By Eu Hooi Khaw
These Chilli Poppers are not to be trifled with... hot stuff.
JAN 2 — A bit of the Chilli Poppers and your eyes are sure to pop out. It’s the sting of the jalapeno chilli, which is soothed somewhat by the creamy filling of three cheeses — cheddar, red Leceister and mozzarrella. The stuffed chilli is dipped in a light batter and deepfried.
Chilli Poppers are certainly a signature starter at Pedro’s Place in Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur. Count in too the nachos with the lovely hot salsa which you will find hard to stop eating.
More tapas come in the form of Camembert Parcels served with strawberry coulis and wild honey. It’s a sweet and savoury combination but the strawberry coulis serves me better because it’s a little tart.
Pedro’s is run by Gail Ghouse and her husband Malcolm Hedges, who previously had a cafe at The Curve called La Gourmet Cantina.
The restaurant is about Mexican and Spanish food: fajitas, burritos, quesadillas, paella and chili con carne, among others.
We sipped a zingy Sangria while waiting for our food to be ready. We were directed to look at the wall across splashed with rustic brown paint. Did we spot the shapes of 60 people in it? Maybe after more Sangria.
Another tapas here is the churros, made with choux pastry and dipped in cinnamon. I still can’t eat something sweet before a main meal. The 1ft onion rings, 1 ft squid rings, the stuffed mushrooms with crab and the duck liver pate on the tapas menu sound like a better bet for me.
The gorgeous-looking Seafood Paella.
The Seafood Paella came in a bowl, instead of a cast iron pan. No matter, as this was a manageable portion. I dipped in my spoon and all those delicious seafood flavours wafted up. The saffron-tinged rice was lovely with the mussels, prawns and squid in it.
For a one-dish meal, the Lamb Stew with peas, corn, carrot, mint and herbs like rosemary and thyme is a good choice, and you can share it with someone. It comes with foccacia bread.
The burger at Pedro’s Place stands out, as it has 200g of barbecued Australian chuck steak. You could have it in a Chilli Burger, with chili con carne, or with French mushroom sauce or in a Hawaiian Burger.
It’s a substantial meal, with curly fries, a small salad and corn on cob. We had ours with a mushroom sauce and it was really good with the thick patty, with gherkins and cucumber on top.
Dessert was the superb Pina Colada sorbet that has no alcohol in it. It’s fine, creamy and smooth, with a coconut flavour. I thought there was a hint of rum in it, but was assured there was none.
We also had a slice of Key Lime Pie served with vanilla ice-cream which I found a little sweet. Another dessert to try is the Mango Sorbert served in an orange skin.
“Most of the dishes can be turned into vegetarian,” said Gail. More new dishes can be expected in the next two months at the restaurant, which also does corporate catering.
Pedro’s is also doing cooking classes on request, whether it’s about Spanish, Mexican or Italian dishes, or breadmaking.
Malcolm and Gail are also holding Latin dancing classes in the restaurant and there is a teacher to guide you into the rhythm of merengue, cha cha, rhumba and salsa. “There’s food at the end of the session, of course. We may even do a lunchtime session as well,” said Gail.
Pedro’s Place is located at No.3 Jalan 26A/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, tel: 03-6203-1147, 016-690 5713.?
No comments:
Post a Comment