Review: Rasoi by Vineet

One of India’s most celebrated chefs brings a new concept to Abu Dhabi…

There’s a new celebrity chef in town, and he’s bringing a little fun to Indian cuisine. Following his popular Indego by Vineet at Grosvenor House Dubai, and Indya by Vineet at Dubai’s Le Meridian Beach Resort & Spa, the multi-award-winning Vineet Bhatia has now opened Rasoi by Vineet at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers.

It feels special from the first steps inside. The decor is beautiful: bright blue accent walls paired with pops of powder pink and burnt orange, a brass, cushioned swing at the entrance, and a giant mural of Bhatia’s face are among the Insta-worthy highlights.

As for the food, things got off to a smashing start with two fabulous appetisers. The koyla prawns (Dhs80), were beautifully tender, encased in a crisp, charcoal exterior and offset perfectly with a slightly spicy tomato-pea tapioca. More fun, but equally delicious, are the chicken snowballs (Dhs75). Why has no one thought to encase perfectly spiced minced chicken in basmati rice? It’s the perfect, all-in-one meal.

We also tucked into one of Bhatia’s signature dishes – the tandoori-smoked mustard salmon tikka, served with a refreshing cucumber dill raita (Dhs80). Buttery, tender spicy goodness.

As for mains, the coastal prawns (Dhs130) were tender and juicy, but the stew is what we are still dreaming about, an out-of-this-world mix of coconut, kaffir lime and roasted red chillies. Just get some extra naan to soak up the ‘gravy’, and worry about calories another time.

Don’t skip the high-end biryani, either. Dum parda murgh (Dhs135) featured soft and fragrant chicken under a flaky crust, layered with dry fruits and fresh mint. Filling and fabulous and best to share.

For dessert, we couldn’t resist another of Bhatia’s famous concoctions: the chocomosa (Dhs75). A crisp samosa shell is the perfect casing for the melty chocolate-hazelnut chikki delice inside, and the caramelised nuts and chocolate mousse topped with a saffron-infused jalebi is like two desserts in one.

Normally we are not fans of kulfi, the dense, creamy Indian form of ice cream, or rose as a food flavouring, but we took a stab at it and somehow every last bite of Bhatia’s kulfi konnection (Dhs50) disappeared too.

Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi. Sun to Thur noon to 3pm; 7pm to 11pm. Fri and Sat 1pm to 4pm. Tel: (02) 4474848. rasoibyvineetad.com