Indian food in a bistro avatar, global food with an Indian twist – this is the story we’ve been hearing from most new restaurants that have opened this year. While we crave for authentic flavours and less roleplay on our plates, yet another eatery, slated to open this week in Kamala Mills compound is following the trend. This one though is trying to cast a wider net with not one but two sets of menus – one that focusses on global foods and the other that takes key ingredients from that dish to create an Indian version that looks nothing like its foreign sibling. We dropped by over the weekend for a taste of their elaborate menu.
AMBIENCE
Kamala Mills’ corporate district is now dotted with restaurants trying hard to stand out of the herd, so while the menus are similar, décor plays a big part. Anncensored has a spacious location divided into various sections. Upon entering, you’ll see an array of booths on either side with a community table running parallel. On the other side, there’s swing style sitting, while you’ll find yourself seated in a hamster wheel-like arch once you walk further in. The corner bar is well lit and stocked with quirky looking tiki cocktail glasses and cubical structures armed with Edison bulbs that add to the spunk.
Walk down and you arrive in a dimly lit space that can be converted into a performance area during gig nights, which they plan on running weekly. Right next to the console and the podium is a private dining area for up to 20 people, making it a good spot for office parties.
FOOD + DRINKS
The ann in Anncensored stands for food and thus, you can expect uncensored versions from this kitchen. As mentioned earlier, there are two sections that allow you to pick from a standard preparation of a global favourite aka the censored menu, or dares you to see what those ingredients will look like with an Indian makeover aka the uncensored menu.
We decided to start off with their raw mango cocktail named Pulserate (Rs 395). This vodka based concoction came in a brass glass topped with flavours of fresh aam panna, giving our dinner a kickstart. For dark rum lovers, we recommend I Like To Move It (Rs 395) from their extensive tiki cocktail menu – a potent potion loaded with fruity hints of pineapple, orange and coconut.
In an ideal situation, we suggest you order the pair of censored and uncensored dishes as we did. So the summer friendly Three Melon Salad (Rs 195) was dressed with orange and ginger dressing, while pine nuts and feta added crunchy and creamy texture. The uncensored counterpart was the Watermelon, Green Apple and Puffed Rice Chaat (Rs 195) that also came with feta but now had crumbs of puchka adding texture to the bhel. Another dish impresses is the Spicy Salmon Tartar (Rs 425), which gets mild spiciness from the garlic aioli, pickled veggies and radish salad. While the tartar has clean flavours, the uncensored counterpart is what really blew us away. The Tandoori Salmon (Rs 425) with avocado, fennel and cucumber nimbu aachar puree could easily give the staple tandoori chicken a run or its money!
Make sure you save space for desserts as their gluten free Chocolate Cake with Berries (Rs 350) is a must try and its yang partner of Baked Yoghurt (Rs 350) comes with berry foam. The menu is rather elaborate and we feel one trip isn’t enough to do it justice, so do drop by and tell us what you thought.
IN A NUTSHELL
WH Verdict: A fresh addition to the neighbourhood.
Review Other Details: Anncensored on What’s Hot
Meal For Two: Rs 3,000
Cuisine: Indian, European, Asian and Mexican
They are also on
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AnnCensored
Twitter Instagram: @anncensoredcafe
**The writer was invited by the restaurant to preview their menu**
Indian food in a bistro avatar, global food with an Indian twist – this is the story we’ve been hearing from most new restaurants that have opened this year. While we crave for authentic flavours and less roleplay on our plates, yet another eatery, slated to open this week in Kamala Mills compound is following the trend. This one though is trying to cast a wider net with not one but two sets of menus – one that focusses on global foods and the other that takes key ingredients from that dish to create an Indian version that looks nothing like its foreign sibling. We dropped by over the weekend for a taste of their elaborate menu.
AMBIENCE
Kamala Mills’ corporate district is now dotted with restaurants trying hard to stand out of the herd, so while the menus are similar, décor plays a big part. Anncensored has a spacious location divided into various sections. Upon entering, you’ll see an array of booths on either side with a community table running parallel. On the other side, there’s swing style sitting, while you’ll find yourself seated in a hamster wheel-like arch once you walk further in. The corner bar is well lit and stocked with quirky looking tiki cocktail glasses and cubical structures armed with Edison bulbs that add to the spunk.
Walk down and you arrive in a dimly lit space that can be converted into a performance area during gig nights, which they plan on running weekly. Right next to the console and the podium is a private dining area for up to 20 people, making it a good spot for office parties.
FOOD + DRINKS
The ann in Anncensored stands for food and thus, you can expect uncensored versions from this kitchen. As mentioned earlier, there are two sections that allow you to pick from a standard preparation of a global favourite aka the censored menu, or dares you to see what those ingredients will look like with an Indian makeover aka the uncensored menu.
We decided to start off with their raw mango cocktail named Pulserate (Rs 395). This vodka based concoction came in a brass glass topped with flavours of fresh aam panna, giving our dinner a kickstart. For dark rum lovers, we recommend I Like To Move It (Rs 395) from their extensive tiki cocktail menu – a potent potion loaded with fruity hints of pineapple, orange and coconut.
In an ideal situation, we suggest you order the pair of censored and uncensored dishes as we did. So the summer friendly Three Melon Salad (Rs 195) was dressed with orange and ginger dressing, while pine nuts and feta added crunchy and creamy texture. The uncensored counterpart was the Watermelon, Green Apple and Puffed Rice Chaat (Rs 195) that also came with feta but now had crumbs of puchka adding texture to the bhel. Another dish impresses is the Spicy Salmon Tartar (Rs 425), which gets mild spiciness from the garlic aioli, pickled veggies and radish salad. While the tartar has clean flavours, the uncensored counterpart is what really blew us away. The Tandoori Salmon (Rs 425) with avocado, fennel and cucumber nimbu aachar puree could easily give the staple tandoori chicken a run or its money!
Make sure you save space for desserts as their gluten free Chocolate Cake with Berries (Rs 350) is a must try and its yang partner of Baked Yoghurt (Rs 350) comes with berry foam. The menu is rather elaborate and we feel one trip isn’t enough to do it justice, so do drop by and tell us what you thought.
IN A NUTSHELL
WH Verdict: A fresh addition to the neighbourhood.
Review Other Details: Anncensored on What’s Hot
Meal For Two: Rs 3,000
Cuisine: Indian, European, Asian and Mexican
They are also on
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AnnCensored
Twitter Instagram: @anncensoredcafe
**The writer was invited by the restaurant to preview their menu**