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  • 0

    My first impression was of a toned-down decor compared to the building's predecessor, Daveed at 934, which is somewhat ironic considering the riot of color that is usually associated with India. The menu had a wide range of options, most that I had never heard of, with the exception of the 'quintessentials' section (a nod to those of us to whom Chicken Tikka Masala and the like ARE Indian food).

    I wanted to branch out a bit from my standards so I asked our waitress for a review of the menu--it was a rambling journey, but I did learn that the 'from the tandoor' section was more dry rub type meats vs. the 'non-veg entrees' which were more of the saucy with rice options. My friend and I shared 2 starters: Vegetable Potli and Imli Baingan. The Potli is the love child of samosas and the "golden bags" appetizer from Lemongrass--an improvement on standard samosas in their size and relative lightness. The Imli were eggplant chips--small and over-sauced (vs. the larger dipping style preparation I was expecting)--not our favorite.

    The drink list was limited and shockingly--no Indian beers! (While it wasn't on the menu, our server said they usually had Kingfisher, but not that night). I went with a Kolsh (German) on draught and it was a clean, refreshing complement to the spice of my entree.

    For my main, I got Lahori Kofta which was chicken meatballs in spicy tomato-based sauce. The meatballs were tender and the spice was at a good level (they don't have you indicate spice level when ordering, but I would put it at a 4-5 out of 10). The portions were on the generous side of reasonable and we both liked the cute copper buckets that the entrees came in along with separate bowls of rice. My friend wasn't wild about her order: Murgh Dhaniwal (chicken in a white cashew sauce) and thought it was completely lacking in spice.

    We were too full for dessert, something I don't usually consider in an Indian restaurant anyway, but I snuck a peek at the menu anyway and was surprised how many things looked good--a definite departure from the usual Indian dessert fare so consider saving room.

    The initially haughty maitre'd stopped by to check on us a few times and warmed up considerably. Our waitress was competent, but not as knowledgeable or informative as I would have wished for. There was an overall air of self-importance about the place that seems to have been brought over from the original Cumin along with some of the dishes, but it's a nice alternate to the Ambar empire if you're looking for a more upscale and unique Indian dining experience.

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  • 0

    Outstanding meal. Servers were hustling as there were quite a few walk-ins, but we were well taken care of. Very helpful in clarifying menu and offering suggestions .  Laal maas was great.  Eggplant chips appetizer as well.  Price was quite reasonable for 6 of us.  Mantra seemed hit and miss when it opened; it has really come into its own.

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  • 0

    Great food great prices great atmosphere, the lamb chops were great and at 20 dollars it was an absolute steal. the coconut scallops and tandoori chicken were also delicious

       The service was a little slow at the start, there may have been some confusion as to whos table it was or whatever , but once they worked that out , the service was good. this place reminds me of how cumin started out , they should do very well .
    .

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  • 0

    I just spent the evening at Mantra on the Hill for the Riesling pairing event.  It was a fabulous event - 5 courses over 2 1/2 hours :)  The pairings were very good, but my favorite, of course was the food!

    First course was Poori with date-tamarind, mint, jalapeño and mango.  Delicious!!
    Second course was an AMAZING chicken kebab with a spicy kick.
    Third course was Moilee - Snapper in a very delicate coconut coriander curry (more like a broth).
    The fourth course was Pork Vindaloo with potato bhaji.  I appreciated the tenderness of the meat and the level of heat of the dish (hot!).  The consistency of the vindaloo sauce was, well, a little chunky.  I think the idea was to avoid the unfortunate combination of tiny pieces of meat drowning in vindaloo gravy, that is easy to find in US/UK Indian restaurants.  
    THe last course was a semolina pumpkin Halwa with cardamom whipped cream.  This was my least favorite course (among the whole group).  In fairness, the flavor profile still sounds delightful; so I hope the dish will be reincarnated.  

    The service was impeccable, though, again, we were there for a special event.  We were greeted and treated well by multiple staff members and even the chef came out and inquired about our satisfaction.  

    The place itself is lovely, with three separate rooms for a more cozy dining experience.

    I will definitely return to Mantra on the Hill and bring friends to maximize my culinary options and take advantage of the overall quality of the dining experience.

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  • 0

    I have been to Mantra many times and I can say this place just gets better and better. I was always a fan of the original Cumin and to disclose Chef Yaj and I have since become friends. I've had a variety of experiences at Mantra inside and out and the place transforms with you. From large groups on Tantric Thursdays to dating and their structured five course wine dinners it really sings. My favorite dishes are Kalimirch Tikka (peppered chicken) and the Saloni Machchi (salmon). The gingerbread pudding dessert is totally perfect. Staff has been excellent and the ambiance goes from lively conversation to intimate encounters.

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  • 0

    I enjoyed my experience at Mantra very much.  I love Indian Food and really enjoyed the food at Cumin back in the day when it was run by Chef Upadhyaya.  I was sad to find out that he had left Cumin years ago so I was pretty excited to try the food at Mantra.  The service was not perfect, a little slow but my husband and I were in no rush and enjoyed the atmosphere and the company.  We started with cocktails which were quite creative and delicious.  Based on my experience with those, I am sure any of the cocktails on the menu are just as good.  We had an appetizer of Kheema Pattis, ground lamb in puff pastry.  It was very good.  All of the appetizers looked good.  I am anxious to return to try more.  My husband had the Laal Maas for his entrée, a braised lamb shank which he just loved and would go back again and again for that alone.  I had lamb kebabs (seekh) which were also tasty.  We were clearly craving lamb that night!  The menu has many choices and all look great.  I am sure you can't go wrong at Mantra.  We have recommended it to friends who have also enjoyed just as much as us.   We can't wait to go back!

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  • 0

    Mantra on the Hill is good but not great. Cooking a lot of Indian food myself and just eating out a lot in general and knowing how a great restaurant should function, I hope my suggestions are taken to heart because I truly want to love this restaurant and recommend it to others.

    First, the service is mediocre at best. The waiter seemed entirely apathetic and put out to be serving us. It took him forever to get to our table to begin with, and he never checked on us after that. I literally had to grab his attention when he would go by to order another drink or get both dessert and our check at the end. (In fact, the ONLY thing he was prompt about was bringing us our check). It sent the message he wanted us to leave.

    RAITA- It needs more black salt. Also it was too runny to properly dip and scoop.

    NAAN- Despite its perfect pillowly softness and crispness on the outside, the garlic basil flavor was much too bland. It needs more flavor.

    SCALLOPS- The lentil taste with fried curry leaves was SUPERB! But the scallops were barely warm! The dish was so close to perfect.

    MULLIGATAWNY SOUP- The flavor was unsually sweet. This gave it a nice touch and uniqueness, it had excellent flavor. BUT it was thickened with rice!? That's just cheap.

    CHAAT- Arguably one of my favorite Indian dishes (apps). This had the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. But chaat should be like a punch to the face with flavor! There was no tang and it certainly needed more salt! I was most disappointed with this dish because I wanted it so badly to be great. Spice it up and give it more flavor!

    DRINKS- AWESOME. No complaints only applause. Try the Apple Cilantro Martini. Excellent.

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  • 0

    AWESOME!!! Fit for foodies!! It is like the old CUMIN which we loved for the Indian food!!  We will definitely be regulars as we were at Cumin. Fresh, made from scratch, made to order!!!

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  • 0

    Disclaimers:
    1) I was a few drinks in before eating this meal, and Indian food is tastiest when consumed while 2BD.*
    *2 Beers Deep
    2) I was with a group of 6, a few of Indian descent and a few from Caucasia.  My tongue was Made in India, so my review may be more critical than the average home-grown local.  I imagine a home-grown local would be just as critical if assigned to write about Chili or a Corn Hole set.  

    Let's first address a common mistake made in every restaurant every day: to ask your waiter for their "favorite thing on the menu." This is the equivalent of asking the stranger behind you in line at Meijer about what movie to see in theaters. Both could leave you with a $10 regret.
    I've learnt, from years of eating, what ingredients in a menu description tend to delight my tastebuds. I've also learnt to have my head listen to my heart, which is supervised by my mouth, which wants my lips to smile.  
    With that said, our self-decided orders were better than any of our waiter's recommendations.  Here is what our table ordered:

    1) Murgh Dhaniwal - better than the.....
    ....2) Aam Aur Murgh, which was "strongly" recommended by our waiter.
    3) Lamb Biryani - not a Biryani kind of guy, so I'll politely decline to comment
    4) Saag Paneer - pretty tasty, but quantity was small.
    5) Laal Maas - looked like a neanderthal meat dish available at the Renaissance Festival
    6) Bagara Baingan - pretty delicious, but in the same small container as the Saag Paneer

    For bread, we ordered the Garlic Basil Naan, Malabar Paratha, and plain Naan.  The plain Naan was actually crispy, which meant they left it on the stove too long, which hinted at incompetency. Overcooking naan is like burning Sunny-Side Up, essentially making the "Sun" look like a "Moon." #Thingsthatshouldneverhappen
    On a bright note, the Malabar Paratha was phenomenal and may be the best Paratha in the city.  

    In summary, I'll probably never take a date here unless she tells me that Parathas are her Oysters. Or if I'm 2 Beers Deep.

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  • 0

    We went to Mantra with friends yesterday for dinner, and the food and service were both outstanding. I just left a review on Urban spoon and am copying it here.

    They have an eclectic collection of mixed drinks. I ordered the "goan nectar", which is a combination of vodka and pineapple juice, my wife ordered a watermelon cooler (vodka, lime juice, and watermelon), and another of our friends asked for a made-to-order martini (our server Zak was very accommodating). All three drinks were refreshing, with just the right amount of alcohol, although I liked my wife's watermelon cooler the best.

    We ordered all our food family style. For starters, we had the potli (which was like a crispy vegetable samosa, in an excellent presentation), the imli began (egglant chips), and coconut scallops. The potli was good, but the imli began and the scallops were to die for.

    For the main course, we ordered the Laal Mas (lamb shank), the crispy bhindi, the vindaloo, and the lamb chops. The lamb shank was delicious, with the lamb practically falling off the bone, I liked the flavor of the lamb vindaloo ,although, it could have been a bit more fiery, and the meat was not as tender. The crispy bhindi and the lamb chops were divine, probably the best I've ever eaten, including trips back to India.

    Although, I was eyeing their chocolate creme-brule, unfortunately, by the time we got done with the food there was no room for dessert.

    This is probably the best contemporary Indian restaurant that I've been to anywhere in the country, and compares favorably to similar offerings in New York and Chicago. I will be returning to Mantra soon and highly recommend it.

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  • 0

    After being a little skeptical, we decided to try this place out on a Sunday evening. The place is much bigger than I expected with a huge outdoor patio and bar. They said they have live music outside on we weekends but they had a decent crowd for a Sunday evening.
    Service was great and our server was very knowledgeable.
    (I had to refer back to the online menu as I would never remember the names of the dishes)We started off with the Papri Chaat Salad and Imli Baingan starter, both were excellent and sharable. We then ordered the Murgh Dhaniwal and Chicken Vindaloo.. both served with rice. I typically order Vindaloo at Indian restaurants as I like spicy dishes and the Dhaniwal just sounded interesting... it was! Very unique flavor but excellent. The Vindaloo was honestly not as spicy as I would've liked it(you don't pick your level as you typically do at Indian restaurants) but it was very good! I feel most indian food in our area tastes like it's just been sitting in a pot all day and I didn't get that feeling here. We ordered a side of Roti(wheat naan), which was good addition to the dishes. We finished everything off with a Samosa which was good, but I am not huge on sweets. Again, good portion and excellent vanilla bean ice cream!
    We will definitely be back here! Great variety added to typical Mount Adams venues and I hope it lasts!

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  • 0

    This review is quite unique. I have done this review on the basis of my nephew, Shyam  and two of his friends dining here on 8/22/2012. So here goes his opinion of the food, service and ambiance. I had called the owner Kaezad Setna to authorize Mantra to bill me for the entire dinner. I wanted to treat an unemployed student who was living with a couple of employed classmates. All of them are management grads from Purdue.

    Having done that, I told Shyam to see chef Yajan "Yaj" Upadhyaya who was expecting them. They were then welcomed by Rachel who seated them. She took their orders for beer and hors d'Å“uvre consisting of

    Tandoori Chicken (Bone-in chicken, pomegranate ginger yogurt marinade, raita)  - 14
    Panch Puran Paneer (Grilled paneer, Indian five spice marinade, onions, pepers) - 11

    The main entrées were

    Kabuli Channa (Garbanzo beans, amchur, garam masala, tomato ragout) - 11
    Tarka Daal (Split yellow lentils, sautéed onions, tomato, mustard seed, cumin seed, curry leaf, lime juice) - 11
    Aam aur Murgh (Fresh mangoes, fennel seed powder, cardamom, curry leaves, chicken, lite almond gravy) - 14

    As per Shyam, all the dishes are prepared from scratch. But still it takes about 15 minutes to get any of the items. That points to a well prepped kitchen, a good expediter and someone like Rachel. I did call this evening to thank everyone there. Being a Sunday night, they were busy and I left a message with Nick. Hopefully, I get a few minutes when Yaj calls back. Now, to find an excuse to go to Cincinnati, OH :-)

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  • 0

    My girlfriend and I came to Cincinnati for a week and decided to try as many places that are new to us as possible. This place was suggested by a local and we came around 11:30pm, after a day at Bunbury Festival, so we got their late night menu. It was extremely limited, but we loved it! We both got different entrees and shared a dessert. It was all delicious! The portions were fairly priced in my opinion, but also not very big. We ended up getting hungry again an hour or so later, but it was worth it. This place was our absolute favorite of the places we ate during the week and we WILL be going back next time we're in the city!

    I've never eaten there during the day, so I've never seen their full menu, so this is all based on the late night menu.

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  • 0

    A cute little restaurant on top of a hill, when you first enter, you notice the tasteful and stylish decor that immediately distinguishes it from a typical Indian restaurant. The atmosphere is comfy, with great service all around and even a musician! The food was absolutely fantastic: a unique blend of flavors resulted in delicacies you can find no where else (to name a few: scallops in delicious curry, eggplant chips, and bread pudding with ginger and raspberry sauce). I would wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant to anyone and everyone who is looking for a delicious and affordable meal. Looking forward to visiting again very soon!

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  • 0

    Disclaimer: This review actually comes from a paid customer (along with a group of 5 others), not from someone working for the restaurant like the other reviews here.

    Let's be completely honest .  The curry here is sub-par versus many of the other Indian restaurants in the city.  For this place to charge +$14 for mediocre curry should be considered robbery.  Also, I can't leave out that our food didn't come out for a good 45 minutes (the restaurant was less than half full that evening).  

    The redeeming factor of this restaurant (hence the 2 stars) was the Onion Kulcha.  

    Net, if you like bland curry and don't mind throwing money away, come to Mantra.

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  • 0

    Just like there is a stereotype in America of Indians working in Computer tech support and excelling in spelling bees (I am one of them ! ), there is a stereotype about Indian restaurants as well. Usually, 90% of the Indian restaurants have the suffix "India" after their name, and their menus are identical to each other. Mantra On the Hill is the newest Indian restaurant in town that tends to break away from this stereotype. It features the typical "Punjabi" food like Chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken and saag paneer that is very popular in the states, but it also dares to feature a wide variety of dishes from all over India. This review is by no means exhaustive as today was my first visit to this new restaurant (and by no means this will be my last) and hence I can only review the dishes that I have tasted.
    Let me begin with the location : Mantra on the Hill is tucked away in the heart of Mount Adams business district, an area that is always fun to walk around on a Saturday evening in summer (I don't think the roads would be as fun to drive in the snow, anyways, I digress..). Parking is off-street, so good luck finding a spot on the weekends, and also don't even bother about that option if you suck at parallel parking on an even surface (given the hilly topography here). Choose the safe option, pay $5 and park in the Mount Adams public garage. You can book a table for this restaurant by doing in online reservation on Open table through their website (always a smart option).
    So, my friends (who are also from India) and I have been planning to try out this place and we spontaneously decided this evening that today was the day to do it. The restaurant has a charming interior and the tables are spaced well apart. They have a nice little courtyard and thats where we decided that we would sit. The courtyard has a well equipped bar, nice ambient lighting, and a big industrial fan to keep the breeze flowing on a warm summer evening like tonight. As I mentioned earlier, the  ambiance of this place is a far cry from the sparsely done "generic" interiors of most Indian restaurants in the area. They have a lot of wine and cocktail listing. My friend had a watermelon cooler and she loved it (I was driving) .
    Now for the main part: FOOD ! The chef has carefully selected an assortment of diverse dishes from all over India. My friends and I decided to share the dishes together, so we could sample a variety of items. For the appetizer, we settled on the "Kheema Pattis", which is ground lamb with spiced baked in a fillo dough pastry and served with a tandoori tomato chutney. For our Indian palate, the lamb could have been spicier, but the tomato chutney was absolutely delicious. For the main course, we ordered the "Saloni Macchi": which was Salmon coated with a ajwain (similar to oregano) , ginger lime marinade and grilled in the hot tandoor oven, and served with a pineapple tomato salsa. We also ordered "Murgh Dhaniwal", which was boneless chicken cooked in a sauce of caramelized onions, cilantro and cashew-cream sauce, and our vegetarian dish of the day was "Daal Tarka" which was yellow lentils cooked with sauteed onions, tomatoes, curry leaves, spices and mustard seeds. Both the chicken and the lentil dish were delicious. The chicken dish was very unique, I have never had anything like it before, even in India. The lentil or the daal dish was the best dish of the night.. the daal was EXACTLY as how my mother makes it in India (I was almost tempted to put it on the rice and eat it with my fingers just like in India... it was so yummy, but then I realized that I am not home) . We had hot naan as an accompaniment and it was good. I cannot but emphasize that everything we had was delicious, but my friends and I agreed that we loved the lentils (daal) the best and the salmon dish was weaker (compared to the other stuff we had.. it was delicious by itself).
    The serving portion was slightly less than other Indian restaurants, but again, this is a contemporary  upscale place, so it was expected. The service was good.

    In a nutshell, if you want to eat good contemporary Indian food and also want to enjoy the ambiance, then plan a trip to Mantra on the Hill as soon as you can...

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  • 0

    Man, I am over the moon that Mantra's owner is back in Cincinnati. My sister & I loved loved loved Cumin when he owned it, to the point that (as excellent as it is now), we were disappointed once it moved to the current spot and got less, well, Indian.

    Seriously, there's nothing on the menu that doesn't sound delicious - and everything the 5 of us ordered truly was. The eggplant chips, the naan, the steamed fish and the duck and the tandoori chicken and the... really, it doesn't matter. Just go. Know one thing, though -  it's not your typical northern Indian restaurant. It's spicier and more fusiony. If you're really sensitive to heat, let them know you want a zero on the 1-10 scale, because most things have a bit of oomph to them. Not over the top at all, though. You won't regret it - especially since they've got a very cosy outdoor courtyard with a charming bartender.

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  • 0

    My wife and I live in Philadelphia and love Indian food.  While in Cincy for the weekend we decided to check out Mantra on the Hill in Mt. Adams.  This is not your run of the mill Indian joint.

    The menu was exceptional.  You could find your classic options of course, but over half the menu was loaded with modern Indian tastes.  We tried 4 dishes and shared them among the group.  Not one dish left us disappointed.  And there were at least a half dozen types of naan!

    This place was far and away the best Indian I've had.... maybe I should move to Cincy.

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  • 0

    I can only give Mantra on the Hill the highest of compliments. And that's saying a lot because I really like to whine about Mt. Adams.

    The experience at this restaurant was truly top-notch (and not in that yelp-overused sense of the term). The service was nearly flawless, right down to the wine service. Oh yeah, bottles are priced at retail with only a $10 corkage.

    The food was phenomenal and well-priced. We ate everything. And we had ordered a lot. I'm going to have to pace myself next time.

    Another indicator of a fantastic restaurant is that I kept thinking about what out-of-town guests I want to bring here. It's hard to believe there's a place like this in Cincinnati.

    I can only hope that the food, wine and service continue to operate at this high level. It's a new restaurant and they may just have their A game going right now. Keep it up, mantra!

    Now for the recos. All of these dishes I tried and loved: papri chaat salad (not exactly like a typical papri chaat, but completely delicious), Imli Baingan (eggplant chips with holy-goodness-that-date-sauce-is-amazing sauce), Basil & Garlic naan, Roti, Paunch Puran paneer, Tarka Daal (a little soupy, but great flavor), Kabuli Channa.

    And the winning dish of the night... far and away the most tasty, the most memorable: Crispy Charchari. It's the okra dish and you need to do yourself a favor and try it.

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  • 0

    Visited Mantra on the Hill in Mt Adams on first night open.  This is takes over Daveed's location and exceeds all expectation of contemporary Indian.  Fantastic, small setting - with Paula Wiggins art on the wall I noted.  Staff was excited and while working out the kinks - fantastic for opening.  My wife and I slant vegan with our diets - so we were excited with many options.  The cold cucumber amuse bouche was really nice start.  The Mulligatawny is a spicy lentil soup - and it was phenomenal.  The Mantra Salad looked a bit small - but really had a lot of flavor for a "house salad".  We then had Roti and Mango Chutney.  For entree I had the Bagara Baingan - which is baby eggplant.  Seemed the chef was going a little light on Indian spices to get a broader reach.  For me, I would like it kicked up a bit more.  However, my wife's Gobi Charchari - which is cauliflower was great!  They serve a basmati rice separate and the entree in hammered tins - that made a really nice appearance.  

    It looks like a very cool late night menu - for those finishing at Playhouse in the Park, Blind Lemon, Monk's Cove or The Chapter later in the evening!  Great addition with some variety to Mount Adams.

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