Tuesday 10 November 2009

A piece of Critique on NEO and Nero Vivo

Professional Writing Assignment 2
Kuala Lumpur has become more developed when it comes to fine dining. Back in the early 90’s fine dining restaurants were at a minimum, but now one can find one anywhere in the heart of the city or even in certain suburbs. Restaurants such as La Fete, Bijan, Frangipani, Twenty-one bar and Restaurant, Maredo’s, and many more. All these restaurants provide a fine dining experience, and a taste explosion, but of coarse it all comes at a price. The two restaurants that we have chosen to make a comparison on are, NEO Luxe Lounge, Jalan Sultan Ismail and Nero Vivo, Changkat Raja Chulan.
Both of these restaurants cater to similar market segments, which would be business owners, royalty, expatriates, and as prejudice as we may sound, you could say these restaurants are reserved for the sophisticated crowd, or thriving socialites, this is because these two restaurants provide a certain kind of class and etiquette. The atmospheres in these restaurants are vibrant and quite extraordinary.
Nero Vivo provides a very rustic atmosphere, wooden furniture, long wooden bar and very beautiful décor such as beautiful paintings of women on nearly all the corners of the restaurant. Nero Vivo also provides indoor and alfresco dining. Customers are given the choice of dining in the indoor rustic atmosphere or the beautifully decorated outdoor dining which also has a small bar for customers to enjoy fresh cocktails or good wines.
NEO Luxe lounge, which was opened not too long ago by the same owners of the prestigious, Tamarind Springs boast a setting that caters to the lights of the Sultan of Pahang, Celebs such as Ning Baizura and many more, NEO provides a beautiful setting, it has four dinning rooms, each different in its own way and seats at least 30 in each room. The furniture is very contemporary, most of which imported from places such as Chiang Mai and Indonesia. NEO also has a very beautiful and extremely long bar in the outdoor area of the restaurant. The bar is something very special, because it is lit by very tiny lights on the surface creating a starry effect. The place is landscaped beautifully with trees and long sofa’s. The place also plays host to many parties, as of recent it played host to the Chic, Style Rocks Party.
Nero Vivo and NEO both differ when it comes to their respective menus, Nero Vivo boast a delicious variety of Italian cuisine, dishes such as a variety of antipasti, dolce (dessert) like their famous Tiramisu, which is a cream based dessert with lots of biscotti and a nice splash of Amaretto or Tia Maria, their mains such as the pasta’s are served with style as their Italian chef Riccardo Ferrarotti, creates each of the dishes using different techniques taught by grandmamma back in Italy.
Vivo also serves up a variety of cocktails and wines, the “Proseco” which is an Italian sparkling wine is one of their most served drinks, Sambuca shots are served to most table as it is a fantastic aperitif. At the end of a wholesome meal, one can enjoy a fresh cup of espresso made in their reputable coffee maker, each shot of espresso is just right. Prices in Vivo range from RM18 to RM1000. A meal for two course by course plus wine could run you up at least RM500
NEO on the other hand, serves a fusion based menu, they have a very small menu most of the time but each dish is created with the hands of a genius, Chef Thi Thi, is an amazing, one Michelin Star chef who was flown down from a very exclusive restaurant in Thailand to work for this restaurant, the owners Federico and Maple are perfectionist and expect only the best when it comes to serving their customers. One would have to start with their magnificent cocktail menu, all created by the chef himself, cocktails such as Orange Brulee which is an mixture of vodka, orange liquors, cream, and a few other spices that wouldmake the tongue tingle with delight.
There are two choices when you visit this restaurant, you may order from the menu or you may be adventurous and tell the chef to make what ever he feels like creating. He would bring you on a culinary adventure, having you taste dishes like salmon on a sheet of horseradish and eggplant puree or pasta made with tiger prawns and a bisque of lobster and prawns, but make sure you tell him when to stop or he will go on creating. There is a good choice of wines, White or Red; you would find a bottle that will please you. Prices in NEO range between RM26 to RM1000. Like Vivo, NEO will run up a bill of at least RM500 for two.
NEO and Vivo have trained their staff to perfection, having them serve you with delight and always at your back and call. Uniforms for the staff in both places are eye catching, in NEO the staffs are dressed in a very Asian look which is very different from most restaurants whereas in Vivo the staffs are dressed in a smarter sense, with tugging black outfits that look almost like jumpers.
In contrast, Vivo boast a more comfy and rustic feel, so one can feel more like at home when dining, the atmosphere is more joyful and people tend to look more at ease, whereas in NEO people tend to be rather quiet and less talkative, this could be because the of the atmosphere in the restaurant, it is much bigger than Vivo and does not have a rustic or warm feel to it. The food in Vivo is more prepared with ease and not much precision, so there are not much decorative features on the food, but you can be rest assured to be awed when you eat in NEO as the food comes like a piece of art. As for the flavor of the food, there is nothing at all to complain about both chefs of both restaurants take pride in making sure everything that is served is prepared well and there are never any flaws. The managers and staff are ever helpful in creating a splendid time when you dine.
From the findings above, one may conclude that both of these restaurants are an absolute must to try out, mainly because both have its own unique appeal. Both restaurants boast exclusivity and absolute pleasure to the tongue. So one should not think about the prices that would be paid but the fact that one would be able to experience a really different and tantalizing experience.