NYC’s Restaurant Week has recently come to an end and I had the pleasure in visiting one of the most renowned restaurants in the Meatpacking District. Located not far from the beautiful Highline Park, Fig &Olive was on the top of my list of restaurants to visit when Restaurant Week started. Amanda and I made our dinner reservation to have another fine dining experience.
Fig & Olive is an extremely well decorated European fusion restaurant with a highly modern interior. Everything about the restaurant, both the inside and the outside, was chic and we were greeted with the friendly hostess and waiter who showed us to our reserved table. Because it was still early for dinner, the restaurant was fairly empty, making the service much faster than what I had expected. Restaurant Week always has a three course prix fixe menu and Fig & Olive was not an exception. I ordered the chicken samosa as my appetizer, paella del mar as my entrée, and chocolate pot de crème as my dessert. Amanda also ordered from the Restaurant Week menu, getting the gazpacho de andalucia as her appetizer, the Fig & Olive summer chicken tajine as her entrée, and the chocolate pot de crème as her dessert.
Prior to getting our appetizers, the waiter brought out a plate of warm freshly baked bread with three different types of olive oils. Amanda and I really liked this bread platter, particularly because we were given the chance to try different flavors of nutty and fruity olive oils. Shortly after the bread, our appetizers came out and all I can really say is that both of our appetizers were superb, setting the bar high for what to expect for the rest of our meal. The chicken samosas that I had ordered were seasoned perfectly, covered in crispy and light puff pastry, topped with a sweet and tangy sauce. The gazpacho de andalucia that Amanda had ordered was fresh and simple, plated aesthetically to satisfy the diner. As for our entrées, we were even more impressed with Fig & Olive after tasting the first bite of our dishes. The paella del mar that I ordered was cooked perfectly, with the creamy rice combined with well-seared scallops on the side. Amanda’s chicken tajine was also grilled to perfection, but what she loved the most about her entrée was the grilled fig that came alongside the chicken. The overall savory dish was heightened by the sweetness of the fig, adding a great balance to the rest of the dish. Lastly, for the dessert, our chocolate pot de crèmes were the prefect finish to the entire meal – the desserts were light, fluffy chocolate that still had the rich, sweet flavor.
Appetizers: Chicken Samosas & Gazpacho de Andalucia
Entrees: Paella del Mar (front) & Chicken Tajine (back)
All three courses at Fig & Olive were light and fresh. Fig & Olive is smart with their flavors, creating refreshing yet innovative tastes using simple ingredients which ultimately result in great dishes. Although the general price for a meal at Fig & Olive is on the higher end, Restaurant Week provides a great opportunity for diners who want to enjoy a fine restaurant experience at an affordable price. I’m aware that Fig & Olive also has a cheese platter and crostini tasting that has been extremely popular amongst eaters, so I’ll be sure to try this out the next time I visit.
P.S. I really do wish that I brought along my DSLR to take better quality pictures – I was too engrossed by the quality meal that I had forgotten to take pictures of the interior & our desserts. What a shame, but I definitely know that I’ll be revisiting sometime soon, so expect better pictures for then!
P.P.S Good news, everyone. Restaurant Week has yet again been extended to September 3 – more time for me to visit those high end restaurants without losing all of my paycheck!
