Anokha in Short Pump is one of my friend's favorite restaurants. And since I'd been craving Indian for the past, oh, 3 months or so, she planned a little outing to Short Pump. It happened to be on the rainiest day I've ever experienced in Richmond, but that didn't stop us. A packed restaurant full of kids and family gatherings? Didn't stop us either. So the four of us arrived hungry and from my end, excited to find an Indian place in Richmond which matches the caliber of Shalimar in Ann Arbor.
For $9 (the lunch special) we got a starter of soup or salad, an entree, and a dessert. I chose the daal which I highly enjoyed. The flavor was great and the lentils weren't chunky, but nice and smooth.
I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, apparently their most popular dish. It was very tasty - the sauce was great and perfect for dipping naan into - which, but the way, they also add at no extra cost. I had heard the heat scale was a little high, so I ordered mild - next time I'll go for medium. Apparently I can handle my heat better than I thought :) The chicken was tender, too, and the flavor had gotten into the meat. It was sooo good - I could go for a few extra pieces, in fact. I bet the dinner portions are larger. One of the nice things about Anokha is that they'll refill your rice, too - which was really great since I like a high rice-to-sauce ratio. Oh! and the $9 includes a side dish Chef's special - our day was okra and sauteed onions. It was amazing and probably my favorite thing of the meal. Nice and spicy - I snagged Emilija's since she wasn't planning on taking it home and I knew a good place for it...my tummy.
For dessert we had a mango pudding which I didn't like very much - I am not a pudding person in general. But one of the girls who came is in LOVE with it, so it didn't go to waste!
If you have a Richmond Indian favorite, pass it along because I'd love to taste around!