Quote: WHAT IS ANOKI?

Anoki is a very stylish, luxury Indian restaurant in Derby, Derbyshire. We are not short of curry restaurants in Derby as we have a large Asian population in our city. These restaurants were all in one part of the city but have now become the norm in all areas around Derby and Derbyshire generally.

ANOKI

The word Anoki in Urdu means unique and this restaurant certainly is just that – unique and very special.
In my view this has got to be THE best Indian restaurant in Derby and possibly the whole country. In fact Anoki is recognized as one of the UK's top ten Indian restaurants and restaurants for groups in The Times newspaper. It has a wonderful combination of exquisite Indian food and luxurious surroundings.

This restaurant in the city of Derby ( they do have another branch on the A38 going out of Derby on the way to Burton on Trent) was formerly a cinema or theatre and the decor reflects this as they have kept old Victorian high ceilings the and carved decorations around the edges or architraves . There is a large screen up on the back wall where Bollywood movies are played but the sound track is not on it just provides a backdrop of a moving scene with an Indian feeling about it. The background music is often not Indian at all and varies but it is not so loud as to be annoying or interfere with conversations. Havind said that if the restaurant is crowded then it does become necessary to raise your voice to converse within your table party.
The waiters wear amazing hats with a sort of white pleated cock’s combs on them and Aladdin style slippers with pointed toes, all their uniform is white and very neat and authentic looking but smart. The waiting staff welcomes you with genuine friendly smiles as you reach the top of the steep stairs to the restaurant. If your table is not ready then you are guided to a waiting area and your drinks order is taken there and brought to you while you wait. This has only happened once in the six times we have been to the restaurant.

WHERE IS ANOKI?
The one I am reviewing is in derby city opposite the Derby royal Infirmary on London Road.
ANOKI Derby
First Floor, 129 London Road
Derby
DE1 2QN Tel: 01332 292888
They now have other restaurants near Burton and one in Nottingham too but I have not been to either of these to this date. The one I am reviewing is the Derby Anoki.

THE MENU
The food at Anoki is exquisite, fine cuisine presented on square or oblong plates in the style of fine dining with little garnishes and decorations. There are a huge range of dishes to choose from which include numerous starters, then main course divided into styles of dishes followed by a fantastic range of authentic desserts. Each time we have been we have opted for the banquet where the chef selects the dishes to create an interesting variety all for a set price.
We have been as a group of four through to our family Christmas celebration when we treated our children and their partners so ended up with a table for eleven.

Prior to the starters you get a plate of poppadoms freshly fried with a section of chatnies or sambals to spice them up a bit. The starters come on one plate and you get a section of mini samosas, kebabs, aloo tikas, onion bhajies and others all beautifully presented on white oblong crockery. You can opt for a vegetarian choice if you prefer or have a mixed plate of veggie and meat starters.

The mains then arrive in various bowls, some sizzling others in white bowls along with pilau rice,plain basmati rice and different naan breads. If you want specific dishes you can request these or leave the selection entirely to the chef. We have done a mixture of the two. Sometimes I have requested dropping the lamb dish for a paneer one as I am not fussed on lamb curry but do love paneer and this NEVER causes a problem. Once we got the paneer one as well as the original for the same price.



The main course are a mixture of flavours and also vary the main content so you get dishes ranging from Goan Sea Bass curry, Matar Paneer, Lamb Desi, Chicken Biriani, Chicken Tikka Marsala, some dahl dish maybe some chickpeas or other meat dishes. You usually get about six or seven dishes served with your choice of rice and different naan breads. Their peshwari naan is the best I have ever tasted, light and full of fruit and coconut.

Every dish is presented with its name as it is put on the table and every single dish we have had in the many times we have been has been delicious. Very rarely have we had anything left and on the one or two occasions where we have been over faced they were more than happy to box it up for us to take away with us to enjoy later which we have done on couple of occasions and they also put fresh naan in when I specially asked for the peshwari naan to be saved and we had eaten half of ours.

For those with room left their deserts are freshly made and the kulfi ( Indian ice cream) is heaven and my favourite although I also recommend the Gulab jamun ( extremely rich fried balls soaked in cardamom flavoured sugar syrup). My husband always goes for the Kheer (Indian rice pudding flavoured with cardamom and pistachio nuts)

SERVICE
The service is always very good with friendly smiling and efficient waiters attending to your every need without being in the way. Any time we have asked for anything slightly different they have been extremely obliging. They are all totally charming and you are welcomed as though you have been there lots of times and you are their best customer but not in any way embarrassing or over the top.
They are always there if you needed anything but still they weren’t in any way intrusive. The authentic and traditional Indian costumes along with the background of the silent Bollywood movie being played up on the wall both add to the ambiance of the venue.

COSTS
This is not a cheap curry house. It is a first class restaurant with freshly prepared food beautifully presented. The prices do reflect this. The banquet is about £26 per head but you get a huge amount of food and all of it is delicious. Individual dishes on the menu vary but are around the £12 mark. Drinks are not cheap either but they are no more expensive than our local pub.
SUMMARY
This has to be my favourite of the curry restaurants in Derby and we do have a few to choose from. It is not the sort of restaurant that you just pip out to for a quick curry, it is a first class award winning restaurant and as such we only go on special occasions. We have been at least four or five times in the last couple of years and plan on visiting again as soon as we can come up with a good excuse.

It is not just my opinion the awards and complements come from other more highly qualified people than me such as the Times newspaper and TopTables’ 100 hidden gems as well as best international Restaurant at the Derby Food and Drink Awards 2009.
OPENING HOURS AND FURTHER DETAILS
Opening Times:
Monday - Saturday
5.30pm -11.30pm
Closed Sunday.
Do please take a look at their website as it shows the wonderfully presented food and has pictures of the inside of the restaurant too. http://anoki.co.uk/index.php and look at the gallery.

From journals Restaurants in Derby