Chef Pradeep Khullar’s culinary magic at Mint Leaf of London
The beauty of Mint Leaf of London cannot be described in words. You really have to dine there yourself to truly experience the immaculate hospitality, mesmerizing ambience and luxury fine dining it offers. I will however give you a glimpse into this jewel that definitely deserves a spot in Dubai’s nightlife crown.
I have been going to a lot of date-night worthy restaurants lately, and I might as well start a hashtag on those lines, but to be very honest, somewhere we all know that luxury and romance make a stunning pair. Which is why, along with delectable food, Mint Leaf of London ups its appeal quotient with a romantic ambience – think dim lights, candlelit tables and French windows that offer spectacular views of Sheikh Zayed Road, Downtown and Burj Khalifa.
Nestled on the 15th floor of Emirates Financial Towers in DIFC, this restaurant has achieved a remarkable feat in the form of its new Executive Chef – Pradeep Khullar (of Food Shala fame). Bringing in his wealth of expertise in Indian fine dining and fusion culinary skills to the Mint Leaf of London’s kitchen, Pradeep has curated a brand new menu for the restaurant that offers globally influenced signature Indian dishes, and plays around with a touch of molecular theatrics.
Read on as I take you through my 12-course tasting session at Mint Leaf of London.
Amuse Bouche: Wasabi Poori, Green Peas
While we started the evening at Mint Leaf of London’s lounge, sipping on ladies night drinks, the first thing we were greeted with once we sat down at our table were these Wasabi Pooris.
A wonderful spin off to the classic Pani Puri, this Amuse Bouche course is filled with wasabi flavored yogurt. This is followed by a touch of sweet tamarind chutney and tart pomegranate seeds. All of which come together to open up your palate before you move on to the starters. Of course, the wasabi has its own unique kick that tingles your olfactory senses for a couple of seconds, but isn’t overwhelmingly strong.
It’s served on a lovely bed of dry ice smoke, making a dramatic entrance that you just can’t miss.
Crisp Greens, Avocado & Mango Salsa
Moving on to the starter course, we were treated to Crisp Greens with Avocado & Mango Salsa. This dish honestly brings back lots of memories for me. It is in fact, the perfect embodiment of conventional meets contemporary. And that’s because it uses one of the most homely dishes – dhokla – and captures it in the most chic form of cooking – molecular gastronomy.
Crispy fried shisho leaves, that are very similar to palak pakoda or spinach fritters are beatifully highlighted with hung curd, avocado and mango salsa, chillies and onions, and a mix of different chutneys. All together, it’s the perfect melange of sweet and creamy flavors.
This lovely centre piece is placed over a bed of freezing nitrogen fried dhokla. Extremely cold and quite refreshing, this dhokla lends a unique added element of crunch to the already crispy shisho leaves fritter. One of my favorites from the menu. And to think of it, we have only just begun!
Lamb Chops, Sweet Peppercorns
Who would have thought, a girl who maintained an arm’s distance from lamb and mutton, would be licking off a lamb chop to its very last bit? I give complete credit to P Chef Pradeep Khullar for bringing this lamb chop lover out in me.
I have tried his lamb creations before, and needless to say I have always been impressed. Which is why, as soon as these Lamb Chops were placed on our table, I was filled with immense joy. From the very looks of it I knew these will be perfecto! The color of the sauce brought out a tantalizing aroma of roasted tandoor, while the overnight marination really shone through in the tenderness of the meat.
Exuding the fragrance of mustard oil, ginger garlic, and fresh herbs along with the tandoori flavors of paprika and hung curd, these lamb chops are roasted to a medium doneness. This is essential for the dish to turn out the way it does. That shine you see is the magic of a little sugar that’s lightly dusted over the chops so it can caramelize during the roast. But the one element that got me completely smitten were the sweet peppercorns. We all know I am a spice and pepper lover. And these, although named sweet, give off a very distinctly spicy flavor, which will make you want to pop in one after the other. Maybe the next time around, I’ll ask these to be served as a side!
Duck Seekh Kabab, Plum & Chevre Mousse
What the duck?!
I would have never guessed what these seekh kababs were made of, had I not been told it was duck meat.
The first bite, and I was instantly transported to the meaty heaven of Mohammed Ali Road in Bombay. This is the one place where the air in the streets in filled with the aroma of barbeque botis, seekh kebabs, grilled meats and… wait! Let’s get back to reality.
But honestly, this IS one of the best seekh kebabs I’ve had in my life. And to think about it, I thought the best seekh kebabs are only made with mutton. And these duck ones could have easily passed as mutton, had I not been so attentive when Pradeep Khullar was describing them. Although I won’t really blame you if you do get carried away while eating these. They really have the magnitude to captivate your senses. Made with boneless duck meat that’s minced twice with lamb fat (see, there was some lamb there!), and mixed with cheese, ginger garlic, and other seasoning, these seekh kebabs are skewer cooked on tandoor until well done.
The side with these is quite exquisite too. Not your regular yogurt chutney, the Plum & Chevre Mousse is a light and foamy dip made from goat cheese and plums. And of course, there’s the classic onion and cucumber salad, dusted with sumac powder for a perfect fusion kick.
Moong Pudina Shaami, White Pesto Centred
Classics will never fail. Which is why they make the best choice for experimentation. I was a little worried when Chef Pradeep Khullar brought out a plate of Shaami Kababs (my ‘God knows since how long’ favorites) without a spicy green chutney on the side. But his fusion element took these classics to a whole new level of delight.
Partly sticking to the traditionality of lentils and minced mutton, these Moong Pudina Shaami Kababs were further enhanced with mint flavors, and stuffed with a creamy white pesto centre. White Pesto? Sounds a little unfamiliar? Well, this one is made with oodles of cream cheese, pine nuts and garlic. The white colour is basically the absence of basil. But you won’t miss the herb taste when you actually eat the kababs, thanks to the addition of mint.
The garlic cream dressing on top gives it a whole “white inside, white outside” layer effect. And the crispy moong dal garnish is a Pradeep Khullar classic!
Palate Cleanser: Mango, Lychee & Basil Chuski
Chicken Chettinad, Lemon Rice
Let’s get moving with the main courses. Yes, if you didn’t know that already, everything you read about until now were just starters from the Chef’s tasting menu at Mint Leaf of London.
Chicken Chettinad, as the name suggests captures the essence of South Indian regional flavors through its flavorful Chettinad masala mix. Boneless chicken thigh pieces, which I have learned are more juicy, are cooked in a coconut based curry with these aromatic spices. The curry is served with a side of another South Indian staple – Lemon Rice. This combines basmati rice with lime juice and is finished with a tempering of whole red chillies, mustard seeds and curry leaves.
When served, the chicken pieces are placed over a bed of Lemon Rice. The creamy curry is then poured around the rice making it the perfect comfort chicken dish.
Don’t miss that crunchy kataifi garnish on top. This one was my favorite from the mains, primarily for its chicken content. And of course those whole red chillies, which I kept popping one after the other, until my taste buds were on fire. Definitely ordering this again on my next visit.
Lamb Shank, Cinnamon & Chilly Glaze
Another lamb marvel, this time in the mains, came in the form of Lamb Shank. This one was a massive one, and very royal looking too, especially with its gold leaf garnish. Cooked for about 4 hours, the meat was absolutely fall-off-the-bone tender, which made it quite a delight to eat.
The gravy at the base was a lovely lamb stock broth. It was thickened with saffron, red chilli paste, onions and a hint of cinnamon. The lovely glaze came from cinnamon and chillies. These went all out to make this gravy based main look like a million bucks. And oh, there’s also the carom seed encrusted bread on the side, just because.
Paneer Pinwheel, Makhani Sauce
Meat is great, sure. But when it comes to Indian cuisine, Paneer deserves its place in top ranks. Following the meaty goodness, we indulged in this creamy cottage cheese creation – Paneer pinwheel.
Very similar to Malai Kofta in terms of taste, these pinwheel shaped Paneer dumplings were not fried like you would expect in its kofta version. They were instead grilled.
And their richness knew no bounds. Stuffed with a mixture that comprised of condensed milk, cashews and pistachios, the pinwheels were textured soft, with a slight crunch and flavored with a touch of sweetness.
The classic makhani sauce, which was initially served on the side, only added more richness to this dish. It was composed of tomato, fresh cream, salted butter and a yogurt base. To be honest, despite its plush ingredients, I loved each and every bit of this. If only I didn’t have to worry about calories!
Dal Makhani
An Indian dinner is almost synonymous to dal. It is a classic requirement at the table. But this specific dal at Mint Leaf of London goes beyond its duty of fulfilling classic necessities. It and adds a touch of healthy to your cravings.
Making sure you don’t feel bloated after eating, which I know is an issue for most of us, this Dal Makhani uses moong lentils instead of black urad in its mix.
The rest remains same. So yes, there is some salted butter and some cream too, so you might still need to watch that portion. But well, this one is so creamy and smooth, you will definitely want to make an exception.
The tomato puree base spiced with ginger and garlic makes the dal just perfect. And this pairs well with both steamed rice as well as naan.
Matcha & Basil Mille Feuille
I’m not a fan of Matcha tea as much as I thought I would be. I must admit, I find it slightly bland and sometimes a little bitter as well. But then, my trust in the Chef’s creations is way more than my insecurity about Matcha.
So when he said he’s going to treat us to a matcha tea based dessert, I knew by the end of it I’ll be changed. This unique dessert was as much as a discovery for him as much as it was for us. Surprisingly, this was the first time he tried going flambé with the presentation, and wow, what a sight it was.
The Matcha and Basil Mille Feuille features layers of Matcha ice cream infused with basil leaf. This is stacked between sheets of Valrhona dark chocolate. Decked up with berries and meringue, the mille feuille is then flambeed. The flambe beautifully melts the chocolate and swirls it in with Matcha cream for a rustic dusty green hue.
Of course, you can always opt for this dessert sans flambé. Unless you ask for the flambeed version, the mille feuille by default, will be drizzled with hot salted caramel sauce. Which one would you prefer?
The Lotus Mess, Wild Berries
If there’s London in the name, it would only be fair to have something on the menu that is inspired from one of most famous desserts of Britain. A more warmer version of the well known Eton mess, this Lotus Mess at Mint Leaf of London is everything Lotus and more.
Yes! Right from the classic lotus biscuits and a warm lotus caramel spread to a very cooling lotus ice cream, this dessert takes you on a lotus high. Of course, there’s also a lot of berries that fill in the gaps. These include strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, red currant, even frozen dried berries. But the comforting biscuity flavor of lotus with the perfect melange of hot and cold temperatures and creamy textures is what makes this dessert a star.
Honestly, I loved this dessert a lot. So much, that while Pradeep Khullar kept talking to my partner about this dessert and life in general, all I did was lick off every bit of the Lotus Mess.
Mint Leaf of London
Location: Level 15, South Tower, Emirates Financial Towers, DIFC, Dubai 9775
Contact: 04 5509171
