07 March,2014 09:05 AM IST | | Dhara Vora
Popular Bandra eatery, Olive Bar & Kitchen will be debuting an all-new menu next week that celebrates local produce, courtesy its globe-trotting chef de cuisine, Sujan Sarkar
The world seems a rather beautiful place to be in behind the white walls and gravel-laden floor at Olive Bar & Kitchen in Union Park in Khar. While their food and bar have been a success for years now, it recently had a popular run with the pop-up of Goa eatery, Thalassa, at its Mahalaxmi outlet. And now, to shake things up a bit in the buzzing and restaurant-heavy area of Khar/Bandra, a new menu has been designed under new chef de cuisine, Sujan Sarkar.
Roasted Pumpkin Salad had some zest courtesy apricot-orange puree, with quinoa adding some crunch
New and au naturel
"Sixty to 70% of our customers are regulars. But every restaurant has to keep changing and customers are looking for a change. If you go to Europe, there are several great restaurants that have just a small board announcing the menu for the day which changes daily," says AD Singh, managing director of the chain.
Pan Seared Scallops sprinkled with bacon and green apple strips. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar
Sarkar, who has been a chef at several international restaurants, explains the approach: "A balance of sweet, sour and crunch," and to make his point clear he gives a rather simple example, "Why do we like pani puri? Because it has a mix these elements."
Olive uses Australian sea bass that is pan seared is served with romanesco brocolli
The talented chef has worked on the menu such that the food is a bump-free journey from one course to another. "You can't just change the menu without changing the ingredients. Now with several international quality ingredients available locally, it's better," says Sarkar. While choosing his ingredients, he personally makes trips to markets and farms near the city.
The Petit Four box can be customised with a mix of sweets and seasonal fruit
Farm-fresh
The food didn't just look good, it tasted delicious as well. The salads are especially fresh. Our favourites were Roasted Pumpkin and Green Beans (Rs 500), which has pumpkins topped with mascarpone with apricot-orange puree and the promised crunch delivered with quinoa, popped amaranth and pumpkin seeds. A great mix of local and international ingredients.
Through the rest of the salads too, Sarkar follows a similar mix with the use of ingredients such as different varieties of tomatoes, avocado, pomelo, and sourness through mandarin, limes, vinegar with a sprinkle of different nuts such as pine nuts, and our favourite, candied walnuts that added a surprise mix of sweet notes in our Marinated Beetroot Salad (Rs 600).
The variety of seafood for different courses too has a mix of Australian Sea Bass, salmon (in shredded form for salads too), red snapper and tuna. For dessert, apart from Olive favourites including tiramisu, the Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta (Rs 450) had a dose of fresh rhubarb, and sorbet on the side.
The new menu will be ready for patrons from March 11, 2014.
