I wanted to love Olivia’s Fusion Cafe Vino in BF Homes. There were moments of genuine kitchen skill, but they were outweighed by seafood-quality concerns, uneven execution and questionable value.
The bright spots
- Kaldereta empanada: The star of the meal, with a flaky, well-seasoned crust and deeply flavourful filling.
- Kare-kare chicken: The breaded chicken breast stayed moist beneath crisp, well-seasoned breading. The sweet peanut sauce worked well, and the fried eggplant and vegetables tasted fresh.
The misses
- Prawn salad: Oversized pieces of iceberg lettuce made it awkward to eat. More importantly, the prawns had a very mushy texture that made me uncomfortable enough not to continue eating them.
- Bagoong rice: Pasty and short on flavour. The kare-kare did not include bagoong, and a side serving costing ₱20 amounted to less than a teaspoon.
- Avocado-banana smoothie: So thick that it was difficult to drink.
Atmosphere and verdict
The wine display, multicoloured Nordic chairs and woven chandeliers felt more collected than cohesively “fused.” Despite the excellent empanada and chicken, the prawn texture and sense of being charged for a tiny essential condiment prevent me from recommending this visit. We will not return.
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