Out For Dinner At Anoki Indian Restaurant In Nottingham
The Anoki team have been at it again; winning awards, that is! At the recent English Curry Awards, they scooped not one, but TWO wins: ‘Best of Nottingham’ in the restaurant category, and ‘Manager of the Year’ for Akram Hoque (manager at the Nottingham restaurant). So, firstly, I want to say a massive well done, to [owner] Naveed Khaliq and all concerned.
Like both of its sister sites, in Derby and Burton, the Nottingham restaurant is absolutely stunning; all three venues are totally different, though. Anoki Burton is modern and sleek, Anoki Derby is full of period character, and Anoki Nottingham has a calm, almost womb-like cosiness to it. At Nottingham, there are nooks and smaller areas to dine in, interspersed with tall, dramatic pillars. The dominant colour scheme is a rich chocolate tone on the walls and ceiling, brightened by striking prints on the walls in spice colours, and those same high-back, scroll-shaped chairs provided the seating, along with deep, comfy banquettes. Lighting was pitched at the perfect level to create an inviting ambience for date nights, whilst also being great for groups of friends and families with children (of which there were both on our visit).
We were honoured to have Akram himself look after us for the evening, and the first thing he did was get us some water for the table and then take our drinks order: glass of Shiraz for me, a bottle of Cobra for The Man. Poppadoms and Pickle tray swiftly appeared, and we tucked in, smiling at the crunch that was elicited as we did so; one thing that Nottingham do differently than the other two sites is serve the Poppadoms whole; at Burton and Derby, they are broken into smaller pieces when served. I love the Tamarind Chutney and Green Chutney most, so I had the lion’s share of those; His Nibs veers towards the Onion Chutney and Mango Chutney, heaping those onto his side plate. Whilst we were munching away, a little surprise arrived for us: a Strawberry and Orange ‘mocktail’ served in a stylish coupe glass (and decorated with a whole Strawberry) - this was a most refreshing, fruity little tipple - and very pretty, to boot.
Given how thrilled he was with the Hot Chilli Fish (£10.95) that he’d sampled last time as part of a starter platter, it came as no surprise that this time around, The Man ordered this morsel to begin his meal. I opted for the Spicy Garlic Lamb, chunky Peppers and Onions in Anoki’s special Garlic Sauce (£10.95) as my starter.
Living up to its name, the Spicy Garlic Lamb was exactly that! The chunks of Lamb were lovely and beyond tender, paired with a gorgeously sticky sauce that blew the cobwebs away with its ardency. Red- and Green- Peppers and Onion all had a great crunch to them, and the colourful side salad added more texture, too. Cool and crisp, the salad contrasted with the warmth of the Lamb, and I also took a moment to appreciate the vegetable ‘art’ that was on my plate: a Cucumber ‘palm’, topped with a Radish flower. Carefully placed dots of chutney provided even more visual impact; this certainly was gold-standard presentation!
No less fantastic was the Hot Chilli Fish, and His Nibs was in raptures over its intensity of taste. Sweet, juicy Cod Loin cubes were coated in a super-sticky, volcano lava hued sauce that was as fiery as it looked! In the mouth, both elements combined in harmony, mingling to provide a beautifully balanced dish. A spoon had thoughtfully been provided, allowing every last scrap of the moreish sauce to be consumed and savoured.
Before our mains came out, Akram brought out a palate cleanser of Mango Sorbet and Strawberries, served artfully in a glass teacup and a shot glass. The combination of clean, fresh fruit flavours soon went to work and left our mouths clear for the next course, which we were very much looking forward to.
On our visit to Anoki Derby, I had the Curry Leaf Cod, and totally loved it, so I thought I would carry on the pescetarian theme and have the Goan Sea Bass Curry (£26.95) this time. The combination of Green Chilli, Cumin, Ginger, Tamarind, and Coconut Milk sounded very tempting, and I know I like Sea Bass, so I figured I was on to a winner – turns out that I most certainly was! The Sea Bass fillets (of which there were 5) were all gorgeously soft and sweet, bathed in a fantastically luscious sauce that delivered everything it had promised. Multiple layers of flavour sashayed over my tongue and the balance of earthy, sweet, fire and creaminess was exquisite; I would certainly have this dish again, without hesitation.
His Nibs, more often than not (but not always), has Lamb when we visit an Indian restaurant, choosing to have the on-the-bone Lahoori Gosht (£25.95) here at Anoki Nottingham. Anoki pride themselves on the authentic dishes they serve from their kitchens, and this particular curry is a firm favourite with the whole team, regarded as tasting just like home. Before he even took a mouthful, the dish had won The Man Bird over, served as it was in a beautiful clay pot (Chatti); diners on adjacent tables took notice of its distinctive presentation, too, wondering what he’d ordered.
In the mouth the Lamb itself just melted on the tongue – I don’t think we’ve ever encountered quite such tender meat! The delightfully deep flavour was made even richer by the addition of the cooked bone marrow that His Nibs scooped out from the ends of the bones. If flavour is what you crave, this is the dish for you. Sweeter than my curry’s’ sauce, this treasure was marvellously complex and seemed to enhance the earthiness of the meat. On the menu, the description reads ‘mouth-watering’: possibly the understatement of the century! As with my dish, there was no shortage of Lamb to tuck into, and the onions served to provide thickness to the [whole chilli-pimped] sauce. Just magnificent.
The Pilau Rice (£4.75) was wonderfully fluffy and punctuated with spices to lend a subtle zhuzh in the mouth, and we were reminded to just ask for more if we needed it. Given the size of the portion, it was highly unlikely that seconds would be required. In a change from our usual choice of Garlic Naan, we went for a Peshwari Naan (£4.95) and its sweet centre of minced Coconut actually paired fantastically well with our meals. We were glad that the Naan came ready-quartered; it made the handling of the loaded slices easier, so we didn’t spill as much Coconut as we might have done otherwise.
Akram had been keeping a keen (but discreet) eye on our progress throughout the evening and had checked on us several times, ensuring we never went without anything. In fairness, the whole team had looked after us superbly; and not just us either, the whole restaurant was treated with the same care and attention.
To conclude our meal, Akram very kindly surprised us with a bowl of Kulfi. The trio of varieties were served in a dish over an ice-cube bath to ensure that they didn’t melt too quickly. His Nibs said that his favourite was the Pistachio Kulfi, which surprised me as I thought the Rose one might remind him of his beloved Turkish Delight. I couldn’t decide whether I preferred the Malai (Cream) Kulfi over the delicate Rose one, so declared them my joint-favourites. Fresh Raspberries and Strawberries were the only accompaniment with the Kulfi, and their bright flavours paired excellently with the creamy luxury perfectly.
I have no qualms in awarding Hot Wings to this delightful Nottingham restaurant, and it’s easy to see why they have been so successful at the English Curry Awards. To book a table call 0115 948 3888 or visit www.anoki.co.uk and hit the ‘reservations’ button and select which restaurant venue you want. Anoki Nottingham is closed Mon-Weds, opens Thurs-Sat 5.30-10.30pm, and Sunday 4-9.30pm; takeaways are available 7-days-a-week 5.30-11pm.
All Prices Correct At The Time Of Publishing
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