I like Indian food. A lot. This fact alone makes a new Indian restaurant in town a good idea in my book. But aside from my predilection for this particular culinary genre, Anika's Kati Roll Grill is a welcome addition to the handful of Indian restaurants in Hoboken, regardless.
Open for less than a month, Anika's has a sense of brand-newness that one might expect in a fledgling restaurant. The hardwood floors are spotless, the walls are painted sunny yellow and the paintings that adorn the walls are colorful and modern.
This is not to say that the atmosphere is sterile. Quite the contrary. The interior of the restaurant is actually cheerful and had the effect of making me feel genuinely happy. I mention this because it seems noteworthy in its rareness.
Anika's is an informal restaurant and customers place their orders at a service counter in the same way they would at a fast food joint. Indian dance music plays in the background and a flat screen TV is available for viewing.
First, I tried the Chicken Korma ($8.00), which I was told was one of the restaurant's most popular dishes. The Chicken Korma is one of several rice & gravy platters on the menu that come with basmati rice and paratha bread. I ordered this dish "spicy," which was fairly hot, but nothing too dangerous. The dish consisted of large chunks of chicken covered in tangy tomato-based cream sauce.
Next I tried the Saag Paneer ($8.00), a vegetarian option in the rice and gravy portion of the menu. Saag Paneer is traditionally made up of marinated cheese cubes in a creamy spinach sauce and this dish was no exception. It was piping hot and the flavor was good, but mellower without the powerful kick of the Chicken Korma.
Both of these dishes came with a side of "gravy" which was a slightly sweet, tomato-based sauce with a peppering of onions and Indian spices. I didn't love the gravy, but it wasn't offensive either. The basmati rice that came with both dishes was perfectly fluffy and tasty, however. The best part, though, was the paratha—an Indian flat bread.
But the star of the show at Anika's Kati Roll is, appropriately, the Kati Roll. A Kati Roll, for the uninitiated (as I was), is an Indian flat bread or paratha stuffed with a variety of marinated spiced fillings, green coriander spread, tamarind sauce and onions. And it's a lot like the Indian version of a burrito.
I ordered the Aloo Masala Roll ($4.00) which is a vegetarian kati roll filled with mashed potatoes, peas, spices, peppers and onions. The filling was bursting with spice and flavor and the peppers and onions added a nice complementary crunch. The Aloo Masala Roll was hands-down-my-favorite-item I tried and there are 10 different varieties of kati rolls on the menu. (I'll be back)
And what is Indian food without a Mango Lassi to cut the spice? Anika's Mango Lassi ($3.75), is a sweet and delicious mango yogurt smoothie concoction that I'm certainly glad I managed to fit into the meal as well as my stomach.
I was sent home with some desserts to sample (a courtesy they provide to all their new customers) and I can highly recommend the Gulab Jamoons ($3.50) which are dough dumplings in a sugar syrup - slightly reminiscent of donut holes, but soaked in honey.
In summary, Anika's Katil Roll is a terrific place for inexpensive Indian food in a casual setting. And it will make you happy.
They are open Sunday through Thursday from 11am-10pm and Friday and Saturday from 11am-11pm. Delivery is also available.
