What are your defining factors when choosing where to eat lunch? Ours are convenient transportation, quick service and price-worthy foods. It’s easy to name a list of restaurants that fulfill just one or two — it’s much harder to find one that satisfies them all. The newly re-located Vino kills three birds with one stone, but we’re left wondering whether we might need to reevaluate our midday standards.
Nestled on Longkou Dong Lu and announced by a massive signboard, Vino has its interior decked out in shades of dark brown. Tables near the French windows let in streaks of sunshine, which lighten the mood, while the back of the room is conducive to more intimate talks. Once we sit down, spiffy waitresses hand us the picture-filled menu. With drool-inducing photos illustrating pasta, pizza, dumplings, seafood and steak, it’s easy to get a headache trying to land on a choice, let alone ponder the prices, which vary from RMB45-RMB100.
The Lunch Indulgence set is certainly cost effective. Priced at RMB48-88, it includes a bowl of hot soup, a small salad or antipasti and a large main course. The tomato beef stew is far too sour while the creamy mushroom soup overdoes it on the chopped mushrooms.
When it comes time for the antipasti, we feel somewhat deceived. Although photos on the menu show the buffalo caprese with three pieces of mozzarella, ours arrives with only two, and the taste is so mild it’s nigh on flavorless. Potato salad with bacon scores higher, as the starchy blocks are dressed with creamy sweet-and-sour sauce and delicately placed in a cucumber roll for both a visual and culinary treat.
Options for the main course range from risotto to pizza and roasted rabbit leg to grilled fish. The duck breast spaghetti features soft pasta with thick black pepper sauce – a bit overwhelming, but foodies craving heavier flavors may like it. Grilled sole fillet with mashed potatoes is a relatively light, healthier option. Served with pumpkin sauce, the pan-seared fish is flaky, tender and not oily at all.
Soft drinks and herbal teas are currently buy-one-get-one-free. Order the warm ginger lemon tea and sweet honey pomelo tea and consider lunch mission accomplished.
Vino’s not gourmet, but it is a good deal. For RMB145, we got a pretty decent lunch for two.
Price: Approx RMB80 per person
Who’s going: Wallet watchers and lovers of convenience
Good for: Weekday lunch
// Listing.
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