RESTAURANT REVIEW: PREGO AT THE WESTIN, HYDERABAD

For the love of Italian food

 

 

I don’t end up eating at five star hotels very often. I find the ambience too formal, the atmosphere too sterile and the staff too obsequious to enjoy. Also, my desk job doesn’t pay me well enough to afford these places on a regular basis. To be completely fair to this kind of establishment, sometimes that money can buy you the kind of ingredients and culinary expertise that a stand alone restaurant can’t afford. Prego at the Westin doesn’t win on all counts but when it comes to food, these guys are using their superpowers for good.

 

 

 

LOOKS LIKE

 

Prego has that clean lines, metallic accents, minimalistic chic thing going that doesn’t really capture my imagination. It looks (and is) expensive and I guess this is intentional. I wish they’d carried the cliché through and stuck with neutral colors – I found the liberal use of red and orange oppressive. I visited in the evening and sat indoors but there’s also an outdoor area which would be very pretty during the day.  

 

Bread is beautiful

 

 

TASTES LIKE

 

If I’m able to describe the food accurately you should be very hungry by the end of the next few paragraphs. The meal starts with a gorgeous chunk of just baked bread, warm out of the oven and drizzled with olive oil served with a sweet, salt tomato sauce pounded roughly so there are little crunches of fresh tomato when you bite in. The Gamberi Aglio E Olio (Prawns sautéed in Garlic, Chilli, Grated Zucchini and Cherry Tomatoes) is a platter full of succulent, impeccably cooked prawn heavily doused with garlic. They don’t skimp on their portions and I didn’t have much of an appetite left but I soldiered on knowing I was flanked by a hungry brother who can usually eat at least twice his weight.

 

Gamberi Aglio E Olio

 

The Arrabiatta (Penne with Spicy Tomato Sauce, Garlic and Parsley) was a revelation – I’ve never had an arrabiatta so simple.The tomato and parsley were so fresh that the addition of garlic, salt and pepper was all that was needed to make an incredible dish. The sauced up, super seasoned version of the arrabiatta I’ve been eating so far seemed gauche and artificial in comparison. The Pollo Allo Spiedo (Roasted Chicken, Black Truffle, Asparagus with Roasted Potato) is pieces of plump chicken cooked faultlessly with the delicate flavor of truffle permeating the meat. It isn’t for the fainthearted though, the portion was much much too large for me.

 

Arrabiatta

 

The Tiramisu was much better than what I’m used to but still a little too creamy for me. I’d have liked more sponge to balance out all the mascarpone. The Zuccotto All Cioccolata (Prego’s Famous Mud Pie) was a shocking disappointment after the track record Prego had been setting. It felt oddly like a scoop of ice cream rolled around in Oreo crumbs. The crumbs were too dry, the flavors not properly balanced and the ice cream watery.

 

Pollo Allo Spiedo

 

FEELS LIKE

The staff was enthusiastic and prompt – considering the technical complexity of the menu it must be difficult to become familiar with it.

 



Zuccotto All Cioccalata

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

 

Should you go: Definitely!

Vegetarian Options: Yes

Liquor License: Yes

Smoking Area: Yes

Address: The Westin, Mindspace IT Park, Madhapur, Hyderabad

Phone: 040 67676828

 

Tiramisu