With nearly two million Indian expatriates living in the UAE, the country is home to a wide variety of restaurants from this part of the world. From regional Indian staples to street favourites to international interpretations, all tastes and pockets are catered to. So how does a new Indian restaurant stand out?
Ananta, the Indian restaurant at The Oberoi Dubai, does so by letting the customer decide. The hotel, a UAE first for the well-regarded Indian brand, brings with it a legacy of anticipatory service and experimental food concepts. Fine dining customers are used to getting what they want and the team at Ananta ensures they are well catered to.
The menu is a mix of standard choices, such as butter chicken, black dal, Goan fish curry and dum biryani, and less-than-usual fare, such as lal maas, a chilli-hot red smoked lamb dish that comes from Rajasthan, khumb ke gilawat, minced mushroom and lotus seed kebabs, and raw mango paal curry, a classic curry of raw mangoes and coconut milk from Kerala.
Executive Chef Rais Ahmed has worked in the Middle East — from Egypt to Saudi Arabia — for nearly 40 years and understands the region’s palate. The Khaleejis like rich food, he says, but Egyptians prefer more flavour and, quite often, spicy, lip-smacking dishes. Among those who’ve eaten at his table? Hosni Mubarak and Omar Sharif.
Saneesh KV, Chef de Cuisine, brings a different world view to the menu. At the start of our meal, he asked whether we wanted a traditional Indian meal or something more contemporary. Naturally, we jaded types picked the latter.
And we were glad we did. Indian food often scores low on presentation, but Saneesh understands that modern Indian diners have an experienced palate and have eaten their way across the food map. And although catering has been in Saneesh’s family for generations, his approach is more contemporary, more international. The tawa gosht he serves up, for instance, has a swoosh of dal makhani on the plate, and chilli and cumin popcorn dust.
Likewise, his seared black cod and salmon bhel is a masterpiece. The Keralite-spiced cod is delicate and tender, with a firm, crisp skin, but the revelation is the bhel, which is essentially crisp puffed rice mixed with onions, spicy chutney and flakes of salmon.
It’s this sort of street-food-meets-luxury approach that has us convinced Ananta will both bridge cultures and stand clear of the pack.
Ananta, The Oberoi, Dubai, is open for dinner. Call 04 444 1444
