When I started this restaurant blog, one of the first things I did was I created a list of eateries I wanted to review. I found spots where I could explore food but most of them were in Venice, Santa Monica, Crenshaw, Hollywood, etc. What they all had in common was they weren’t in my home town of Altadena. To me, Altadena has been ok with snack shops, but a full on restaurant that was inexpensive never came to mind. Little did I know that I could find a great restaurant right down my street. That restaurant was Mint Leaf, and it wasn’t really down the street. More like, down the street and to the left for about a mile, then another left. But no one’s really mapping it.

On my first visit to Mint Leaf, I took my niece Kemani along for the fun. We pulled up to the restaurant and we both noticed that the restaurant didn’t have an eye catching exterior. On the outside, there wasn’t anything that called you to dine in the restaurant. For instance, the building is beige with tinted windows and what appears to be a temporary sign. Not sure if that was intentional, but it’s apparent. However, the restaurant takes a highly luxurious turn once you step inside and see the emphasis placed on interior design. In can be seen in the traditional statue of the elephant god, Ganesha who greets you at the door, the light fixtures, the ceiling decoration, mirrors, and even the fabric that lines the walls. Even the colors play a role as they take an opulent approach, without appearing overly ostentatious. And that’s the interesting part of the location. The exterior doesn’t parallel what lies inside, making Mint Leaf seem like a hidden treasure. That may sound like a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s easy to think that way if you’ve never seen the restaurant yourself.

Our waitress showed us to our table and let us know that the general manager, Joanna, would walk us through the menu. Once we sat down and looked over the menu, we ordered our drinks. If you’ve followed me for a while then you know lemonade is always my drink of choice, but for this visit, I wanted to drift away from my usual and go for the cultural. I asked Joanna to help me decide between drinks and she suggested one of the lassi’s. There was the sweet lassi and the mango lassi and she let me know that both drinks were yogurt based, but that the mango lassi pumps up the taste by adding a fruit flavor to it. From her recommendation alone, I ordered the Mango Lassi ($4) while Keimani got an Iced Chai Tea ($3).  I was so delighted with this drink. It was thick, creamy, smooth, and the mango added a full-flavored accent. I didn’t dive deep into Keimani’s chai tea, but from the way she sipped it down, I could tell she liked it.

After the drinks we ordered starters. When I saw an entire section devoted to bread I knew what I was going to get. Keminai and I got a basket of the Basil and Mozzarella Cheese Naan ($4) and a basket of the Feta Cheese and Olive Naan ($4). At it’s original form, naan is a raised flour bread baked in a traditional tandoor oven and what comes out is amazing. The naan we ordered (like most) was warm, soft, and it complimented various meats perfectly. My favorite of the two was the cheese and olive because I’m a sucker for the simple naan with a gentle twist. The naan stuffed with feta cheese and kalamata olives was a delicious make of the naan, but the basil and mozzarella stole my gut.

Taking a look over the entrees on menu, I was glad that wore a maxi skirt with elastic in the waistband. Reason being, the description of the menu items sounded so filling! I ordered the Punjabi Chicken Curry ($13). The entree was made of chicken slowly simmered in a traditional light curry sauce. The sauce itself was made with ginger, tomatoes, garlic, and fresh onions. The chicken was so flavorful thanks to the sauce and the hefty amount of cinnamon and cardamon. I thought the chicken wouldn’t be so spicy, but I was wrong! It wasn’t spicy to the point that I wanted to call the fire department, but I think sweat beads were slowly forming around my hairline. Did that stop me from eating? Of course not, that’s where the sides came to the rescue!

For the sides for this entree, I went with roti, basmati rice, and dahl makhni. I opted for the roti as the entree since we had naan to start. The roti is simply a flat unleavened wheat flour bread baked in an earthen wood-fired oven. It’s dense, a little tough, and isn’t as tasty as naan. It’s nice when it’s wrapped around something spicy like curry chicken, but my heart belongs with naan. The basmati rice was a simple pearl steamed rice. It was thin and had a slight minty flavor to help alleviate the spiciness of the curry chicken. Finally, the dahl makhni is whole black lentils that are simmered over night with a touch of cream and tomatoes. To the taste, the soup of the lentils were thick, but the dish wasn’t overpowered by the lentil beans, and (thank God) they weren’t spicy.

Keimani’s entree, which we split, was the Lamb Vindaloo ($14). The chefs marinate the pieces of lamb in malt vinegar, traditional ground spices, and then cook them in a spicy curry sauce. And the lamb didn’t come alone in the dish, it was served with potatoes. Since the lamb is thoroughly marinated and seasoned so well, each piece had flavor that cascaded from one to the other.

The sides for this entree were roti, brown rice, and dal tadkewali. The roti was the same as mine and the rice was classic and traditional like any steamed brown rice. But what was different was the dal tadkewali. It was a bowl of moong and masoor lentils with onions, tomatoes, and chopped garlic. They were were a thinner consistency than the lentils I ordered and had a stronger flavor thanks to cilantro and cumin.

After the drinks, appetizers, and entrees we had dessert. The first of the two desserts was the Gulab Jamun ($5). It took two sweet Khoya dumplings in a dish of rose flavored sugar glaze. On a serious note like a PSA, this dessert is delicious! The dumplings arrive warm and soft, and once you slice into them the steam escapes. Then there’s the sugar glaze. It was incredibly sweet and equally delicious. If I could put in a Blender Bottle and drink it at the gym, I would use it as a hydration drink. No it doesn’t replace missing electrolytes to help me push through a work out, but it sure does taste great.

The last of the two desserts was a suggestion by Joanna that went over insanely well, it was the Fig and Almond Kulfi ($7). The kulfi is an Indian style ice cream, but this style takes an almond based ice cream and mixes it with pieces of fig. The kulfi wasn’t left plain, but topped with pistachio crumbles. The ice cream was light, mildly sweet, and cleansed the palette. The best part was when the kulfi melted because it became even sweeter, richer, and lush.

I am so pleased with the dinner at Mint Leaf. It was like an adventure for my taste buds with robust flavors and seasonings that ranged from sweet to spicy. I was glad that I got to explore the restaurant and to see that it was far beyond its exterior. Best of all, I was happy to know that I could find a restaurant in my city because it will always be close to home.

Follow Them.
Address: 2535 E Washington Blvd, Altadena, CA 91107
Phone: (626) 460-8776
Hours: Daily 11:00am to 2:00pm and 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Social: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter