, the Sicilian restaurant in Chiang Mai. The seafood dishes to know are the Seafood Couscous (680 THB, serves two), Spaghetti alle Vongole (380 THB), Prawn Ravioli in seafood broth (380 THB), Octopus grilled on a charcoal Kamado (680 THB) and the Seafood Ceviche Sicilian Style (480 THB). Mandorla is open every day from 16:00 to 23:00 at the mouth of Soi 7 on Siri Mangkalajarn Road, and has 302 Google reviews at an average of 4.7 stars (October 2026). See the full menu or book a table.
Below is why seafood sits at the centre of Sicilian cooking, and a plain guide to every seafood dish on our menu, so you know what to order before you arrive.
Why Sicilian food is seafood food
Sicily is an island where three seas meet: the Ionian, the Tyrrhenian and the Mediterranean. Nowhere on it is far from the coast, and Sicilian fish markets are known for their huge displays of octopus, squid and calamari. Seafood is not the special occasion dish on a Sicilian table. It is the everyday one.
Sicilian seafood cooking is also simple on purpose. Olive oil, lemon, capers, olives, tomato, garlic, parsley. The idea is to taste the sea first and the sauce second. That is the style we cook in, and it is different from the cream heavy seafood pasta many people know from other Italian restaurants.
The island’s history shows up on the plate too. Arab rule in Sicily, between 827 and 1091, brought couscous to the western coast, and Sicilians made it their own with fish and shellfish. It is still a landmark dish there today.
Seafood pasta
Spaghetti alle Vongole, 380 THB
Spaghetti with clams. It is the seafood pasta most Italians judge a kitchen by, because there is nothing to hide behind. In its classic form it is clams, olive oil, garlic, parsley and the pasta, and little else. If you only order one seafood pasta, make it this one.
Prawn Ravioli, 380 THB
Handmade ravioli filled with prawn and fresh ricotta, served in a rich seafood broth. Softer and richer than the vongole, and a good choice if you want something that feels like a treat.
Our pasta is made in the Southern style, and every pasta on the menu sits between 280 and 380 THB.
The signature: Seafood Couscous, 680 THB
This is the dish that carries the most Sicilian history on our menu. Couscous is the North African staple of tiny steamed grains of durum wheat semolina. In Morocco and Tunisia it usually comes with lamb or chicken. In north western Sicily it comes with seafood, and it has become such a landmark that the town of San Vito Lo Capo holds a couscous festival every September, when chefs from all over the world compete for the best one.
Ours is a generous portion that easily serves two people, so order it as the main course to share.
From the charcoal grill
Everything grilled at Mandorla is cooked on our charcoal Kamado.
Octopus, 680 THB
In Sicily octopus is usually either boiled and served lukewarm as a salad, or grilled. We grill it. You get 200 g of octopus from the charcoal, served with a fresh Sicilian tomato sauce with black olives and capers.
Mixed Seafood, 680 THB
A mixed plate of seafood from the same grill. A good choice if you cannot decide, or if you are sharing and want a bit of everything.
Seafood antipasti
Seafood Ceviche Sicilian Style, 480 THB
Raw and citrus cured, the way the Sicilian coast eats it. A carpaccio of raw hamachi and tuna, seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, black pepper, capers, black and green olives, shallots and our own spice mix, then topped with steamed prawns.
Stuffed Baby Calamari Sicilian Mamma Style, 380 THB
Stuffed squid is a seaside favourite in Sicily. We use baby calamari, filled with their own chopped tentacles, capers, sun dried tomatoes, black olives, anchovies and breadcrumbs, and served in a freshly made Sicilian tomato sauce.
Steamed Vongole, 480 THB
Clams, steamed. The simplest way to eat them, and a good plate for the middle of the table.
Fritto Misto, 380 THB
A mixed fry. Crisp, salty, and best eaten with your fingers and a cold glass of white.
How to order seafood the Sicilian way
A Sicilian meal is a sequence, not one big plate. Antipasti to open, shared in the middle of the table. Then a primo, the pasta. Then a secondo, the main course. Then dessert. For two people, our menu suggests one or two antipasti to share, one pasta each, one main between you and one dessert each. For four, three or four antipasti, two or three pastas and two mains.
A seafood dinner for two could look like this: the Seafood Ceviche to share, Spaghetti alle Vongole and Prawn Ravioli, then the Seafood Couscous between you. Finish with a Lemon Granita, which is how Sicily ends a meal.
To drink, the Grillo di Sicilia from Planeta (220 THB a glass) is a crisp Sicilian white that suits all of it. For a bottle, look at the Etna Bianco from Tornatore.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I eat seafood pasta in Chiang Mai?
Mandorla Sicilian Bistrot in Nimman serves Spaghetti alle Vongole (380 THB) and Prawn Ravioli in seafood broth (380 THB), alongside a Sicilian Seafood Couscous for two. It is at 48/2 Siri Mangkalajarn Road and opens daily from 16:00 to 23:00.
Is there a Sicilian seafood restaurant in Chiang Mai?
Yes. Mandorla Sicilian Bistrot is the Sicilian restaurant in Chiang Mai, and seafood is at the centre of its menu: couscous, clams, prawns, octopus, calamari, ceviche and fritto misto.
What is Sicilian seafood couscous?
Couscous with seafood, a dish from north western Sicily that dates back to Arab rule on the island between 827 and 1091. At Mandorla it costs 680 THB and serves two.
How is the octopus cooked at Mandorla?
Grilled on a charcoal Kamado and served with a fresh Sicilian tomato sauce with black olives and capers. The portion is 200 g and costs 680 THB.
Do I need to book?
Booking is recommended at weekends. Book a table online or call +66 93 134 6699. Please tell us about any allergies, including shellfish.
