Picantos & Wadeshwar

Mexican food has taken a surprisingly long time to get to Pune. I have never quite understood why.   Indians traveling to the USA during the 90s when there were few Indian and South Asian restaurants in that country quickly found themselves at a Taco Bell or something similar that served the basic Mexican fare of tacos and burritos. That was the nearest they could come to spicy fare that was familiar to their taste-buds when they craved for some comfort food.  Now, we have so many eateries in town serving Italian, Mediterranean and Thai, but nary a place that serves Mexican. Until now.

Picantos Mexican Grill in Viman Nagar brings to town a taste of Mexican in a quick serve format. While those looking for something very authentic or upscale may balk at their offerings, I have to say they do a very good job for the price.



We loved their Spicy Chicken bowl, which comes with fried beans, rice and some really spicy chicken. I have to warn you about the heat level in their spicy options - they are quite fiery!

My wife and daughter liked the charmaula chicken burrito.  They also seemed to enjoy the tacos, even if the shells weren’t exactly how we like them.  I guess the quality of the fillings made up for it.





We had ordered a Tres Leches cake and Churros too. These were ok, but not particularly memorable.  The churros tasted alright, but they haven’t gotten the shape right.  As for the Tres Leches Cake, I am not sure the fault is entirely theirs.  Having tasted some of the top-notch versions, it was inevitable I would inadvertently compare with those.  But again, like I said earlier, for their price point, they do a remarkable job.





Wadeshwar serves a local version of South Indian fare and has been quite popular. They recently opened an outlet in Kalyani Nagar.  On a whim, we decided to see what they had to offer.  Like restaurants in their space, Wadeshwar, was a neat and clean place offering a variety of dosas, wadas, and idlis during the morning hours.



We tried what they say are their most popular dishes:  Molgapodi Idlis and Ghee Idli. Both these dishes are created with mini idlis.  The former is tossed in a dry spice mix while the latter is dipped in hot sambar with ghee.  We liked both, even if they weren’t too different from what you would get at a Kalyani, Vaishali or a Madhubani.





I guess, every place has their fan proclaiming how different these places are.  I for one, don’t find one that is particularly special compared to the others.  For the record, I also think Vaishali is grossly over-rated! :)