ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Address: 4/301, Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Time: 11 AM to 11 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,500
Cuisines: Thai, Asian, Chinese, Continental, Italian, Mexican
Facilities: Home Delivery, Free Parking, Wallet Accepted, Desserts and Bakes
Pedreno’s, Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), Chennai: DECOR
Practical flooring and light furniture, a somewhat sparse space, with green walls meeting brick-designed wallpaper, Pedreno’s is a vast restaurant. Obviously, I have many tables to choose from, and, opt for the one with the most natural light, and with a black sofa.
In their defence, the menu is as vast as the restaurant… with many different cuisines to choose from. I opt for the jalapeno cheese balls — to stay in my comfort zone. They come steaming hot to my table, nicely crumb-fried, accompanied by cheese sauce. Rancid oil smell precedes the nugget. Unlike the name, it sadly lacks the jalapeno punch.
In hot pursuit, the exotic Naples bruschetta, has peri-peri mayo zig-zagged on its cheese topping. Underneath, it has, along with broccoli and a few pieces of olives, cheese. Frankly, there’s nothing exotic about it as the bread itself is soggy.
Pedreno’s, Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), Chennai: FOOD
The menu has many pizza options, including something called godziilllaaa — a 48” pizza, which is supposed to be India’s first and Asia’s largest dine-in pizza. I settle for the 9” lo spinacio pizza, loving its thin crust, the sun-dried tomatoes, feta and the generous patches of textured spinach on top. This must be Italian Master Chef Alessandro Cargiolli’s recipe, I think, remembering the write-up on the inside cover of the menu.
Deciding to try some of the Malaysian street food, I order the char kway teaw, which in Malaysia, is spelt teow. Turns out to be pungent, with well cooked, flat-rice noodles. The small shrimp are nicely moist and easy to like. Tastes more Chinese than Malay.
For dessert, I opt for the ruby red water chestnuts, just to be safe. Predictably, the coconut milk is made from powder. The water chestnuts are slippery on the outside, moist-crunchy on the inside.
Pedreno’s, Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), Chennai: PLUS AND MINUS
With summer around the corner, this large space needs more efficient air-conditioning. Food needs a lot more tweaking and attention.
