Review: The Crossing

A must-visit for fans of Indian cuisine…

In Old Dubai, Indian restaurants are plentiful but a fine dining experience is a rarity. Enter The Crossing located at the chic The H Hotel where Indian cuisine is highlighted. The Crossing is an apt name primarily because its menu is essentially a crossing of cultures and food experiences that coexist in the subcontinent.

When we arrived, a few tables inside the restaurant were occupied but it was bustling out on the lush green patio with diners enjoying the last of the cool weather. Inside, a minimalist approach is taken with the decor with clean walls, greenery, a few paintings, golden arches and discreet accents. Its inspiration, we’ve been told, is the waiting lounges of Indian railways.

We opted to start with the first dish on the menu which also came highly recommended by our waiter – Chaat (Dhs55). The healthy elevated street food-style dish impressed and its harmonious flavours of spice, sweetness and tang left us excited for what was coming next.

The Kalimpong dumplings (Dhs58) is a lip-smacking minced chicken dumpling packed with a mild garlic flavour and a slight spice which we would have easily re-ordered to the table had we not had more dishes to try. The gunpowder prawn (Dhs85) hailing from Goa comes with fluffy bread to soak up the gravy, but this was the one highlight else, the dish is a tad forgettable.

For mains, we picked Mangalorean Chicken (Dhs75), and butter chicken (Dhs75). The verdict at the table was split but I personally preferred the butter chicken. It lacked in spice, but surprisingly we both appreciated the mild sweet note it left on our palate at the end of each bite. My friend on the other hand relished the Mangalorean curry – a coconut-based dish with a hit of spice thanks to the Karnataka chilis.

If you don’t want to opt for a gravy-based dish, a must-try is the tandoor grilled chicken makhani malai (Dhs75). Packed with a smokey flavour, the tandoor grilled chicken is marinated with Old Delhi masala, lemon and butter which we thoroughly enjoyed with the mint yoghurt. The melt-in-your-mouth lamb chop (Dhs65) is packed with black pepper and the earthy taste of cumin – it sits on our list of the best lamb chops we’ve ever tried. There’s also the Bottle Masala – an intriguing name which comes with an intriguing story which the waiter will happily share. Essentially, this dish is Arabian Hammour which is pan-fried with a mixture of over 25 masalas. It may sound like a punch of spice, but Head Chef Ankur Chakraborty manages to keep the dish flavourful without being over-powering.

For desserts, we ordered the chocolate bake (Dhs55) – a dark chocolate cake with a nod to Tamil Nadu – it comes with notes of sweet lemon and honey mango caramelised and will sure to delight chocolate fans.  It certainly was a great choice to end our dining experience.

The Crossing, The H Hotel, Trade Centre 1, Dubai, Tel: (0)4 491 9695, crossingtherestaurant.com

Images: The Crossing