Dubai: The name is a misnomer, and a big one at that. Seriously, who’d believe you if you told them that the Mint Leaf of London is essentially an Indian restaurant. Not just the name, its sophisticated and chic decor is also far removed from the look and feel of subcontinent eateries. For good measure, I thought, because Mint Leaf manages to be classy without the crutches of decorative motifs and live classical music, and yet deliver great Indian food with a serious kick and intent.
The ambience and contemporary lounge and bar settings are as much to whistle about as the cuisine as the restaurant is perched on the 15th floor of the Emirates Financial Towers, DIFC, and offers breathtaking views of Dubai, including the Burj Khalifa from its floor-to-ceiling windows. Like their flagship restaurant in London’s West End, the Dubai branch also has a discreet private dining room and outdoor area to host small parties.
Warm welcome
We were greeted with a warm smile and shown a table near the window, not far from a vibrant live-cooking station manned by head chef Vivek Kashiwale, who has worked in a string of top–notch restaurants in the UK and knows his craft, I dare say, like few others.
The best dish comes early amid the starters; tandoori lamb chops marinated in ginger, yoghurt and coriander and served with mint baby potato. I have had dozens of variations of lamb chops, but I can tell you that nothing comes remotely close to the Dh90 Adraki lamb chops version. The ginger-marinade not only added a burst of flavour to the dish, but also tenderised the meat so much so that it came off the bone with very little prompting.
Just as delightfully different was Aloo Chaat (Dh45) which included crispy fried potatoes with sweet yoghurt and tamarind chutney.
The main course menu is quite exhaustive and includes firm favourites such as kadhai paneer, dal makhni, lobster tails, Punjabi chicken masala and biryani, but we settled for Duck pepper fry (Dh125) and Saag Gosht (Dh95).
The duck breast tossed with shallots, curry leaves, peppers and crushed black peppercorns tasted sublime but the saag gosht was a letdown as the spinach gravy was too rich for my liking.
No such disappointments in the dessert section. Understandably so, I can’t decide what I should recommend more strongly – the decadent rasberry stuffed chocolate mousse with summer fruit stew and spiced cocoa dust or the mango and passion slice with candied dragon balls, cardamom wafer and khoya crumble.
Details
Meal for two: Dh300
Location: 15th floor, Emirates Financial Towers (South Tower), DIFC
Bookings: 04 818 8557
We recommend: Aloo chat, Adraki lamb chops, mango and passion slice
