MYNT A new Indian gaining a lot of attention, but does it live up to the hype?

t a time when Abu Dhabi is being overrun with restaurants launching in glitzy new hotels, it’s reassuring to see the capital’s indie scene is also still flourishing. One such new outlet is Mynt, an Indian on Salam Street that has been causing a certain amount of chatter on social media.

Mynt sits across the road from the Abu Dhabi City Municipality building on Salam Street and has a slick, modern-looking décor, with black leather seating alongside turquoise chairs and black lampshades. The stereo plays chilled house tunes as opposed to traditional Indian music – the idea, according to Mynt’s promotional chat, is to

Aoffer dishes from many regions in a setting inspired by modern, 21st century India.

The starters menu here is small, featuring only five dishes, but this ‘ less is more’ approach works well. Make sure you try their aloo chana chat – the classic dish of chickpeas, potatoes, pomegranate, lemon juice and tamarind worked well and the colourful presentation was a highlight. A portion of gunpowder murgh chicken was also well received – the coated chicken breast was surprisingly chewy, but in a good way. But if we had to order one starter again we’d opt for the masala jhinga poppers – prawns coated in a makhani mayo and served in a cocktail glass. If you’ve had rock shrimp in Japanese outlets, you’ll feel at home with these moreish crustaceans.

Mains also impressed. A portion of Goan fish curry, made with coconut, tamarind and nile perch, tasted almost fruity, and the sauce on its own worked particularly well with rice. Meanwhile, the Mynt Special, from the kebab menu, was a veggie dish that drew wows when placed on the table thanks to some giant sized portions of tandoori mushrooms, paneer tikka, cauliflower and broccoli. The paneer tikka and cheesecovered broccoli were particularly good.

Do leave room for dessert – the malai pista kulfi (traditional ice cream) and gulab jamun (milk dumplings in syrup) were a light way to end a hefty meal.

Mynt impressed on our visit – the prices are wallet friendly, (two can fill up for under Dhs250), the staff were friendly, and the food was of a good standard.

Salam Street, Al Zahiyah, Abu Dhabi, daily noon to midnight. Tel: (02) 6666400. Taxi: opposite Abu Dhabi City Municipality building. mynt.ae