Vivo: western done right

Me and Lyn had been a great fan of Vivo, ever since trying the shop out in The Curve, PJ. Imagine our excitement when we get to know that Vivo is opening in Ipoh. Although we did not doubt the quality of food here, but a few question remains. Would Vivo remains relevant here in Ipoh, given that the food scene is different from Klang Valley? Would the taste remains the same despite different location? (my cousin swear until today that a certain branch of Nandos taste better than the rest)





Located on the ground floor of Aeon Station 18, among the whole row of eateries, it is easy to spot the blue signboard. The deco is modern, simple and minimalist, to my liking. The staff are attentive and polite. All these up to the standard of any other restaurant.

The menu is essentially western. It would be a choice of meat, pasta, cheese baked selection, pizza or sandwiches/ panini. We had visited Vivo many times to try out quite a number of selection and most of them are quite impressive. For the Ipoh outlet, we tried the grilled fish panini which remains one of Lyn's favourite. The fish fillet was grilled to perfection without being dry while the bread complemented the fish nicely. The use of parmesan and oregano on the panini lifted the taste of the whole dining experience. The spicy lemon chicken chop, is also one of the better dish. The chicken was grilled perfectly while retaining the juicy part. The subtle use of spice is a genius touch with the taste linger in the mouth even after swallowing the meat. The use of the sauce, which is similar to the bolognese sauce, on the other hand, did not do the meat justice. My own selection would always come from the cheese baked page. The cheese bake rice is definitely one of the better ones I tasted, therefore today I chose the baked meatball spaghetti instead. The chicken meatball was good, the use of cheese was generous, but the bolognese sauce was too watery in the end. Compare to cheese baked rice selection, this may not be my top choice. Still, it is one of the better ones out there.


The question remains, would it be relevant here in Ipoh. I never doubted the food here. The taste of the western selection is definitely up to par and one can't go wrong coming here. However, with so many other great restaurant out there, and offering similar prices, it remains to be seen whether Vivo would thrive in the silver state.

Ratings: 3 half poink~!
comments: I still recommend selection from the panini page and the cheese bake page. Do note that the cheese baked selection may differ bit from the HK chachanteng style of oriental baked dish.

Vivo @ Ipoh Station 18
Lot G52, Aeon Ipoh Station 18.