Prego, the popular family dining destination at the Royal Golf Club, has reopened after the summer break with a new ‘sharing’ Italian menu devised by Executive Chef Paul Gindra which features traditional fare and a few flavoursome surprises.
The award-winning restaurant has always offered a wide selection of authentic classical Italian pizzas as well as pastas, risottos and other Mediterranean marvels but it’s never been set in its ways, cleverly adapting to market forces.
Chef Paul is ‘going with the flow’ as families often prefer to sample a selection of dishes and as the customer always comes first (if you want to survive in this game) Prego plans to deliver at a price that will please.
A fine example is the salad, with half (BD2), full (BD3) and share (BD6) options.
I’m a proud asparagus admirer, once travelling across the Humber Bridge from East Yorkshire to regularly dine at a small Italian on the Lincolnshire side of the estuary, simply to sample the restaurant’s exquisite spring vegetable starter.
I now plan to make a frequent trek from Janibiya to Riffa Views for the Green Asparagus & Cucumber Salad plated alongside olives, green peas, grilled zucchini, plus thin slices of radish for an added crunch, with toasted hazelnuts.
I’d started the Friday afternoon affair with a wonderful Soup of the Day; Chicken & Corn Chowder, a warming wonder at BD3, as the good lady wife, Kathryn, settled for the Fattoush Salad (BD3.500) a combination of cucumber, tomato, lettuce, mint and parsley on toasted pita.
Several families settled down shortly after we arrived and the pizza oven was soon firing on all cylinders.
I can understand the attraction as the prices are astonishingly competitive, even lower than what I normally pay for delivery (more often and not cold, grrrr) from my favourite pizza outlet.
Prego’s 12-inch Margherita is a mere BD3.800 and the most expensive of the dozen varieties available was BD6 for the Pescadores featuring calamari, mussels, shrimps and smoked salmon. And all prices were inclusive of service change!
I’ve often suggested in my numerous Eating Out reviews, that there is so much more to Italian fare than pizza, although I’m not adverse to an occasional slice or two.
Chef Paul, who hails from Durban in South Africa, has an award-winning culinary career that spans several continents. He has won numerous accolades during his career including being the national winner of the 2008 MLA Black Box Culinary Challenge, going on to be a finalist in the global finals in Dubai and winning gold, silver and bronze medals in the 2008 Culinary Olympics in Germany.
He has obviously allowed his creative juices to flow with a selection of main courses combining Italian-style methodology with local ingredients.
A prime example was my main choice of Grilled Hammour (BD9.500) – the kingdom’s favourite fish presented with sautéed cherry tomatoes, garlic green beans and potato bake, with lemon & butter sauce available on the side; not necessary in my opinion, as the fresh, full flavour of the food was simply magnifico!
Kathryn chose the Baked Cannelloni (BD5.500) a signature dish with braised chicken smoked for an hour over apple wood, with pumpkin and melted cheeses.
We rested afterwards and took a stroll outside. A wooden terrace area overlooks the pool and gardens giving diners the option of dining indoors or al fresco.
It was soon time for dessert and in keeping with the spirit of Prego we shared the Chocolate Lave Cake and golfers’ favourite Churros – don’t ask me how a Spanish doughnut dish has sneaked its way on to an Italian menu, only to say I’m grateful it was there and another positive sign the customer is being well catered for in more ways than one! Both were priced at BD3.500.
The food was fabulous, the price perfect and the setting superb, especially the Italian artwork adorning the walls. I almost felt like jumping on a Vespa but instead settled for a parting double espresso.
For table bookings, call 17751262.
