Received from Milan Sime Martinic via Submit Reviews:

You have seen the altogether wonderful pictures of Vasto ribs staring at you from the sides of bus stops, gently teasing your taste buds and massaging your mind into planning on making it to that restaurant sometime soon. As it turns out, there is more than one Vasto in Brasilia. But I am here to tell you that there is one that offers a superior experience, the location at SHCS Quadra108 Bloco E on Asa Sul.

From the moment you walk in you are in a New York kind of mood. Sinatra songs, often live, set the ambiance; the layout and design itself place you in the Big Apple, in one of those restaurants on an upper floor with a great view, the ones Vegas lounges try so hard to duplicate. Before you even look at the menu, the place has won you over. Service is immediate and impeccable, more so during lunch than at dinner when the service is slower, clumsier, and the food quality can be inconsistent.

It is casual-elegant, businesslike or romantic, take your pick. It is the kind of place where you can spend an hour or two listening to music and sipping a drink before you even think of food. People go there to eat, however, and the menu is a delightful offering of escalating choices. There is a light avocado on toast appetizer served beautifully garnished with a green-leaf salad with feta, split grape tomatoes, and pomegranates, altogether they are a feast to the eyes as much as your taste. And you can go to the other side of the spectrum with the sumptuous Mexilhões à Provençal —Mussels à la Provençal— for a spectacularly presented and delectable appetizer that can more than satisfy you in both flavor and quantity.

Presentation is, in fact, a Vasto trademark. The Roasted Cauliflower —Couve Flor Assada— is spectacular as it arrives, golden with its cheese covering singed to perfection it comes on a light green coulee that complements the flavor deliciously. It is my favorite.

The Ovo Mollet appetizer is a whimsical panko-fried soft-boiled egg centered on a delicious gumbo-like stew of mushrooms and crisp bacon. Its full-flavor will make an impression on your flavor receptors, one you will surely want to try on your next visit.

One could spend several hundred dollars on dinner and drinks, but for me, the above appetizers were more than enough keeping my bill under R$200. You can indulge on Vasto’s Prime Rib, its Filet Mignon, Ratatouille, Salmon, or the Costela do Dianteiro ribs from the ubiquitous ads, and you can certainly make of your visit a lovely gourmet experience.

I was disappointed, however, by their Tiramisu dessert. It was rubbery and had the taste of an item too long in the refrigerator, certainly not fresh - an unfortunate last impression. On a subsequent visit, I tried their Panqueca de Doce de Leite Argentino with somewhat less disappointing results.

Vasto Sul is open daily from noon to midnight.

Restaurants

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