Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Corporate parties are not completely dead in Manhattan, and neither are the corporate-size restaurants that host them.

How else explain the newly opened At Vermilion and Pranna? The respective bi-level and tri-level venues have a seating capacity of close to 800 between them.

That’s a lot of space amid a recession.

Multitiered stadium restaurants are an oddly popular category in New York, unhampered by criticism. Hence, the continued success of Buddakan, Buddha Bar and Tao.

Many of these behemoths are Asian. Litchi or elderflower cocktails are usually involved. Food is largely beside the point. Contrived exoticism abounds: Buddha statues, Chinese calligraphy and colonial-style architecture.

Pranna and Vermilion more or less adhere to this formula, except they lack the opium-glazed atmosphere of their peers. The new mega-eateries go for something more pedestrian: Vermilion looks like an airport lounge and Pranna evokes a nightclub. This is not progress.

But for what it’s worth, here’s an early analysis: The cuisine and cocktails are quite good at Pranna, not at Vermilion.

In fact, my experiences at Vermilion, an east Midtown offshoot of the original Indian-Latin fusion eatery in Chicago, were among my worst of 2008.

Too Many Mussels

A $90 prix-fixe meal was a disaster. Course No. 1: two scallops crusted in blue corn. Tasted like shellfish with Tostitos. No. 2: Foul-tasting mussels in a cilantro coconut broth. Came with saccharine tamarind shrimp.

No. 3: Lobster “Portuguese” in a “Goan gravy.” The rubbery crustacean looked like it had been microwaved for hours. There was also a “black ceviche” of gritty clams and more mussels in a dirt-colored liquid.

No. 4: A Brazilian fish stew with an “Indian kick.” The main ingredient: mussels. Please, no more mussels!

No. 5: Desserts. The orange-blueberry sorbet melted while my server explained the sweets.

I had to stand up and put my coat on before a waiter noticed it was time to bring the check.

When I reserved a table for another night, a host told me I’d have to sit downstairs due to a private party. Not a problem. What she failed to mention was that the fete would have a microphone-equipped DJ blasting nightclub music.

The lukewarm temperature of naan was “unacceptable,” said a South Asian dining companion.

Doomed Beef

Most Indians don’t eat beef. That’s why tandoori skirt steak seemed doomed. It was impossible to cut with a dull knife. But a shot of yogurt was a clever counterpoint to the rich meat.

Stick with a la carte cocktail-party food. Duck vindaloo was spicy, the arepas underneath were sweet. Chaat -- flour shells with sweet potatoes -- were crispy and light. Chicken kebab was moist. Seekh kebab was dry.

At Vermilion is at 480 Lexington Ave. at 46th Street. Information: +1-212-871-6600; http://www.thevermilionrestaurant.com

Red Curry

It’s easy to be suspicious about Pranna on Madison Avenue. It seats 462 and serves satays, the typically boring skewered meats served at weddings and Bar Mitzvahs across the U.S.

But then I tried chef Chai Trivedi’s versions ($5 to $11). They’re inspired by his travels through Asia on a “Honda Nighthawk 750 motorcycle.”

Not a single item is overcooked or underseasoned. Pork gets a hint of spice from harissa. Chicken is coated in red curry. Swordfish with garam masala is soft and medium rare. Minced shrimp is delicate and redolent of the ocean.

I find that the louder the music in a venue, the worse the cocktails. But despite the thumping beats at Pranna, every drink I tried was well-balanced. Bartenders use strict measurements. A Mae Khong is a riff on a daiquiri: rum, sugar and lime. Except here fresh sugarcane juice is used, adding an unexpected lightness.

Too loud? Try the dining room, where things are quieter. Main courses -- a crispy red snapper in curry sauce, a cumin- crusted skirt steak -- were well-composed but no different from similar preparations elsewhere.

Stick with small bites, like spinach-potato curry puffs or soft, chewy rice noodles in a spicy Sichuan peppercorn sauce, both just $5 each. A meaty lamb slider is only $6. Finish with rice pudding: A layer of chili gelee on top gives a kick to the cream.

Pranna is at 79 Madison Ave. at 28th Street. Information: +1-212-696-5700; http://www.prannanyc.com.

(Ryan Sutton writes about New York restaurants for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this column: Ryan Sutton in New York at rsutton1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: December 9, 2008 00:01 EST