This olive has to ripen

Taking off from its earlier avatar, Garam Masala, Green Olive seems to be on the right track. But it needs to up the ante with a wider menu and better service to match office crowds that are likely to throng the space for its value-for-money options and offers

This olive has to ripen

About two years back, we had reviewed Garam Masala, an eatery that had sprung up in an area filled with its ilk. We loved its decor, especially the glass-topped tables covering rows of spices.

When we visited the same space this time around, we found ourselves at Green Olive, an eatery doused in shades of green, and otherwise similar to its earlier avatar, down to the high stools. The walls had the ubiquitous post-its with ‘feedback’ — an interesting element that we’ve spotted in places as diverse as frozen yoghurt parlours and donut shops.

Green O
Food: Decent
Service: Slow
Ambience: Can be betterive

Mongolian Pasta at Green Olive. Pics/Wilson Ranbhiseu00a0

On the plus side, they still offer yummy snacks and ‘combo’ meals that ensure you get more bang for your buck. The menu ranges from fried snacks, sandwiches, rolls, north Indian fare such as Rajma Chawal (only during lunch time), Parathas and Lassi, as well as Italian fare including pasta.

Since we dropped by on a Friday night, we couldn’t savour their Rajma Chawal. Instead, we started off with French Fries (R77). Served in a basket, it was accompanied with a cheese dip. No room for critique — then again, how wrong can one go with fries. We also sipped on refreshing Ice Tea (Rs 65) as well as the very frothy, thick and perfectly chilled Lassi (Rs 55) to while away the time.

With limited options, we tried the Paneer Chilli Paratha (Rs 89) which was simple yet delicious. Served with curd and a cheese-based dip, it was polished off in no time. The Mongolian Pasta (Rs 147) made from basil fettuccine included a mix of broccoli, onion, olive and capsicum and had generous amounts of soya sauce. It tasted healthy and fresh but was a silent killer as the spice hit us after a few bites; water had to be called for.

We were keen on doing dessert; their menu even listed options. Much to our dismay, we were informed that none was available. We settled for the Double Meetha Pani (Rs 40), a liquid-ey sweet concoction made from Lassi. It tasted a tad too sweet leaving us disappointed with the overall experience.
The service was a bit erratic despite the eatery being semi-empty on the day we dropped by. We didn’t play severe critic, and let that pass since the eatery was barely a fortnight old.u00a0

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