At First Bite: Curry & Korma From Anarkali

Yesterday was the incredibly-quick grand opening of Anarkali, the Indian restaurant we told you in February was coming to the former No. 1 Chinese Restaurant space at 1125 Church Ave. We stopped in for some grub to see what they were all about.

This woman actually gasped, “Beautiful!” as she walked by.

In the little time they had to prepare, the owners of Anarkali managed to make the space comfortable and welcoming for a sit-down meal. Sconces on the walls and detailed wood paneling make it a more appealing date destination than it was in its former incarnation.

The man who helped us said he wasn’t an owner, but that he owned a place in Park Slope and was just helping out temporarily. He insisted we get a lunch special that amounted to half the price of what we initially tried to order, too, so we wouldn’t mind if he stuck around.

We ordered the chicken curry ($7.95) and vegetable korma ($7.50), respectively. Both were lunch specials (the korma wasn’t listed as one, but was suggested anyway), which included chana saag, rice, and naan–contrary to the rice or naan listed on the menu. Not that we’re complaining.

The chicken curry wasn’t extremely spicy, but the chana saag kicked things up a notch. The naan was great.

And the vegetable korma was sweet and rich as hoped, with awesome full green grapes. The only fault we could find was the slightly-undercooked potatoes, but that’s getting nit-picky–and anyway, they’d only been cooking in that kitchen for an hour!

We’ll definitely be back–and maybe next time we’ll sit down, since lunch is half-off in house. If you visit, though, be aware that they close from 3:30-5pm on weekdays to prepare for dinner (see more hours and info below).

Welcome, Anarkali! Between your friendly service, your ambiance, and your good-and-cheap eats, we’re happy to have you.

Anarkali

Address: 1125 Church Ave. (on the corner of Westminster).
Phone: 718-282-2200
Hours: 12-3:30pm and 5-10:30pm M-F, 1-10:30pm S-S

They offer table service, take-out, and delivery, and accept credit cards.