Restaurant’s adventurous fusion of East and West tantalises taste buds.
THE RED OLIVE RESTAURANT
Unit LG-70, SStwo Mall
40 Jalan SS2/72
Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 03-7932 1868
Business hours: 11am to 9.30pm.
THE olive tree has many benefits, from its leaves to its fruit. The fruit, which turns black when ripe, helps reduce blood pressure, regulate heartbeat and lowers blood sugar levels.
Its oil, when applied externally, can soften and soothe the skin. Olive oil is used for cooking, drizzle over salad and used as a topping on pizza.
A restaurant in Petaling Jaya has seen the many benefits of the olive and has incorporated it in its meals. The Red Olive Restaurant in SSTwo Mall uses olive oil in some, if not most of its dishes.
“The Red Olive evokes a sense of timeless allure and refined sophistication. Inspired by the olive fruit, our menu flirts with seasonal trends and boasts an adventurous fusion of East and West,” said its marketing consultant Ken Phuah.
The restaurant’s concept is simple – modern, chic and fresh, in line with the type of food served.
Facing an open courtyard, the restaurant offers a comfortable lounge area, contemporary dining space, coupled with a breezy al-fresco section, perfect for a Saturday brunch.
The colour red is splashed across the walls while the dark wood tables are complemented by black leather chairs.
The red symbolises prosperity and gives the restaurant a vibrant vibe, whereas the black represents a ripe olive. The colours create a relaxed setting that is both chic and welcoming.
The restaurant has also replaced concrete walls with glass to allow natural light to stream in during the day while at night, patrons can enjoy the twinkling of lights from the courtyard.
For dinner, I was served an appetiser, enough to feed three people. The Red Olive Trio Platter combines three tasty snacks into one – crispy chicken bites, fried onion rings, and pita bread served with humus and tapenade dips.
For its main course, there are six dishes to choose from. Those who appreciate good food will relish the hearty servings of wholesome pasta, gourmet burgers and Asian delights.
Diners can look forward to signature dishes such as the Double Decker Beef Burger, Spicy Seafood Spaghetti, Vietnamese Stir-fried Beef, Grilled Mexican Chicken, Pan-seared Sea Bass Fillet and Tuscan Chicken Fettuccine.
Out of the six, a must-try is the Spicy Seafood Spaghetti. Perfect for the Malaysian palate, the restaurant’s signature pasta is sauteed in spicy garlic and olive oil and cooked with fresh prawns, squids and mussels.
A mouthful of the pasta was all it took to convince me that this dish would be one of my favourites. For only RM21.80, it is perfect for seafood and pasta lovers who like a little spice in their spaghetti.
For those who like challenging meals, give the Vietnamese Stir-fried Beef a try. According to Phuah, this dish is popular among patrons. It comes with bahn mee salad, pickled chili, crackers and steamed rice.
Next, I was served the Grilled Mexican Chicken, grilled boneless chicken leg that had been marinated with home-made Mexican-style spices, topped with fresh tomato salsa and served with mashed potato and buttered vegetables.
The chicken was tender and the spices made it even more enjoyable. Though my chicken portion had more fat, it was nevertheless tasty.
I dare say The Red Olive serves a really good plate of pan-seared sea bass fillet. What made it absolutely delicious was the different textures of the fish.
It starts off crispy on top then finishes off with soft and fresh meat. Priced at RM28.80, the fish was topped with lemon coriander butter served with mashed potato and buttered vegetables.
Patrons should complete their meals with the house special – churros with chocolate dip. Made in-house, the deepfried Spanish doughnut is priced at RM10.80 and is served with rich chocolate sauce.
There are two specialty drinks to pair with these signature dishes.
Patrons can order a glass of Lemon Mint Fizz or Iced Pandan Peach Tea for only RM8.80.
I tried the Lemon Mint Fizz and at first sip, it tasted a little sour. Give it a chance though as it will taste much better after a few sips.
The Red Olive Restaurant is also introducing its “English Afternoon Tea Set for Two” which features a silver three-tier tray of assorted egg mayo and tuna finger sandwiches, scones, cream cakes and chicken bites.
Served daily between 3pm and 6pm, the set is available at RM28.80+.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro