Olive Bar & Kitchen is a great idea to beat the scorching heat!

The thing with Olive Bar & Kitchen is that it looks really good. The white interiors and the uber chic vibe almost always have a wonderful effect on you. So much so that you almost stop caring about what you might eat as long as you're sitting there and soaking in the atmosphere. Is it a good thing or not, I don't know but I felt it yet again when I walked in the place all set to review Olive's new summer menu on a hot Saturday afternoon in Delhi. The place looked impeccable and I was delighted!

For a summer menu, the lighter the food, the better it works. Not high on spice and making you feel calm and composed is how the food should be. If you're wondering how the new summer menu at Olive is, go out and savor it; it is delectable like how!

My meal started with Amuse Bouche (pumpkin cracker with goat's cheese) which, for even a non-lover of pumpkin, is really impressive. And so is the Melon Terrine with Avocado Sorbet. Both of these ensured a fantastic start to my meal. The first roadblock, or should I say food-block, was Heirloom Tomatoes & Burrata, a dish with such an overdose of tomatoes that even the most loyal lovers of the vegetable will start to detest. Thankfully, Chicken Tortellini, that followed next, more than made up for it! Those who love salmon definitely don't miss out on Cured Salmon with Green Apple and Cucumber Water, one of the best things I had at the restaurant.

The main course was three dishes- one good, one very good and one a total disaster. The good one, Zucchinni Wrapped Reef Cod with Leek Nage is a nice option. The very good one, Slow Braised Pork Belly, is one of the best pork belly recipes I've ever had in a rather long time. As for the disaster, Chicken Liver & Foiegras Parfait, the liver can get rather irritating despite your best efforts.

Dessert at Olive always has me floored! And this time was no different. Both the options- Pave of Chocolate with Orange Sorbet and Baked Cheesecake with Passionfruit Curd- were wonderful. My real favorite? The cheesecake is out of this world! A big thank you to the chef for just that!

So, is the summer menu getting an applause from me? Certainly! Don't miss out on the salmon and the cheesecake!