Anokha

I love Indian food.  As in... I could eat it almost every night. We usually bounce around from Indian restaurant to Indian restaurant. No more. We now have an Indian restaurant home! Anokha is upscale Punjabi-style Indian with a more limited menu selection than other Indian restaurants. The interior is warm with muted contemporary colors and patterns. Techno-beat world music plays overhead. An aside...Hubby is Vietnamese and his restaurant pet peeve is to eat at a Vietnamese place where there are no Vietnamese dining. "No authentics," he says.  We took it as a good sign that several Indian diners (ie: "authentics") were chowing down at Anokha.
I ordered a chai and a salty lassi (blended yogurt) to drink. I was advised to order the lassi first and then the chai with my entree or dessert. Apparently, in India, it is not customary to drink a hot and cold beverage at the same time because so doing is associated with tooth pain. I liked our waiter and found this tidbit of information interesting and not insulting or bossy. The lassi was delicious; frothy and smooth with salt, pepper, and maybe caraway? Naan and a trio of sauces (mint and tamarind chutney and raita) were brought to the table. I am accustomed to eating papadum with chutney, so we ordered some. The papadum was delightfully spicy, but I found both the naan and papadam to be a bit soggy. The papadum was only soggy in a few places and the naan lacked the nice crispy crust that I love. I think both had been wrapped up and were affected by condensation. An appetizer of kachumber salad was refreshing and featured lightly pickled large chunks of cucumber, red onion and tomato with cilantro.
Entrees were both masala-based (spice mixture made of garlic, onion, chilis, ginger and cumin): vegetable biryani and chicken tikka masala.  The biryani (think Indian fried rice) had saffron rice with green peas, shredded carrots, finely chopped green beans, small cubes of potatoes and fried onions. The fried onions were the predominant flavor and I would not want to eat the entire dish, but Hubby loved it. The chicken tikka masala featured large chunks of tender Tandoori-roasted breast meat in a fragrant butter- and tomato-based sauce that was creamy and flavorful. I requested medium spicy and thought that it could use a little more heat, but the masala ingredients contributed to a depth of flavor that I may have missed if the dish had been served as spicy as I had wanted. Dessert was Kheer (rice pudding) and gulab jamun (fried donuts). Gulab jamun are traditionally served in cardamom and rosewater syrup, but the syrup during our experience was too sweet and lacked any hint of cardamom. Or rosewater. The fried pasty balls were dusted with finely shredded (how did they get it that fine?) coconut and was satisfying as a meal-ending sweet but lacked the flavor I was searching for. This oversight in confectionery was forgiven when I tasted the kheer, which was deliciously creamy with a lovely cardamom-infused aroma and taste. All in all, a bit expensive, but my new go-to for Indian.

food for thought:

decent wine list and full bar

waitstaff is courteous but one waiter is consistently unfriendly. not a good thing to be in the service industry. you will do well with the tall skinny waiter (i'll update his name next time).

Bouchon

   I've thought about starting a food blog for a while. I was inspired to commit some time to so doing after dining (for a second time) at Bouchon, a Provencal bistro in Shockoe Slip (in the space that once housed Pomegranate). Everything we ate on menu (which changes monthly) was delicious (escargot, foie gras, stuffed red peppers, avocado salad, arugula salad). Everything we ate that was a nightly special was delicious (shrimp the first time and salmon the second time). The desserts are even better. Rhubarb compote with Grand Marnier (if I remember correctly) creme anglaise and pumpkin and cardamom sorbet-stuffed crepes. The rhubarb is hands down the best dessert in Richmond. I could eat it every day, although I probably should not, what with rhubarb being a laxative and all. 
   Bouchon is owned by Wendy and Francis (the latter formerly of Lavandou in DC). Wendy works the front of the house and provides a warm greeting and fond farewell. As our meal progressed, I watched her travel around to each table to make sure that every diner was happy. I have no doubt that if they were not, the situation would have been rectified post haste.
   The food here is intelligent and well executed. The wait staff are knowledgeable, personable and helpful.  The interior is crisp and modern without being sterile. The wine list is comprehensive with several by the glass options. Francis' ipod playlist runs the gamut from salsa to post-WW2 French ballads to modern electronic jazz (Koop. if you haven't heard them, check them out). A complete experience to get excited about! I hope Richmonders will embrace Bouchon.


food for thought:

validated parking in the lot on 12th between Canal and Cary.
make a reservation on  opentable
ask for Tamara (tah-mare-ah) as a server 
a new Prix Fix menu from 5-6 pm
rumors of a bar menu soon