ANANTARA Restaurant — Restaurant in Fremont

Anantar Restaurant, Fremont – Creative Cuisine with Room to Refine the Experience

Anantar brings a refreshing modern lens to South Indian cuisine, offering inventive dishes in a vibrant setting. While the food shows moments of excellence, the overall dining experience has a few rough edges that, if addressed, could make this spot truly exceptional.

Ambience The décor features thoughtful touches, but the atmosphere suffers from a lack of acoustic treatment. The dining room is open and reflective, creating an echo chamber effect that makes intimate conversation nearly impossible without raising your voice. The chairs could also be more comfortable for a relaxed evening out.

Drinks We started with the Coconut Elixir, and the name truly fits. It was a refreshing, well-balanced drink—rich in coconut flavor with a cooling finish. A touch on the sweeter side, but still a pleasant beginning.

Small Plates & Appetizers The Gunpowder Idly was well-prepared, soft, and flavorful. However, it leaned milder than expected—dialing up the spice would make it stand out more. The accompanying chutney was dry and lacked flavor, which hindered its ability to bind well with the idly. A looser, more vibrant chutney would elevate the dish.

The Trumpet Mushroom Steamed in Banana Leaf was a highlight in terms of concept. The mushrooms remained succulent, and the banana leaf imparted a subtle aroma that worked well with the sauce. However, the chutney served alongside felt mismatched and detracted from the dish—rethinking that component could create better harmony.

Entrées The Hyderabadi Paneer Korma was a standout. A welcome departure from the ubiquitous tomato-cream gravies, this dish had depth, complexity, and a beautiful layer of rogan on top. It’s rich, flavorful, and thoughtfully executed.

Pepper Ghee Rice was another win. The use of short-grain fragrant rice instead of the usual long-grain variety added authenticity and complemented the entrees beautifully. Subtle and satisfying.

Malabar Porotta was textbook perfection. Crisp on the outside, soft and layered inside—authentic and addictive.

Dessert We ended with the Elaneer Fruit Payasam, a creative and refreshing finish. The pistachio-cardamom crumble added a lovely texture and warmth. The dessert could be taken a step further with more tender coconut or jelly, reduced tart fruit, and by serving it extra chilled for a truly indulgent experience.

Final Thoughts: Rating 7/10 Anantar has a bold, modern culinary vision and delivers on many fronts. With improvements in acoustics, a few tweaks to dish accompaniments, and better chutney execution, it could evolve from a promising newcomer into a must-visit destination for South Indian cuisine in...

Anantara in Fremont is a hidden gem that truly shines when it comes to catering for office parties. I recently ordered from them for our Christmas holiday gathering, and the experience was nothing short of exceptional. The menu selection is diverse and caters to various tastes. We ordered a mix of starters and main courses, including Pallipalayam chicken roast, Thattukada chicken fry, Mangaluru paneer bao, and lamb chops for appetizers, followed by chicken biryani and vegetable dum biryani as main dishes. The flavors were authentic and rich, showcasing the best of South Indian cuisine. What impressed me most was the universal appeal of the food. Despite our office having a diverse group of people from different countries, every dish was a hit. The lamb chops and chicken biryani, in particular, were standout favorites. By the end of the party, not a morsel was left – a testament to the quality and taste of the food. Anantara’s commitment to customer service is commendable. They delivered the food right on time, which is crucial for office events. The restaurant staff were dedicated and friendly, making the whole ordering process smooth and enjoyable. One aspect that sets Anantara apart is their flexibility with timing. Many Indian restaurants in the area only start taking orders at 5:30 PM and deliver around 7 PM, which can be inconvenient for early evening events. Anantara, however, accommodated our 5 PM party start time without any issues. The restaurant’s ability to cater to a large group while maintaining food quality is impressive. Each dish arrived fresh and flavorful, as if it had just been prepared in a home kitchen. In conclusion, Anantara has become my go-to choice for office catering. Their delicious food, punctual delivery, and excellent customer service make them stand out in Fremont’s culinary scene. I’m already looking forward to ordering from them for our next...

We were a group of 4 adults, 1 teen and a child. Being the same cuisine of our hometown, I guess it makes more sense to make the right call for an authenticity for anything that they serve here. Very excited and with a lot of hunger after a 2hrs drive on our way back, we got here.

1:30pm - Got seated 1:40pm - Placed all the orders at once 1:50pm - The first 2 drinks were served 2:00pm - Single order soup was served 2:06pm - The last order of the drinks were served 2:30pm - 1 of 6 order got served (main course) 2:44pm - 2 of 6 order got served (main course) 2:55pm - 3&4 of 6 order got served (main course) 3:00pm - 5&6 of 6 order got served (main course)

This should give you an idea of what to expect when you walk into this restaurant. Totally unacceptable to serve a group of 5 with a gap of 30 on the main course. And 1hr to get served with the main course when no appetizers were not ordered is highly not acceptable.

Food: The food served here is not really authentic, it's a hybrid version, but tastes good. So giving a 5star for the food.

Service: Pathetic!!! Not sure if there is another word to describe that. I could see many servers were just idling not knowing what to do when people were just waiting for their orders to be taken or to check out. They need to be more attending to provide an even better experience.

Atmosphere: Feels good when you walk in with a bright ambience but the music here kills as you could just hear the low frequency beats in high volume along with loud customer's chattering. Not at all the best feel you would want to have your food, wish I got seated at their patio.

Cost: Its expensive, probably $$$ out of $$$$$

Verdict: If you like good food without caring for the service and is ready to waste time for...