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| Annapurna Indian restaurant in New Hope (Photo: Charlie Sahner) |
By Charlie Sahner
Annapurna sits at the back of the Four Seasons Mall in New Hope, a location that once made up part of the sizable and popular Toys for Men shop. There are now windows in the rear offering Delaware River views courtesy of a prior restaurant's effort, but unlike that establishment, this one has a crack at succeeding.
A recent visit to Annapurna revealed clean, tasteful decor, a classic selection of Indian cuisine, and friendly, efficient service. The details: to start, one won't find unusual, fiery regional dishes. And that may be a good thing. It seems that while some local palettes might be accustomed to Thai cooking, far fewer are familar with the culinary joys of the subcontinent.
Annapurna manages to cover all the bases in a pleasing, authentic way. Appetizers include the standard pakoras and samosas tastefully rendered, and the bread selection focused on interesting varieties of naan. Prices were moderate, with many entrees in the $12-15 range, including tandoori, curry, masala, korma and biryani dishes. The vegetarian selection was sizable and varied.
Standouts included the chicken tikka masala (cooked in a mild, but well-seasoned tomato and cream sauce), and the shrimp vindaloo, which had an abundanance of medium shrimp in a wonderfully seasoned curry sauce that made up in flavor what it lacked in heat. In fact, should one be an experienced fan of Indian cuisine, informing the waiter that one's dish can be prepared on the hot side would not be out of order.
The service was excellent; our waiter offered extra helpings of basmati rice and chutneys. Fresh coriander was in the air, and the entrees weren't swimming in ghee. The river view added to the overall experience. We'll be back.
A great introduction to Indian food for everyone that can also be enjoyed by experienced afficiandados. BYOB and take-out avaialble.
Annapurna is located at 32 S. Main St.; (215) 862-5080.
This restaurant is GREAT! My husband and I recently dined here and we were very impressed. We both love Indian cuisine and have had some of the best around the NJ and NY area. Annapurna offers some of the tastiest and most authentic Indian food around. A great addition to New Hope.
ReplyDeleteThis restaurant has the best north indian food in the tri-state area. It just seems the name does not fit the cuisine...
ReplyDeleteFinally a really good indian restaurant for New Hope & Lambertville. My family went there this week and had a really good meal plus you get to sit looking over the delaware river! thanks for the great meal.
ReplyDeletebest food server sucks
ReplyDeleteWhat ever you are writing here does not have any substance. This restaurant is owned by an Egyptian, who employes a Pakistani chef to make Indian food.
ReplyDeleteThis should be named as Pakistani Restaurant. Indian cusine is diffrent than its Pakistani neighbour!!!!
Good Information. Thank you for sharing and I want to share information about Tandoori Chef which is An authentic North Indian, fine dining restaurant, Tandoori Chef offers Hackensack and the surrounding area a wonderful taste of Indian cuisine.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great meal. Consistently the best Indian food for miles around.
ReplyDeleteI had dinner here last night. It was my first experience with Indian food. I also have several food allergies and do not eat flour, sugar, nuts, or any other grain. The waiter was very helpful and understanding. He understood what I needed and asked the cook to prepare me some chicken with traditional Indian seasoning and some mixed vegetables as well. Both dishes were delicious and safe :) 5 stars and I will return!!
ReplyDelete