The SceneHeralded as a competitor to
Windows Of The World (WoW), Olive Garden started operations in 2000, and followed closely in WoW's footprints in cuisine, d飯r and ambience. Today it looks little more than a dimple-chinned canteen - an elegantly bedecked cafeteria. Seated comfortably on Madhapur soil, Olive Garden attracts the teeming IT millions. And if you missed your meal at the lunch hour, walk in... they'll willingly serve you Chowmein or any other Indo-Chinese collaboration recipe.
The FoodOlive Garden has a range of soups and salads for the calorie watchers. Try the Waldorf Salad if you must and steer clear from anything that sounds remotely Chinese. The Spring Rolls at Olive Garden had the manager breaking into a mini monologue on why it is the most popular starter there. Try it if you believe him.
The "multi-cuisine" name notwithstanding, people majorly flock here for a quick meal, and a spicy North-Indian one at that. The manager confides, "Take my word and stick to Indian." I did, and found a wonder potion in a curry called "Methi Chaman". Don't go by the looks... it looks green and gooey, with an occasional red chunk suggesting carrots, and white gratings of cottage cheese.
If you are a meat-eater, try the Chicken Tikka Masala... well-cooked and tender meat, it almost melts in your mouth.
To dig that sweet tooth, Olive Garden suggests the OG Special Sundae that has three flavors of ice cream served with fresh fruits and other sinful details likes blanched nuts et al. The serving portion is huge, and unless you are a habitual saccharine digger of the author's cadre, you can't slurp it all.
The VerdictOlive Garden is a clear case of mistaken identity. The pungent food almost makes you rechristen the restaurant to "Spice" garden. It is one of the many modest mice studding the roads and alleys of Madhapur. Don't come here expecting a weekend experience to relive in memories. You'll find squabbling couples, hungry singles and the omnipresent cackling IT junta.
The tip remains the same... don?t waver into unknown territory; stay put at familiar Indian tastes.