Sublime

As I walked in the entrance of the new Indian restaurant in Novato, Anokha, I was greeted by the scent of roses. I looked around for the source, but didn't see any roses. I asked the gentleman who greeted me about the scent, who said that it was rose incense. I have never smelled incense that was so reminiscent of fresh roses, it was amazing. And that was just the start of my positive experience here.


I spotted a dish I'd never heard of before on the appetizer menu, so I had to order the Aloo Tikki. The appetizer is described as potato patties with ginger peas, red onions and spices, served with Chana Masala. This was an awesome dish, and one that I could have eaten as a main course. The smooth canvas of the potato patties was complemented by the chana masala with its complex flavors.


Next came the main course, Malai Kofta and rice. The smooth sauce was so rich and lush I wanted not to miss a drop. The spiced potato and cheese within the sauce was in torpedo shape, and was delicious and filling. In hindsight, as delicious as this was, I don't think I would have ordered the appetizer and main having potato as the main attraction simply because it was SO filling. The combination of cheese, potatoes, nuts and raisins blended with spices was just perfect.


Of course I had to try one of their proffered naan breads, choosing onion naan. This naan had red onions liberally mixed into it and fresh chopped greens adorning the outside. It was wonderful. The service was perfect, every time I was ready to have dishes removed, they were magically whisked away before they could become an annoyance. The waitstaff looked professional in crisp light blue long-sleeved shirts and dark slacks. The whole experience added up to nothing short of sublime. So much so that I to Tweet during the meal:

"annahaight is at Anokha in Novato - wow! Try this Indian cuisine before the masses discover this new place!" (You can follow me at http://www.twitter.com/annahaight)

This restaurant opened very recently, and if the food is any guide, will become a Marin favorite.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 2
Noncritical: 4
Last inspected: 6/15/2009

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