 It’s fabulous --- it’s fun! It’s lively --- it’s up-market! It’s sumptuous --- it’s Brazilian! It’s Zico’s!
In February 2003, the doors opened to the biggest sensation that the island’s restaurant and nightlife scene has experienced since the Reggae Pub began playing western hits for Samui backpackers around 15 years ago. It’s on Chaweng Beach Road opposite Central Samui Beach Resort, and with its huge pillars – impossible to miss.
And there’s a lot more to this 150-seat restaurant than just a catchy name. Firstly the food. Zico’s is a barbecue restaurant. But that’s barbecue Brazilian-style!
You can see 15 different varieties of meat and fish revolving on spits in the ‘show’ kitchen, including: beef, chicken, pork, lamb, salmon, prawns and a whole lot more. And then it’s fun-time, because the waiters are ‘Passadors, or roving waiters. And they’re continually circulating around the restaurant, carving directly to your plate. But how do they know who wants topping up? That’s easy too. All diners have a roulette-style disc, green one side, red the other. Place the green side up, and the passadors will be straight over. Show the red side and you’ll be left alone, until you turn it back to green of course!
And it’s not just meat that comes around. There’re vegetables too: rice, mashed potatoes, potatoes in their jackets, ratatouille, sauces, and bread. And it never stops coming. For your salad, you’ll have to get up. But you’ll certainly feel it was worth the effort when you see the incredible 50-item salad bar in front of you. And while you’re on your feet, you may want to choose your wine from the glass-enclosed, walk-in wine cellar where there’s a complete range of excellent world-wide wines, including some South American favourites from Chile and Argentina.
Desserts are à la carte, and include temptations such as the Pudim de Leite – a Rio-recipe ‘Creme Caramel’ with coconut, and the Mousse de Castanhas de Caju e Chocolate – a rich chocolate mousse with caramelized cashew nuts. You won’t be leaving here hungry!
So, what’s the décor like? Contemporary Brazilian. Sumptuous with the accent on comfort. Romantic alcoves, here, sofas there, underlit glass flooring, waterfalls, and lots and lots of plants. There’s a choice between sitting outside in the 50-seater open-sided patio area where the fresh air mixes perfectly with the air-conditioning, or in the glass-enclosed fully air-conditioned interior which can comfortably accommodate a further 100. A mezzanine-level bar area even has a bank of TVs, and non-diners are more than welcome to come and join in the fun (the full name of the restaurant is Zico’s Brazilian Grill & Bar after all).
“… so you’ll be forgiven should you get into the party mood yourself
and join in the dancing!”
And I’ve saved the most exciting part till last – the entertainment. Zico’s has spared no expense in this department either, for they’ve flown in Ricky Zen, an enigmatic DJ who not only looks a bit like Ricky Martin, but sings like him too! And things wouldn’t be complete without the Carnival Queen Dancers who’ve come all the way from Brazil itself. Like the roving passadors, they move around the restaurant, bringing the action to everytable. The beat is samba, the dancing rhythmic and engaging, and thewhole atmosphere is carnival. And you’ll be forgiven should you get into the party mood yourself and join in the dancing!
Visiting Zico’s in an exciting experience. But it’s not only the vibrant atmosphere that you’ll remember long after you leave. The food is exceptionally delicious too, and it’s not everywhere that you can find such a feast |
