Anokhi Description

Anokhi is a contemporary Indian restaurant, the brain child of owner and chef Jibin Arjunan, and the posh older sister restaurant to his casual Indian and Middle Eastern eatery, Khan Chacha, of which Shanghai is home to two. 

Meaning “unique” in Hindi, Jibin’s goal is for every aspect of the restaurant to be a new form of discovery for guests – be it the whimsical take on classic Indian dishes, the colorful room accents, the mod music or the restaurant’s resident pup, a 60-kilo snow white-hued furball who greets guests in between sunny afternoon naps in the lounge. 

The space is modern Indian through and through, with bright colors abound – woven tapestries and sequined pillows draped across plush couches, rattan chairs, illuminated hanging sconce lanterns, meticulously chosen original prints highlighting cultural relics and rituals across the Indian subcontinent, sun-soaked greenery, imported limestone tiling, restored wood floorboards, and even a one-of-a-kind carved Keralan door crafted and shipped over by Jibin’s father. It’s cohesive, from concept to branding to design, curated by New York’s Newkirk. 

There’s a swank front lounge and fireplace with a music program created by Simon Adam’s, music director at the W Hotel – Shanghai, an expansive live-edge bar with an Indian fusion cocktail roster devised by Ilya Gorshkov (previously of Italo Trattoria), and a 108-seater dining room offering daily specials, brunch, lunch and dinner. All bases are covered and then some.