The many tastes of Oliva Bistro Cafe

MANILA, Philippines – Who would have thought that somewhere along the mixed residential and commercial stretch of Visayas Avenue in Quezon City, a multi-cuisine restaurant is offering the classic Milanese ossobuco?

In a small nook in that busy street is Oliva Bistro Cafe, a place where good food is an affordable luxury.

Good food at reasonable prices is the most sought-after quality people look for when searching a place to dine. The wide selection of cuisines offered comes in close second. Fortunately, Oliva Bistro Cafe tops both qualities.

Olivia Cafe Bistro offers a wide variety of cuisines. It offers American, Italian, Singaporean, Indian, and of course, Filipino dishes, all satisfying to the discriminatory palate. These inexpensive indulgences come in large servings good enough for two to three persons, making dining experience better shared with a loved one.

“This is not a fusion restaurant,” clarifies Chef Kannan Jayaprakash Sreedevi, executive chef and owner of Oliva Bistro Cafe. Chef Kannan, a luxury hotel-trained chef, co-owns Oliva Bistro Cafe with his wife, Eden Madridejos-Kannan, who is also the restaurant’s general manager.

The couple-restaurateur said that they want to preserve the integrity of every dish, cooked and served the traditional way, albeit with a different twist.

Chef Kannan adds a hint of pesto in his version of the classic Cream of Mushroom Soup

A steamy bowl of Cream of Mushroom Soup with a pesto kick is a good way to start your meal. Chef Kannan struck a balance between the mushroom cream and the pesto sauce to give a new taste to the classic cream of mushroom soup. At first taste, you can feel the chef’s gift for adding new flavors to traditional dishes.

A good appetizer is Chef Kannan’s version of Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dip. One bite into that spicy chicken wing, you will notice the distinct taste not present in any other buffalo wings in the market. Instead of using Tabasco sauce, Chef Kannan seasoned his chicken wings with cayenne pepper sauce to give that distinct kicking spice.

Oliva Bistro Cafe's Buffalo Wings uses cayenne pepper sauce for a distinct spicy taste

If you are dining out with friends and family, Oliva Bistro Cafe’s selection of pasta dishes will satisfy any gastronomic craving. They offer the traditional fettuccine in pesto and carbonara, linguine in tomato cream sauce, spinach and mushroom cannelloni, bolognaise stuffed cannelloni, and their signature Pasta Oliva, a vegetarian dish in sun-dried tomatoes, olives, garlic, and parsley.

If you are going solo, you might want to try their selection of burgers made from imported beef, ground in-house to give that crumbly feel inside your mouth. The chef has a penchant for not only adding new flavors, but also adding texture to his dishes as well.

Chef Kannan knows his pesto too well; not too creamy, not too oily.

Another selection for solo diners is Oliva Bistro Cafe’s rice meals. Eden shared that despite their global approach to dining experience, they cannot do away with rice as Filipinos love to eat rice. Oliva Bistro Cafe serves rice with chicken either glazed in butter or teriyaki sauce, cooked Hainanese- or Kebab-style, Baby Back Ribs, Beef Kebab, teriyaki-glazed salmon, baked salmon, or baked prawns.

Oliva Bistro Cafe’s selections for dessert will surely please anyone’s sweet tooth. Their Vanilla Panna Cotta with Candied Orange Peel and Honey is a unanimous crowd favorite while their Marble Cheesecake with Strawberry Coulis is likewise a bestseller. For the less adventurous dessert foodie, Oliva Bistro Cafe also serves homemade leche flan with an added homey touch.

Whether you are dining with friends and family, or just enjoying the day by yourself, Oliva Bistro Cafe is a wonderful place to have some comfort food prepared by a hands-on chef, and served by attentive crew members.

Chef Kannan is quite finicky about his herbs and spices

Oliva Bistro Cafe is located at Unit 101, Ground Floor, No. 77 Visayas Avenue, Quezon City. They are open from 11 AM to 10 PM. You may call 990-5342 for reservations.