I've eaten countless times at Oliva. A lot of it has to do with where it is (its in my neighborhood). If they did keep count, I think I'd be the top customer here. I've gone here even in just my sloth cloths, and they always gladly take me in. I even boast a discount card! It really just doesn't get old to me.
While Oliva isn't an Indian restaurant per se, they have a handful of items that are of Indian cuisine. It would be unfair to compare Oliva's Indian food with higher end restaurants, like say, Rasika of Washington DC, or the many Indian places considered as "institutions" that one might find around New York City. That would totally be apples and oranges. Looking at my fandom for this place is given the context and setting. I don't think there's a place along Visayas Avenue that serves decent Indian food. I personally can't get enough of the roti and butter chicken masala! I got to meet the chef early on after just a couple of times dining here, and its no surprise why they pull off the Indian cuisine quite well. The chef is originally from India and has quite a culinary background (he used to teach at a well-known culinary school in Manila). Most importantly, the prices aren't bad at all for the quality you're getting. As I've alluded to, one really shouldn't come to Oliva to expect haute cuisine or anything like that. What makes me give it a 5-star rating is its value of being a good ol' reliable neighborhood place that serves a variety of decent food for an affordable price. read more