Olivetto: Fine Dining and Lounge

(Sorry about the horrible quality of photos! My camera betrayed me at the last minute, thus had to use my cellphone!)

After hearing a lot about Olivetto, me and my sister decided to try it out. So we landed there on a Friday, late afternoon and I must say, it's quite an impressive place. I fell in love with it as soon as I entered the Lounge and saw all the books around me. Beautiful interior - black sofas, black book-shelves laden with treasure, lit up with spotlights. At the end, you could see a mini bar. The mirrors used in the room were utilized well, giving the entire lounge a classy look. We asked for the menu and we decided to go for the All-Day Lounge Special. A drink, entrée and a dessert for Rs.539 (exclusive of taxes). My sister went for a Beef Burger, Bread Pudding and Mint Shikanjbeen, me, on the other hand ordered a Smoked Chicken Pizza, Crème Caramel and Mint Shikanjabeen. We were served with the drinks first, and never in my life have I ever had such an amazing Shikanjbeen. It was perfect. The mint was not over-powering, and there was a perfect balance between the sweetness and the sourness in the drink. It was just so good! And then, on it's way was our food! I rubbed my hands in glee and couldn't wait to try out the food. The pizza looked so scrumptious and beautiful! Yes, beautiful. Chunks, literally chunks of smoked chicken, olives and mushrooms. One way to measure the quality of the food is by freshness of the ingredients, and Olivetto here, did not use canned mushrooms; the mushrooms in the pizza were fresh button mushrooms and they tasted out of this world! The pizza's crust was perfectly chewy, thin crust, and was topped with the yummiest mozzarella cheese. I loved the pizza, and the waiter looked at me wondering how a not-so-fat lady eating an entire pizza. Yes, I finished it The beef burger was The Beef Burger. It was a big, juicy patty, topped with a slice of cheese and it was, A BEEF BURGER! Yes. Delicious as well. We were then served with the desserts. The creme caramel was creamy, and had a beautiful caramel sauce. The bread pudding's amazing taste cannot be defined by any set of words. The toffee sauce was finger-licking good; the warm pudding was served with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. My sister really could not resist wiping the sauce off the plate with her fingers! All in all, it was a trip absolutely worth our money. The ambiance, the quality of food, the worth for money, the service, the taste - impeccable.
Also, I would like to congratulate the team of Olivetto for completing a year serving mouth-watering food to Karachiites. Hope they stay consistent with the quality of the food. It is a place I am definitely looking forward to going more often (and maybe intern too after I've completed my F&B Production Diploma *winks*). If fine-dining has a name, it is definitely Olivetto. No other restaurant has ever pleased me with their food and service as much as Olivetto has. We were also met by Afroze, who was an amiable person to meet. Olivetto was quite a pleasurable experience.

Quality of food: 9.5/10
Service: 9/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Value for money: 8.5/10

Olivetto
The W, Training & Networking Center
ST 25 B, Block 4, Clifton, Karachi.
Tel: 021-34222955
Email: olivettocafeandlounge@gmail.com
Click here to like their facebook page.

Have you been to Olivetto? How was your experience? Feedback is always welcome! Let us know by commenting below! :)
The Crazy Chef now does restaurant reviews. If you want your food/restaurant/cafe/new menu reviewed or blogged, please contact me at tennythecrazychef@gmail.com or drop me a post on my facebook page.

Chicken Biryani

Ingredients:

Chicken 1 kg, cut into 8-10 pieces
Onions 4-5 medium sized, sliced
Tomatoes 3-4 medium sized, chopped
Potaoes, 4-5 medium sized, cut into quarters
Yogurt 100 gms
Ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp
Oil 1/2-1 cup
Salt 1 1/2 tsp (or to taste)
Red chilli powder 1 tbsp
Whole spice powder 2 tsp
Coriander, roasted and crushed 1 tsp
Cumin, roasted and crushed 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp (levelled)
Nutmeg-Mace grated/crushed 1/2 tsp
Chinese salt 1/2 tsp
Dried plums 6-8
Whole five spices (cloves, peppercorns, cardamom, aniseed, bay-leaf) 1 tbsp
Fresh coriander, chopped 1/2 cup
Fresh mint, chopped, 2 tbsp
Rice, 800-1000 grams

Method:

Boil the rice and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pot and fry the onions (on medium flame) till golden brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and chicken and fry for another 3 minutes. Now add the whole five spices, potatoes and fry a little. Now add the tomatoes, yoghurt and the rest of the spices and cook until the meat and the potatoes are cooked through. Just in the end add chopped fresh coriander and chopped mint. Now in another large pot, put a tbsp of oil then a layer of rice followed by a layer of the biryani masala. Repeat twice and cover with a lid. Let it simmer on very low heat for five to ten minutes then serve.

Mushroom Veggie Tacos

A favourite Mexican delicacy: Mushrooms, corn, tomatoes, onions, bell pepper and olives topped with cheese.

Ingredients:

Taco shells, 6
Sweet corn 1 tbsp
Mushrooms, chopped, 1 tbsp
Bell pepper, chopped, 1 tbsp
Olives, chopped, 1 tbsp
Tomatoes, chopped, 1 tbsp (de-seeded)
Peas, boiled, 1 tbsp
Carrots, chopped, 1 tbsp
Onion, chopped, 1 tbsp
Fresh coriander, chopped, 1 tbsp
Cheddar cheese, shredded, 1-2 tbsp
Garlic, chopped, 1 tsp
Butter, 1 tbsp
Tomato paste or Tomato ketchup 2 tbsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Pepper 1/2 tsp
Red chillies, crushed, 1/2-1 tsp

Method:

Heat butter in a frying pan, and fry the chopped garlic and the pulp of the de-seeded tomatoes. Fry for a minute then add all the veggies except coriander. Fry for a minute, add the tomato paste or tomato ketchup, salt, pepper, crushed chillies, mix well and fry for two more minutes. Now fill the shells with the veggie filling, garnish with chopped coriander and shredded cheese.

In a pre-heated oven (180-200 C), grill the tacos for 5-7 minutes, or till crisp.

*You may add or subtract the vegetables - all are optional. You can also add stir fried beef or chicken and use them as fillings.

Aloo Gosht

Ingredients:

Mutton meat (cut in medium-size pieces) 1 kg
Onions, 6-8 medium, sliced
Tomatoes, 4-5 medium, chopped
Salt 1 1/2 tsp or to taste
Black pepper, crushed, 1/2 tsp
Coriander, roasted and crushed, 1 tsp
All spice powder, 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder, 1 1/2 tsp
Garlic paste, 1 tsp
Ginger paste, 1 tsp
Potatoes, 6, medium, peeled and cut into quarters
Green chillies, slit lengthwise, 6-8
Fresh coriander for garnishing
Oil 1/2 cup

Method:

Heat oil in a pot and fry the onions on a medium-low heat till they are soft and golden brown in colour. Now add the ginger-garlic pastes and chopped tomatoes. Stir well and continuously till they've amalgamated into a dark-red mixture. Now add the meat, fry for five minutes, add salt, pepper, red chilli powder, all spice powder, turmeric powder, crushed coriander and mix well. Now add the potatoes, give it another stir and add about 2 cups of water. Cover with a lid, stirring occasionally and cook for 40-45 minutes or till the meat is well done.
Now add the green chillies and fresh coriander. Stir once and serve instantly with fresh tandoori naan.

Chicken Karahi

Ingredients:

Chicken, 1 whole, cut into 8-10 pieces
Tomatoes, 5-6 medium, chopped
Green chillies, medium sized, sliced, 8-10
Oil, 1 cup
Salt to taste
Coriander, roasted and crushed 2 tsp
Black pepper, crushed 1 tsp, levelled
Fresh coriander for garnishing

Method:

Heat oil in a large wok, and add the chicken. Fry for three to four minutes, and add the tomatoes. Mix well. Add the seasoning. Cover with a lid and let it cook for twenty to thirty minutes or until the chicken is cooked through on medium-low flame. At the very last moment, add the sliced green chillies and chopped coriander, mix well and serve instantly with garlic or sesame nan.

TIP: Before adding the chicken, SLICE your tomatoes instead of chopping/dicing them, cook them well in oil for about 5-8 minutes till they turn into a paste then add the chicken. This will greatly enhance the taste of the dish and will also cook the tomatoes well.

Pakistan Blog Awards

Yes I know it's been quite some time since I posted on the blog but sometimes one just becomes busy with life. After having a little virtual break thought I should get back to blogging. The Pakistan Blog Awards were held on Friday, the 23rd of December 2011. It was one grand event, though I was a little less excited this time. The first Blog Awards had more charm and excitement than this year's - but who knew what was surprises it held for me!
I entered and I was greeted by a good friend, Fariha who was also my company for the rest of the event. I saw quite a lot of familiar faces. The thing I liked in the PBA this time was that the unconferences were held seperately, hence making the event a little less boring. The event kicked off, unveiling it's grandeur. The first set of awards was given out, followed by a tea-break. I got back to the table with my cup of tea and chocolate cupcakes (which I had secretly brought with myself *winks*) when I heard the host calling us to be seated and waited for the second set of awards to begin. I was talking to a lady sitting beside me, when Fariha nudged me and told me it's the food category being announced, and my heart stopped beating that very moment. And what next, the winner was announced as The Crazy Chef - after a momentary shock of surprise, I stood up and walked all the way to the stage with wobbly legs, and a feeling that I might fall any second because of all the excitement. It was a glorious moment and one of the happiest of my life.
Thank you so much all of you for appreciating my blog and supporting me! The Crazy Chef wooooon! :D

Since I am a foodie, I did not forget to take a picture of my plate full of food! The won-tons were really delicious! Unfortunately I was too full to have more than two of them.

Chicken Hara Masala

Ingredients:

Chicken, cut into 8-12 pieces, 1 kg
Coriander, two fresh large bunches
Mint, fresh, one large bunch
Green chillies, medium sized, 15-18, stalks removed
Onion, 1 small
Salt, to taste
Oil 1/2 cup
Ginger, julienne, for garnishing

Method:

Cut the stalks of the coriander, and pick out the mint leaves. Blend/grind (use water if needed) them with green chillies and onions. Keep it aside.

In a pot, heat the oil and fry the chicken for 5-10 minutes. Now add the coriander-mint-chilli micture and mix well. Add salt, half cup of water, cover with a lid and let it cook till the chicken is well cooked, about 30-40 minutes. Serve garnished with ginger, and fresh naan.

You may change the quantity of green chillies according to your spice preference.