Chandigarh
11 January 2023
DIVYA AZAD
Spend the day in your favourite sunshiny courtyard at Olive Café & Bar in Sec 26 and warm up with chef Anubhav Moza’s new winter specials! All day, every day 12:00 pm onwards.
The new winter menu offers dishes made with seasonal ingredients which are perfect for winters and has been curated with ingredients that help beat the winter chill.
Head Chef Anubhav Moza and his team have creatively used ingredients that are known to be favourites during winters; spices like paprika and saffron, and ingredients like figs form part of the culinary delights unveiled as part of the ‘Winter Specials’ menu. Healthy options like flaxseed and sesame have been infused in some offerings. There has been some excellent experimentation done with seasonal vegetables and fruits. Seasonal roots like beetroot, black carrot and fresh herbs have been used quite innovatively in some dishes. A variety of cheese over and above the regular cheese have also been used quite well in the dishes.
Talking to media about Olive Café & Bar’s food and culinary process Anubhav Moza said, “There is an emphasis on flavourful cuisine that is healthy and offers a lot of nutrient value. The idea is to provide the city’s food enthusiasts with something different and to expose them to unique yet comfort dishes that make them keep coming back for more. Our aim is to maintain original flavours while cooking. We use sous vide cooking to retain tastes and flavours of the food. A Sous Vide machine heats water up to a desirable constant temperature so that we can cook food at the right temperature in the water at a gradual yet precise pace. This ensures an ideal tendered meal for our guests.”
Talking about the ‘Winter Warmers’ there is an elaborate dinner menu awaiting food aficionados. Small Plates constitute ‘Double Baked Soufflé’ – a French dish which is cheesy, rich and warm, paprika-spiced cheese sauce along with it makes it perfect for a sunny winter afternoon. ‘Brien En Croute’ is a must try. It has cheese infused with healthy seeds like pumpkin, flax, melon and sesame. Moving further Under Grains and Greens the ‘Slow-roasted Root Vegetable Salad’ is a major attraction. It has been creatively made using beetroot, black carrot, and seasonal produce like baby spinach. Roots are a rich source of iron and this is a great healthy winter delight. ‘Burrata Salad’ has Burrata cheese paired with strawberries, another seasonal favourite. ‘Fresh Fig & Chevre Salad’, uses figs known to give warmth during winters.
Under Grills and Mains ‘Portobello Mushroom’ is a big draw. Portobellos are also called the king of mushrooms and its aroma and texture is warm. There’s ‘Char-grilled Broccoli’, Chicken Souvlaki & Sumac Rice’ is a Portuguese recipe and has a unique smoky flavour. ‘Char-grilled Chicken’ is made by marinating chicken using smoky tomatoes and onions. ‘Char-grilled Veg Platter’ has exotic veggies and is served with saffron yogurt. ‘Himalayan River Trout’ is made using fresh trout fish, infused with the herb – fennel plant.
Under Entree – main course a must mention is ‘Moroccan Chicken Tagine’ which is traditionally cooked in a cooking pot that is dome shaped, in fact the dish gets its name after the cooking pot – Tagine. The cuisine is a middle eastern delicacy which also consists of cous-cous, made from durum wheat. Under Pasta and Risotto ‘Spinach & Mushroom Caramelle’ is a one of a kind toffee shaped pasta with spinach and mushroom stuffing.
The Fig Mille Fueille is just the desert one would look for during winters.
The beverage menu has ‘Mulled Wine’ – wine infused with herbs and spices; served warm, and ‘Smoked Apple’- Irish whiskey with house fruit wine and vermouth; served with smoked apple wood. There’s ‘Hot Toddy’ too. All these are just perfect for warming you up during the winter season.
