New dinner menu at Olive Beach

Reinvention. That’s my mantra right now. Madonna’s my rockstar of the mo’. And Manish Arora my perpetual fashion guru. That’s why I’ve anointed Olive Beach my all-time fave restaurant. With A D Singh’s baby, you’re never sure what you’re going to get — jazz nights? Check. Flea market? Check — you only know it’s going to be top quality.

And that’s true of their latest overhaul, the dinner menu. The brainchild of their superlative chef Manu Chandra, it throws out all old notions of Med food and recasts itself as something edgy, fun and totally mouthwatering. Oh yes, the pastas and pizzas are still there, but the new dishes just beg to be tried and tasted.

On a Friday night, while Bangalore blew hot and cold, I had a chilled watermelon-and-tomato soup while my partner slurped a steaming seafood chowder. Tea-smoked duck breast as starters for me, and melt-in-the-mouth pan-seared foie gras for him. Going by the array of starters, I could have made a whole meal out of them but then the main courses beckoned.

What would it be? The Turkish Imam Bayildi (baked baby eggplants stuffed with stewed veggies)? The Seared Halibut? Or the highly recommended Angus rib-eye steak? In the end, I ordered the Slightly Smoked Maple-Glazed Salmon (it was the ’slightly’ that won me over!) and exchanged it half-way with my partner’s rustic fish stew. So light is the selection that we still had place for dessert: port-poached pear and Olive’s signature Chocolate Fondant.

Mmm — fed up and fulfilled, I could only wish that this menu doesn’t reinvent itself too fast. At least, not before I’ve had a chance to sample that Imam Bayildi.

Olive Beach. 16 Wood Street, Bangalore 25. Tel: 41128400. Dinner for two (with alcohol): Around Rs 2000 plus taxes. Reservations recommended.