No Mas for Olas

OLAS Tapas Café is a casual Gourmet Month meal I’ve been trying to hit up either for lunch or dinner considering I’m in Sanlitun area basically every day.

I’m a big fan of Spanish tapas and the gourmet month menu looked pretty good – with an assortment of cold and hot tapas and dessert for only RMB 99.

HUGE disappointment.

First of all, the hot chocolate I ordered was not hot at all (more like luke warm), the entire gourmet month meal was basically 2 plates of an assortment of tapas – one plate with olives, red peppers, itty-bitty mini croquettes, and even smaller bacon and shrimp skewers. The second plate was a bit better with a lamb chop, chicken breast on garlic bread, and beef.  Last was a scoop of ‘homemade’ vanilla ice cream.

Luckily, my friends were more interested in other tapas dishes, so we got an assortment of tapas plus a pasta dish and extra desserts.

Not only was Olas the first disappointing CW gourmet month meal with its miniature portions, and poor to mediocre quality and taste, all the food was either too salty or not salty enough, too oily and greasy, and overall blah.

Review of Olas Tapas Café: Beside Coldstone on the Yashow side of Sanlitun Village, 朝阳区三里屯北路三里屯Village南区S9-10  Tel: 6417-5657

Best Part:

• It’s conveniently located in Sanlitun Village, my home away from home
• It’s a nice, casual atmosphere
• Reasonably priced
• Decent Mushroom Risotto
• Easy to order an assortment of tapas with a group of friends (most tapas come in 3′s).

Comments:

• If you go, don’t bother ordering the Gourmet Month meal. It’s not good value and I think you’d be better off just ordering some tapas off the regular menu.
• Tapas are all quite greasy, oily – either too salty or not salty enough (overall disappointment with Spanish chorizo and eggs, and also the foie gras was very bland).
• Pastas are more Italian than Spanish…and I wouldn’t even consider it that.
• Experience overall was pretty poor to mediocre in terms of food quality, taste, selection,  and service.