Is Indian cuisine still the favourite for British diners? Probably, and it is likely to remain so because there is nothing to beat the intensity of flavour that comes from an Indian meal. Anokha, a fairly new arrival to the City scene, bears this out and it does so with imagination too.

The Venue
Tucked away in a basement off Fenchurch Street, in a tiny cul-de-sac that seems to comprise just one office block, is Anokha. The venue was formerly a wine bar but has adapted well to become a stylish and comfortable Indian restaurant. Descend to the lower floor and you’ll find a bar by the entrance. This opens out into a large room with banquette seating plus some round tables in the centre. The predominant colour is an organic brown and the place is fairly low-lit: good for a business conference or even a romantic tete-a-tete. The cream-coloured pillars have a glittery appearance but on the whole it is fairly low-key, with a low ceiling lit by lanterns and other discreet lighting. There is also a separate private party room.

The Atmosphere
Being where it is, Anokha naturally enough attracts City types taking time out of the office. On a recent Friday lunchtime business was brisk and the room was almost full, although Thursday is the busiest day for the restaurant. The basement setting is ideal for getting away from the hurly burly of City life, a place to forget fiscal futures and enjoy a good meal. Being a City place it attracts quite a lively bunch of customers with several large tables providing a good buzz – well, nobody wants to eat somewhere in total silence.

The Food
The avowed intent of Anokha, according to the menu, is to interpret classic Indian regional dishes as well as some modern fusion cooking. Too many Indian restaurants have virtually the same menu but here you can sample such unusual delights as spicy squid rings, crab bhuna, crab cakes and salmon tikka plus other seafood items such as mussels and monkfish. Among the chef’s specials are nawabi lamb shank, rogan trout, Indian green chicken curry and a seafood melange. There are also tandoori dishes, biryanis and a selection of old favourites – lamb pasanda, butter chicken, king prawn pathia and chicken or lamb tikka masala. A good selection of vegetable dishes, rice and breads completes the menu. Three set-menus offer complete meals of starters, main course, vegetables, rice and bread, from under £16 per person.

A good start to the meal is one of the three platters (mixed, tandoori or vegetarian) offering a taste of several delicious items. The Tandoori platter has chicken tikka, lamb tikka, tandoori king prawns, sheek kebab and salmon tikka, all served piping hot. This is a nicely spicy selection with that marvellous barbecue-charred flavour that the tandoor oven imparts to the lovely soft texture of the chicken and lamb. The prawns are plump and juicy and the salmon really responds to the spicy flavours: excellence on a plate!

Looking for something completely different for the main courses, it’s worth trying the Gulap Chilli Ghost with barbecued lamb in a medium sauce of fresh garlic and chilli with coriander and red chillies. This is a tasty dish with really tender lamb and a richly intense sauce that is not too hot. In fact, it could really be a tad spicier to give it a real kick. The Mali duck is described as mild and tangy, with its fruity sauce of mango, tamarind and yoghurt. Again, nice and tender duck meat but the sauce could afford to be a little hotter.

If you fancy a fish dish, the monkfish rogan is probably the best way to enjoy this unusual fish. The fillets are cooked in a rich tomato and garlic sauce which brings out the flavour of the fish and enhances its dense texture. Accompanying the main course, choose the steamed rice, aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower in a spicy sauce) and bhindi bhajee (okra or ladies’ fingers cooked with an onion and tomato masala sauce with lime and cumin seeds). For the bread, the chicken tikka nan is the popular tandoori bread laced with pieces of chicken tikka to give it an extra lift.

Desserts include kulfi, the Indian-style ice cream, in vanilla, mango or pistachio flavours, which is always a good and refreshing way to finish any Indian meal. Otherwise, the regular ice creams include the Royal pot, literally a small pot of ice cream topped with tiny bits of toffee to make a scrumptious dessert.

The Drink
A good selection of wines by the glass starts at £3.50 per glass, with bottles from just £12.50. The white Terrain Colombard is a delightfully fresh vin de pays from the south of France. The red equivalent is a Merlot at the same price. The rest of the list covers the whole of the wine world and is priced up to £55 and £60. There are Indian beers and the usual aperitifs, spirits, liqueurs and a range of soft drinks, mineral waters and Indian lassi drinks.

The Last Word
It is refreshing to find an Indian restaurant prepared to do something different, serving dishes that are out of the ordinary, run of the meal cuisine. All power, then, to its unique quality. In fact, the name Anokha means unique, and it certainly lives up to its name.

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