Vincenzo Ristorante Italiano

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The Food, The Fad and Thankfully... All Else

• PYO Holiday

Jalan Ara is the fervent conversation piece for many socialites these days.

The usually quite stretch with quaint houses on both sides is no longer just that. The weekends are bustling with activity with both people and car traffic. The culprit of this busy activity is none other than One Bangsar, the gourmet haven. It’s the new row of delightful eight bungalows housing seven restaurants that serve an array of scrumptious food and even better drinks.

At the foot of the hill is the famous Bangsar Seafood that was once the centrepiece of Bangsar Baru. After moving its premises to Jalan Ara, Bangsar Seafood has lost none of its previous charm of serving fresh seafood Chinese style. As you take a slow walk up the hill, Sagar, serving North Indian cuisine will be the first to greet you. If you prefer to have less spice in your food but insist on Indian cuisine, then Sagar does not disappoint. The Hideki is a modern Japanese restaurant while the Cungdinh Vietnam serves authentic Vietnamese food. Walk further up and you will be greeted by Montien Thai, which serves yes, you guessed it spicy, mouth watering Thai food. Le Francais is all French and more. Its ambience is truly tasteful celebrating the French way. The Saffron, which serves Mediterranean food, stands out from the rest with its magnificent design. I always save the bst for last. Tucked in a corner, right at the end of the One Bangsar stretch is my pick this time around. Vincenzo Ristorante Italiano

My Pick

Just like its name, Vincenzo is where all your wildest Italian fantasies are fulfilled and satisfied. Before you get lost in your fantasies, let me take you through a culinary journey first.

One call, one meeting, one Saturday afternoon... the hero, Redzo (the debonair manager). The food damsel in the distress... yours truly. The plot? My food cravings to end with nothing but sweet Italian thoughts.

Scene one was four types of warm bread with olive tapenade as backdrop. The foccacia, the soft roll, the millanesa and the sesame bread were all just extras to the hero of this scene, the pan seared foie gras. This is served with portabello mushroom and peaches. Who says peaches are best desserts. Here it compliments the foie gras to perfection. This must be from the food heavens. This is Vincenzo’s speciality as it has been reworked over the last couple of months to suit the taste buds of its loyal foie gras regulars.

According to Redzo, the Italian food reflects the colours of the flag. The red tomatoes, the white for garlic and the green for herbs. By now it is clear to me that I will for the next two hours or so be enjoying all my food in accordance to these three colours. I am in total awe by this time. The antipasti entree is a combination of cold appetizers. The good thing about this is you can customize it any which way you please. I had the salmon, prawn and asparagus with mushrooms. Fresh, delicious but here’s the little subplot. You can have this with a little secret sauce concocted by the chef. THE CHILLI PASTE. Extra hot for the extra hot Asian taste buds.

The owners of Vincenzo constantly create numerous ways to serve their customers better. Everything at this restaurant is carefully prepared for the health conscious with less sugar, less calorie content and low fat. The set lunch at Vincenzo serves up to 15 types of salads. For just RM30++ you get a complete healthy lunch of soup, pasta and dessert.

Lost in conversation with Redzo, I did not realise the mains had arrived. What a fast for the eyes, the duo aglio with prawns and rocket salad. Black (dyed with squid ink) and white spaghetti cooked to perfetto with the right amount of garlic, herbs and olive oil. Like the Italians say, ogni mouthful era cielo! The portions are big so luckily I had my other half to scoff the rest down. Men come in handy when you least expect! If you want a smaller portion, you can always ask for the half portion or entree size. Like I said before, at Vincenzo it’s all about customizing. The oven-baked cod with honey hollandaise arrived next. Apparently this is highly recommended for pregnant women. This cod is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA), which is of major importance for proper nutrition during pregnancy, not only for fetal development, but for the mother as well. Redzo, please open all doors after this to fit pregnant mothers who may come in hordes to Vincenzo.

I couldn't decide if this was my favourite after having stuffed my face with the duo aglio. Deep breathe now, one, breathe in, two and breathe out. The pleasures of deceiving your stomach with mind games. Yes, there was room and I was totally blissful. The cod was tender and sweet. Every mouthful of the cod with mashed potatoes was tantalizing.

As I finished my food, I was then given a little insight to the Prime Minister's favourite dish. The roasted tenderloin. The meat is chilled not frozen for a few days to lock all its natural juices in. Then marinated with pepper and salt and served with a choice of three different sauces, the blue cheese gorgonzola sauce, mushroom sauce and black pepper sauce. The portion is big at one kilogram and perfect for 2 or more persons. Unless of course you want a hearty meal all by yourself, Vincenzo has a good selection of pizza. The pizzas can be customised according to what suites your fancy. It is usually cooked thin crust but you can ask for thick crust as well. I had a combination of pepperoni, turkey ham, mushroom and artichokes. This would make a great Sunday family lunch with the children in tow.

Vincenzo has a superb personal wine collection of over 300 varieties from Italy, French and Australia. All these served in Swiss crystal wine glasses. Can one ask for more?

Before the dessert arrived, Redzo took me on a little tour around the restaurant. The deco is simple, edgy and raw. This definitely keeps ones focus on the food rather than the surrounding. At Vincenzo it's all about the food so all else is kept simple. Do a 360-degree view of the restaurant and there's lots of white from curtains, to walls, to tabletops. The only splash of colour is from the huge lights, black and a tinge of orange. What got my attention was the wall partition of red bricks. It looks almost unfinished but somehow blends with the ambience of the restaurant. Redzo says it's like coffee with biscotti.

Upstairs is open for private dining for either individuals or corporations. The private room can sit up to 10 to 12 people. With the partition opened it can house almost 20 people. Open the doors out to the balcony and a good 40 people can party. The edginess continues upstairs where the chandelier is not centered and the picture frames overlap. The Blue Bar Room comes to live after 9pm with cocktails, soothing music and the sight of the Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower outside. What's amazing is that only at Vincenzo would you be able to see the towers in one straight vertical line. The KL Tower sits between the Petronas Twin Towers. A sight to marvel indeed!

Back from the tour, I was served dessert. Duo flavour chocolate and coffee mousse. All good things do come in pairs. This is new on the menu and I was honoured to be the first to try it. My verdict... this is true dolce vila! Redzo came back with an interesting drink to wash down my dessert. The lemon cello, the perfect liquor to end a perfect Italian meal.