Place: Olive Garden
Location: Hitech City Main Road
Cuisine: Indian Buffet
Meal: Lunch (with friends)
On a Friday noon, met some friends and we decided to stop by some place near Hi-Tech City for lunch. We first walked into the new All Seasons restaurant opposite Cyber Pearl, but it was yet to open. Then we tried getting into Pizza Hut, but it was jam-packed. Finally, after about 10 minute wait, found a table at Olive Garden. We were really hungry, so seated ourselves at a table for four even before it was cleaned. This place used to be one of my favorites long ago. I loved their North-Indian dishes, especially their Malai Kofta. This time around, we decided to try their buffet on table.
They had to clean the table thrice before it was properly clean for every time they were cleaning it in a hurry. Once done, they gave us a one page menu with the buffet listing: Vegetable and Chicken Cantonese Soups, a bunch of Salads, Crispy Vegetables, Spicy Crispy Potatoes, Egg Manchuria and Chicken Tikka for starters, Paneer Methi Chaman, Mixed Veg., Aloo Baigan, Dal Tadka and Punjabi Chicken as entrees, Butter Naan, Vegetable and Murgh Dum Biryani, Curd rice, Gulab Jamoon, Fruit Salad and Vanilla Ice-cream for deserts. We were pretty happy with what they had and asked for the soups and starters.
It took forever for the soup to arrive, and even longer before starters were served. Bigger problem was that they were serving only one starter at a time, so I had to wait while the non-veg starters were on. The Soup was tasty and tangy, the Potatoes were crispy and very spicy, and the Crispy Vegetables were fine, but a little under cooked.
After another ten minute wait, the main course was served. The Paneer Methi Chaman was creamy and yummy, Mixed Vegetable was average, and the Aloo Baigan was alright. The egg-plant was a little raw, but otherwise, the curry was fine. The Dal was decent, nothing great. The Butter Naan was soft and good.
As with most places serving buffet, the Biryani was horrible. It neither had taste nor flavor.
The Ice-cream and Gulab Jamoon were good. But when we asked for the Jamoon second time around, under-cooked Jamoon was served.
Overall, a decent meal for the price we paid. It doesn’t make much sense for vegetarians, but for non-veggies, it’s a great bargain. The non-veg food, as told by my friends, was very good. The idea of buffet at the table seemed innovative, but the slow service was a big let down. We were hoping for hot food to be served every time we wanted something, but on most occasions, cold food was served. Also, while we can get anything we want at our discretion at a regular buffet, here we had to wait for him to bring it out from the kitchen, which was kinda irritating.
With better service, this place could get bigger. For now, give it a shot if you are in search for a decent buffet in the Hi-Tech city area.
Food: 7.5/10
Service:6/10
Ambiance: 7/10
Meal for 4: Rs. 950/- (Buffet: Rs. 199/- + Taxes per head)
Verdict: 7.5/10
