Niña
​nin-ya
  • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Tourettes
    • Geeeetar Playin'
  • My Life
  • Travel Bug-a-boo
  • Fave Recipes
    • Photo Gallery
  • Picture the Taste
  • Bright Ideas
  • Reviews
  • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Tourettes
    • Geeeetar Playin'
  • My Life
  • Travel Bug-a-boo
  • Fave Recipes
    • Photo Gallery
  • Picture the Taste
  • Bright Ideas
  • Reviews
Niña
​nin-ya

NIÑA ​ANINIAS

SURVEY. DINE. EAT.
​review. REPEAT

Vice Versa - Bistro Italiano

4/12/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
:( Sad to say that I just passed by SZR today, 20 October 2012 and noticed that their space is now replaced by another restaurant. I guess because it was so hidden, not a lot of people knew how awesome they were.

Tel: +971 4 3329575
Sahara Tower, Sh. Zayed Road
Behind Tony Roma's and Starbucks Coffee
This place is so hidden that I feel like I'm divulging a deep dark secret to everyone.

I discovered this tucked away Italian Bistro in Sheikh Zayed Road just by mere accident. There was no available parking close to the lighting company where I was going to.

It could be luck or the mere fact that I'm famished that I even noticed the writings on the wall... "Vice Versa right this way"... Vice Versa didn't really hit me as a restaurant. Vice Versa is a clothing brand where I came from so I just thought it was an odd photo right next to Starbucks, it can't be a new menu from Starbucks.

I and my 2 kids followed the photos that wrapped the side of the  building which also houses Tony Romas. Then the entrance came in sight, it is indeed a restuarant!

Curiously and hungrily, we entered. There's no customer. We happily climbed the stairs to the floor above and sat anxiously, we want the food we saw on the the photos but at the same time, we're worried. No customer equates to either bad service or bad food.

Then came the menu... "wow". For such an empty resto, they have a lot to offer! I got soooo confused; that's not an ordinary occurence. Still doubtful we ordered.

Obviously the boys gravitated towards Carbonara Spaghetti while I greedily ordered, Eggplant Parmigiana and Caprese for Starters and Trio Pasta.

The Carbonara Spaghetti came with beef bacon in a cream sauce that very much made my two boys shrieked with happiness. While mine came in batches.

First the Caprese, a salad made of slices of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, basil and pesto dressing. I have never tried a caprese that I didn't like so at that point, I wasn't yet impressed. It's hard to wrong a Caprese.

Then came the eggplant parmigiana which I'll be tasting for the first time. Let's just say, I devoured that dish in seconds. I loved it! Two appetizers, both lovely. I can't wait for my main course. Will it make me fall head over heels or will it fail?

I told myself, it's an empty Italian Bistro hidden from the busy street, I shouldn't expect so much.

The trio pasta came and my tastebuds gloriously celebrated. It's one plate hosting three classic pastas. Pesto. Procini. Bolognese. Yum. Super Yum. Mega Yum! I couldn't believe it. I ate them all. Yes it was a definite gluttony, especially in the seaon of lent but the temptation was too much. I really felt bad but my tummy couldn't be bothered!
This happened on a Saturday "lunner". The term we use for meals in between lunch and dinner.

Just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating, I brought my hubby and my sis to the resto, of course with my two boys who were salivating just by the thought of going back to Vice Versa.

This time around, I also ordered Beef Carpaccio, hubby ordered Lasagna and sis ordered Capricciosa. For dessert, we ordered Gelato Fritto.

Hubby said Lasagna was alright, nothing special. I guess it's like Caprese, hard to get that wrong, he did finish his whole plate; So that must be a good "alright". Sis however was over the moon about her dish. Capricciosa is a pizza made of turkey ham, artichoke, olives and mushrooms. I had a slice and it was indeed delish!

I on the other hand had my Beef Carpaccio as my appetizer which is my benchmark for any Italian joint, do it well and I'll be over the moon. It comes with rucola and parmegiano slice. So far I only have La Moda of Radisson SAS and Splendido of Ritz Carlton to go for when it comes to Carpaccio. Everyone else is a let-down. With Vice Versa, I was skeptical because it's so below the market price and when it was served, it wasn't paper thin, it was a little thick and my experience with quite thicker cuts were
disappointing. Vice Versa however made it as if the slice's thinness is irrelevant. I loved it! Makes me think, maybe all the rest just didn't bother to buy the good quality cuts.

Though we're full to the brim, we couldn't let the chance to taste Gelato Fritto pass us by. Again, we've tried this dessert in other restaurants, Asians, fusions and what not, so, we had little faith. For me, it's okay, I've been fed well and I'm a happy camper even if the dessert fails me.

It came just how it was promised and so much more! It is vanilla ice cream with a crumb coating, lightly fried. Just heavenly! The crumb coating tastes like donut but the texture is lightier, crumblier, I really don't know how best to describe it. The vanilla ice cream is still perfect when you cut through the donut-like coating. I haven't really tried gelato but if that ice cream is indeed how gelato is, then I'm forever converted! You basically don't lick it and sort of melts it in your mouth, that ice cream is a little chewable, if that's even possible. I don't know if it's because of the coating or it's the ice cream, Gelato Fritto is up in the pedestal with my all time favourite, Molten Chocolate Cake from Chilis.

Vice Versa? The intensity of the flavour, made your name (I'd prefer Bistro Italiano), your location and your view minutely important. I'll come back over and over again to enjoy your delectable food!

I ate at Vice Versa within the same week, just a day apart, that means aaaaa lot!
0 Comments

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    ReViEwS

    I'm No Chef!
    but I love food like it's no one's business.

    Join me in my food quest.
    Laugh at my embarrassing moments. 
    Share my triumphs.

    And if you're brave enough ... dine with me (ooooh scary!), virtually that is, and have the most enjoyable time!
     
    Welcome aboard
    fellow foodies!

    I take my reviews seriously albeit all the jokes in it... :) if you're a resto I did not rate well, it means you have to try harder ... hopefully next time, I'll give you a better review.

    Lady version of Anton Ego from Ratatouille... 

    *Reviews are my own opinion. Dining reviews are segregated into anonymous and hosted categories.

    Sadly, consistency is an ongoing issue in most F&B outlets, our hosted dining tend to be better than paying customers' and so your feedback is much appreciated.

    Print Friendly and PDF

    Archives

    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    April 2011
    February 2011
    December 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010

    Categories

    All
    Abu Dhabi
    Affordable
    Anonymous Review
    Asian
    Bakery
    Brunch Buffet
    Chilis
    Chocolate
    Christmas
    Cobone
    Competition Prize
    Cooking Classes
    Fast Food
    Festive
    Fusion
    Gourmet
    Hosted Review
    Hotel
    Italian
    Jambase
    Japengo
    Jumeirah
    Mexican
    New Years
    Pasta
    Pf Changs
    Portuguese
    Scafa
    Scenes In Movies That Makes Me So Darn Hungry
    Seafood
    Shake Shack
    Special Occassion
    Steak House
    St. Regis Saadiyat Island
    Teppanyaki
    Thanksgiving
    Tour
    Vice Versa

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.