Ananta, The Oberoi Dubai

Ananta, a fine dining Indian restaurant located in Oberoi, Dubai. We are the first to try their new menu which is still in finalizing stages and most of the dishes are not listed yet on the current menu! The new menu will have Traditional Authentic VS Post Modern with a twist.

The restaurant ambiance is romantic with a view of water fountain on one side. The large red chairs will make you feel comfortable and royal at the same time.

For the drinks, I ordered the Guava Chatka and Mr. A got his favorite Blackberry with Elderflower. The Guava chatka was a little spicy but I loved it.

Amuse Bouche

Dahibhalla sorbet with Sev – The amuse bouche was very amusing. It tasted exactly like Dahi Bhalla but the cold sorbet kicks in with the traditional Dahi Bhalla.

Appetisers

Kerala spiced tandoori salmon – Cucumber and coconut salad, Yuzu sour cream, curry leaf caviar, fried shallots

Never have I tried tandoori Salmon and it was excellent. The Yuzu sour cream mixed with the salad will tantalize your taste buds.

Truffle scented chicken tikka  – Chilli cilantro dip, Black garlic chutney, and wild mushroom foam

The aromatic truffle scent was quickly spreading across the table. The black garlic chutney was the bomb!

Galouti kebab – Delicate lamb kebab flavoured with aromatic spices and served with bakharkhani

Another winning dish which was visually appealing and tasted heavenly. The beetroot sauce and the chilli cilantro along with bakharkhani did wonders.

Mughlai Prawn Thermidor – Fruit chat, raspberry coulis, potato wafer

An Indian take on the french dish. The prawn was flavorful with cheese and cream. I just loved the home made potato wafers.

 

Truffle infused cheesy mushroom skewers – Caramel onion, coriander papad and coriander soil

There was so much going on this plate. It was Mr. A’s favorite dish. The coriander papad was a first. The cheesy mushroom would leave you wanting more.

Main courses

Andhra chilli chicken  – Green chilli and garlic spiced chicken with hand pound spices – very hot 

I would highly NOT recommend this dish. It is way too spicy and cooked only in green chilli. It also comes with a statuary warning of 5 Chillies. Mr. A had one piece of it and had to order a Mango lassi to cool him down.

Shahinehari  – 48 hour slow braised Indian lamb shank with onion and spices

It was served with the usual condiments. The nihari was just okay. I have had better.

Lamb Momos in Kashmiri Morel and Fennel Sauce – Steamed lamb dumplings in Kashmiri Rogan josh and morel sauce

The Lamb momos were a delight. The soft lamb filling was very good and went very well with the Rogan josh sauce.

 

Fennel and pepper seared wagyu – Bacon and coriander fried rice, curry sauce

Another winning dish for Mr. A. The bacon fried rice was unique and the Pepper seared Wagyu was tender and flavorful. For some, the pepper may be too empowering but it is delicious.

Asparagus and edamame Poriyal – Tempered with mustard curry leaves and coconut

I have not seen other Fine dining Indian restaurants experimenting with Edamame. The dish can be served as a salad or a main. The flavors were spot on.

 

Dessert

Coastal Desire – Rice &jaggery dumpling, coconut ice cream, raspberry dust, gram flour soil

I did not enjoy the dessert which was an Italian Arancini with an Indian take on it. However, Mr. A did like the coconut ice cream and rice dumplings but we would prefer the traditional sweets or desserts like Gulab Jamun, Falooda or phirni.

 

Ananta had won the Best Indian Restaurant award in 2014. The service was great and the staff is well trained. They even got us a power bank at the table for a quick recharge of phones. The new menu has a lot of dishes to try from both the Traditional and the Modern Indian Cuisine.