The new expess menu at the Olive Beach promises to create a happy feeling in your tummy as well as your pockets
The new expess menu at the Olive Beach promises to create a happy feeling in your tummy as well as your pockets
How would it feel to sneak out of work at lunchtime and find yourself in a Mediterranean haven right in the heart of the city and feast on an express lunch?
We think it would feel just right, although if you've been to the Olive Beach before, you will know that you don't need a reason to go there. However, the newly introduced quick power lunch was good enough for us to make it to Olive on a weekday.
Strictly speaking though, the restaurant is known for its lazy brunches with lunch being an elaborate affair, when we stepped in on a pleasant Bangalore afternoon, we were surprised when we pored over the menu.
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The menu promised the elaborateness of the usual Olive meals but under an express lunch menu called Prix Fixe Lunch. Commonly known as Prefix, a Prix Fixe meal, an Eurpean concept is a predetermined set menu usually comprising a three course meal at a much lesser price.
At Olive you get to choose between entrees, salads, soups, mains and desserts from sections called To Begin With (salads, soups and starters), Nourishment (mains) and Heaven (desserts).
Sitting outside under a beautiful autumn sky and amidst Olive's trademark blue and white exterior, you could be easily transported to a Mediterranean villa. Our first orders were a Beetroot and Walnut Salad along with Gambas Piccante with Zattar Crisps.
Since my colleague feared she had a bout of cold virus attacking in, Chef Manu Chandra suggested she start off her meal with a steaming bowl of Chicken Broth with Vegetables. The beetroot salad was delicious to taste unlike my unpleasant childhood experiences with messy beetroot stews.
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It was roasted and had a sweet as well as tangy flavour and came tossed with rocket, two kinds of lettuce and walnuts in a balsamic vinaigrette and mustard dressing. The peppery and nutty flavours of the rocket complimented the sweetness of the beetroot and the crunchiness of the nuts.
We were also served Butter Rum, a heady concoction of rum, apple juice warmed and spiked with cinnamon, star anise and other spices and served with a dollop of butter. The drink made us feel slightly lightheaded and snoozy.
The Butter Rum and the broth worked wonders for my colleague's cold. The chicken broth was clear with a hint of pepper and a generous dose of zucchini, carrots, peas, cauliflower, beans and slivers of chicken pieces.
The Gambas, which is Spanish for prawns, came saut ufffded in a spicy tomato and cheesy sauce and were served with toasted slices of bread. Like its name the prawns turned out to be one piquant affair and we polished it up in no time with the toasted bread.
For our mains we chose the Chicken Paillard, the Herb Marinated Vietnamese Basa and a Spinach, Caramelised Onions and Ricotta Piadina.
The lightly grilled Piadina, which is a thin Italian style flatbread, came stuffed with a delicious mix of spinach, caramelised onions and loads of ricotta cheese. Needless to say they disappeared quickly.
The Chicken Paillard (Paillard being a method of flattening the meat in order to make it tender and cook quickly) was strictly all right with grilled chicken breasts served on an island of mashed potatoes, saut ufffded vegetables amidst a sea of lemon spiked chicken gravy. The fish however had us completely hooked.
The Basa, Chandra informed us, is a kind of catfish found in Vietnam and is really tender on the bite. The dish passed the true test of all things fishy, it was cooked but not overdone and was still tender with the skin being nicely charred. The flavour was delicate withu00a0 the herbs doing their magic.
The Chocolate Hazelnut Pate, which we chose from the dessert section, was a dense roll ofu00a0 chocolate flecked with hazelnuts and was presented beautifully with Chamomile Creme Anglaise, a Chamomile flavoured light custard-like, milk-based dessert sauce served with dainty Italian Ameretti (almond based) biscuits.
The Fudge Brownie was baked with walnuts and served in a cocktail glass with a scoop of ice cream. It was gooey and quite a sticky chocolaty affair.
Perhaps, the best thing about the Prix Fixe meal is the fact that you do feel you are having an elaborate meal but at a good value for money. The food and the ambience are definitely siesta inducing, so even if you are feeling extremely lazy, you will go back to work feeling deeply satiated.
At Olive Beach, Wood Street
On Monday to Saturday, 12 to 3.30 pm
Call 99455 65483
For Prix Fixe Lunch Rs 499
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