SE23.com - The Official Forum for Forest Hill & Honor Oak, London SE23
Online since 2002   11,000+ members   72,000+ posts

Home | SE23 Topics | Businesses & Services | Wider Topics | Offered/Wanted/Lost/Found | About SE23.com | Advertising | Contact | |
 Armstrong & Co Solicitors



Post Reply  Post Topic 
Pages (2): « First [1] 2 Next > Last »
Anika
Author Message
sue


Posts: 27
Joined: Nov 2005
Post: #1
10-03-2008 11:59 AM

It's been some while since I last eat at Anika's Indian restaurant but, tempted by the "half price food" offer, we decided to eat there last Friday. The restaurant was quiet for a Friday but undeservedly so given the food. Everything we had was well presented and extremely tasty. The best chicken chat I've ever had and the chicken tikka with onions was amazingly tender. They told us takeaway business is incredibly busy and I can vouch for that with the continual phone calls plus homebound commuters stopping off.

A few pictures to brighten up the walls would not go amiss, but this restaurant deserves support. Don't know how long the offer lasts but this has to be the time to try Anika's, the bill was as pleasant a surprise as the food!

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Rover


Posts: 2
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #2
10-03-2008 12:18 PM

I agree with Sue's comments about Anika's. We've taken advantage of the half price offer and eaten there three times recently. Like Sue it was the offer that tempted us through the door but we expected it to be limited to a set menu. How wrong we were! Everyfood item on the extensive menu is half price, king prawns, duck, the lot. Diners seem to vary in number, some evenings they are very busy, others less so, but surely this offer, which has been on for more than a month already, can't last much longer.

The staff are friendly with a more casual approach than in many Indian restaurants. Anika's also now has a full drinlks licence - and they serve Cobra ice cold! I agree with Sue about the take away but why oh why are more people not supporting this local restaurant? Use it or lose it I say.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
vipes


Posts: 145
Joined: Oct 2006
Post: #3
10-03-2008 12:38 PM

From the outside it looks like every expense has been spared and assumed the worst about the kitchen and food. Hence never been near the place. Like the sound of it from these posts though so will deffo try it.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
johnnyb7


Posts: 16
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #4
10-03-2008 07:13 PM

Yes the Anika is a good place to eat or take-away. The owner's son told me a while back that some people come up from the south coast at least once a month to eat there, having been locals and regular patrons who relocated.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Snazy


Posts: 1,516
Joined: Jan 2008
Post: #5
10-03-2008 07:46 PM

Where is this place ?

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
NewForester


Posts: 379
Joined: Feb 2008
Post: #6
10-03-2008 10:54 PM

On London Rd, opposite Sainsbury's

http://www.anikarestaurant.co.uk/

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Ciej


Posts: 39
Joined: Jul 2007
Post: #7
11-03-2008 11:21 AM

I've been there a couple of times and I can wholeheartedly recommend it. Very, very good.

They also have good offers on take away.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
seeformiles


Posts: 269
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #8
19-03-2008 12:20 AM

I've been going on about Anika for ages. It's a great little place. A few people on here were put off by the signs on the window not so long ago but I hope they've ventured inside since.


I think it deserves much more support from the locals than it sometimes gets - although I was pleased to see it quite packed the other night. Maybe word's getting round at last.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
jon14


Posts: 145
Joined: Sep 2007
Post: #9
19-03-2008 10:19 AM

We went to Anika last Friday - we were attracted by the half price offer. I don't think you'd be attracted in by anything else to be honest, regardless of the food!

It was very good value at half price, and a very pleasant meal, but I think they've chosen the wrong strategy to try and win custom. I don't think you really get yourself anywhere in the long term by being cheap in the short term. People will get used to the prices now and then go somewhere else when they go back up again. The food would have to be extra special for you to remain, but if it was extra special then would they have this problem in the first place?

I think it gives an impression of being a bit desperate. It would be much better to spruce the place up a bit and make the whole experience more pleasant and professional! I appreciate what they're trying to do, but think there are better ways of going about it.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
seeformiles


Posts: 269
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #10
22-03-2008 06:40 PM

I don't get it...the interior of Anika looks fine to me. It's no worse than most curry houses I've seen and certainly better than a few I've tried. What should it do to improve?

I think the food is consistently good and they don't need to do much more than convince more locals they're worth trying.

Personally I cannot for the life of me understand the fuss made about Yune. I've never had a good experience there, but maybe I've been *extremely* unlucky.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
JonJon


Posts: 14
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #11
28-03-2008 09:49 AM

The missus & I went to Anika last night after reading about the half price offer here. The food was fine and the Cobra was cold as it had been before. So we were very pleased when the bill arrived.

We'd been once before and i agree with most of the above comments that it cold probably use a female touch. The decor is a little grim and the service is a touch dour but i'm not particularly sensitive to that.

Also the big half price banner does smack of desperation and devalues their food. When the food doubles in price shortly people resent having to pay the extra for exactly the same. Maybe they should have gone for some alternative such as vouchers for return visits or free beer/starters.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Piers_Gibbon


Posts: 5
Joined: Aug 2005
Post: #12
31-03-2008 07:51 PM

yup..I concur

very good food, bizarrely cheap

apparently the half price offer is on until end of april 08

fill your boots

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Foresters


Posts: 212
Joined: May 2006
Post: #13
02-04-2008 02:27 AM

On food matters Indian, I am constantly surprised that my regular weekly haunt of Cafe Jeera is not busier. It does fine food (particularly veggie) and their naan is one of the best I've had anywhere.

And it's near the pools!

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #14
07-04-2008 08:31 AM

I went in on Friday and had a great meal. Plenty of choice on the menu so I need to go back to try out some other dishes, but I was so happy fish my salmon that I cannot really imagine eating something else there!

I good number of people were in on Friday night which made up for the rather plain decorations. It does look a bit cold and sparse, but I don't really care as long as the food is good.

If the food were twice the price then I might have some reservations despite the excellent quality. A good sized meal for 2 for ?30 is pretty good value these days but if it were ?60 then I think I would be inclined to cross the road and get the veggy feast from Tse's (also very good and well worth a visit). Long may the '1/2 price' food continue!

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
famz


Posts: 1
Joined: Apr 2008
Post: #15
08-04-2008 08:57 PM

i recently visited Anika and the food there was VERY nice. the best indian food i have tasted in ages!

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
baggydave


Posts: 390
Joined: May 2004
Post: #16
08-04-2008 09:56 PM

I am looking for a curry house that serves genuine Indian Beer - does the Anika?

And is it standard/generic Bangladeshi/Anglo food or is there anything special about the menu? Good that they do what they do well, but does it go that extra mile?

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Foresters


Posts: 212
Joined: May 2006
Post: #17
08-04-2008 10:42 PM

baggydave - Cafe Jeera (sorry to repeat myself) on Dartmouth Road serves some great veggie stuff - Sabji Hariyali and a veggie Adrak Ke Panje as well as some interesting fish dishes (sweet water fish with whole bangladeshi lemon rings a bell) as well as a whole baby aubergine dish and doubtless some interesting meat offerings...

Having said this, it seems that the management has just changed (I was served in china rather than balti metal last week), so I can't be held responsible for any misdirection...

As for the genuine Indian beer angle, this does intrigue me. The only brand I have come across is Kalyani Black Label (which is owned by S&N). I would love to know if there is any genuine brew available locally.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
NewForester


Posts: 379
Joined: Feb 2008
Post: #18
09-04-2008 05:27 PM

Now that Anika has a license, they serve Kingfisher and Cobra beers.

Not sure if you call those genuine Indian beers Wink

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
oryx


Posts: 205
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #19
10-04-2008 09:03 PM

Went there last night after reading this thread - it is indeed really good & cheap!

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Rover


Posts: 2
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #20
14-04-2008 03:54 PM

Just to update my original comments. Visited Anika?s last Friday and they have a brand new menu, even more extensive than the original. With both the full and offer prices given, you know exactly where you are. I had a great Chicken Nar (chicken with black pepper) and wonderful lemon rice (new). Duck features more extensively, including wild duck, something I?ve never seen in an Indian restaurant before. Fish and chicken dishes have also been extended and vegetarians are not overlooked. If, as previously reported, the half price finishes at the end of April there?s only two weeks left to try this great food. We couldn?t get in last Friday week, every table was taken so word is finally spreading and success is well deserved. Just hope support lasts longer than the offer.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Pages (2): « First [1] 2 Next > Last »

Friends of Blythe Hill Fields