A hidden gem in the CBD area, Aniba beckons guests into another world with its immersive space and delectable Middle Eastern cuisine
Through a private lift at 6 Battery Road, guests are transported into the smouldering and exclusive vibe that is Aniba — a newly launched concept that features Middle Eastern fine-dining cuisine by internationally renowned Israeli chef Meir Adoni.
Comprising a bustling cocktail lounge, upscale restaurant, and private room, Aniba is chef Adoni’s platform to showcase his modern interpretation of Middle Eastern cuisine prepared with European cooking techniques and flair.
Bar space at Aniba
Always driven by innovation and his Moroccan culinary heritage, chef Adoni has trained in some of the world’s most progressive restaurants, including Arzak, Alinea and Noma. He has since established an international footprint of acclaimed restaurants in Berlin, New York, Kiev and Tel Aviv.
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Well-known for his diverse approach stemming from his Northern African heritage and his stints in Europe and the Middle East, Chef Adoni showcases his affinity and flair for fusing his classical culinary knowledge with sophisticated culinary techniques to conjure a diverse, yet harmonious menu of multi-faceted and artfully presented market-fresh catch from the sea and vegetable-centric dishes.
Helming the kitchen is head chef and long-time collaborator Ido Zarmi, who is also well-known for opening and leading the teams of various restaurants in the US and Tel Aviv. If you grab a counter seat, you can spot the handsome chef adorning a hat cooking up a storm in the open kitchen.
Aniba is chef Adoni’s first concept in Asia in partnership with The Foragers.
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Spearheaded by The Foragers who introduced the wildly successful Miznon and North Miznon, Aniba is a testament to the commitment of the fast-rising local hospitality group to always introduce exciting and invigorating culinary concepts matched with inimitable and vibrant hospitality to Singapore, and the rest of Asia.
“Just as our diners’ taste buds take flight on a journey to a great many places, the various curated experiences during different days and times of the week make each visit to Aniba, a truly refreshing and memorable encounter,” say Nadav Cohen and Tal Eisenberg, co-founders of The Foragers.
Options visited Aniba for an evening of culinary discovery and it was indeed a delightful and knowledgeable experience.
To awaken our palate, we started with some of Aniba’s specially curated cocktails from the bar team that celebrates ingredients from the Middle East, Mediterranean and Asia. The Songs of the Red Sea ($23) is a recommended drink here. The gin-based cocktail has a fruity and tangy note, thanks to the raspberry, rhubarb and citrus ingredients. On top of this is a distinctive smoky note that brings out the fruitiness.
Aniba has a variety of starters and appetisers, and we were spoiled for choice, but luckily, chef Zarmi helped us with the selection and we tried some of the best Aniba has to offer.
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Avocado Ravioli
To begin, we had the Avocado Ravioli ($33), featuring a charred avocado shell, wild-caught fish, and kimchi aioli in a bed of refreshing grilled vegetable gazpacho and topped with extra virgin olive oil. This was followed by the Pani Puri ($26) — which is originally an Indian dish — but here, it has been tweaked and elevated with Hamachi and yoghurt-yuzu foam. The Tokyo Fish Market Bluefin Tartare ($47) was a favourite, with the fresh bluefin tartare served on top of a crispy gratin and topped with French winter black truffles.
We also tried an interesting dish — Ottoman Kubeh ($36), which is spiced fish in a baked bread, served with a side of yoghurt dip — and Aryan, which is a cold and savoury yoghurt-based drink.
Eggplant Carpaccio
We then moved on to the “mid-course sharing” where we were served chef Adoni’s famous Eggplant Carpaccio ($37), along with an Aniba Caprese ($45) and the Kabuneh ($34) house-baked bread. Restaurant manager Ivan kindly explained that the bread could be eaten together with the Eggplant Carpaccio, Aniba Caprese or the dips that are served with the bread. The Eggplant Carpaccio was a noteworthy dish that features fire-roasted Greek eggplants, tahini, date molasses, pistachios, thyme, dried roses, feta and olive oil. It went amazingly well with the fluffy bread.
By the time we were done with this, our bellies hardly had the space for mains but chef Zarmi insisted we had to try the Jaffa Shore-line ($84). With Aniba being fully Kosher, no crustaceans or shellfish are served here. But somehow, Aniba has managed to capture the flavours of the sea in the bouillabaisse (or seafood stew) that is served with the oven-roasted grouper fish.
Jerusalem Hills
For dessert, we had the Jerusalem Hills ($31), which was beautifully plated to look like rocks on soil. This is a massive dessert and best shared. It features sage mousse and chocolate-tahini mousse encased in chocolate to look like rocks. It is then served with cardamom truffles, figs and wine marmalade, sunchokes chips, cocoa tuile, vanilla ice cream, honey-yogurt coulis, Persian lemon, mastika anglaise and topped with yoghurt dust.
Overall, the ambiance and the food were great at Aniba. The staff were also very attentive and engaging, always happy to explain each dish and to recommend drinks or dishes.
ANIBA
6 Battery Road, #05-03
Singapore 049909
Contact:
Tel: +65 9668 8036
Email: hello@aniba.com.sg
Opening Hours:
Sunday to Thursday — 3pm to 12am
Friday — 12pm to 5pm
Saturday (Speakeasy night): 8pm till late
