Ananda

Will give it a 3 because the food merits no more. What would take the score down if I mention the customer service ! The server seemed to be brand new and had no clue about the items on the menu. He needed to run to the manager (?) for clarifications.
And The Manager (?) rates a score of 1.
He did know the menu but spoke with the arrogance of a guy who had no clue that the customer was totally «turned off» by his attitude.
I enjoy going to a place and spend my money in a restaurant which offers courteous service. And I have to say that if this guy continues to work at Ananda, I would rather go to Royal Taj. That place has a wonderful customer service — every time I am there, I leave with a feeling of satisfaction :)

I’ve been a devoted fan since they’ve opened. However, we went last night to celebrate with friends. I had made reservations. Upon checking in, the hostess indicated the wait for a table on the patio would be 5 minutes. We said perfect. we’d grab a drink at the bar. After half an hour, I asked her what the status of the table was since there were several open tables in view. She had no idea who I was. I reminded her, and she continued to get both the name of our party and the size of our party wrong despite my reminders. Another hostess promptly stepped in to apologize and seat us.
The appetizers and entrees were fine. However, they needed another reminder that we ordered 2 samosas, not one. Then the dessert came. And they needed to be reminded once again we ordered 2 different desserts, not one. The one that came was the french toast. It was horribly burnt on the top and bottom, we could smell it when they brought it. We tried to eat it, but the bitterness of the burnt bread seeped through the entire dessert. We sent it back, and were told this is how it’s made, it’s supposed to be this way.
I’ve always loved coming because the food is amazing, as was the service. The service really dampened our spirits when we were there to celebrate, as it was very frustrating all throughout the night. I also cannot imagine a dish being purposely burnt. We were sadly disappointed after loving this place for so long.

One of the best hidden gems in Columbia. The food is all quality ingredients and really good. The service is excellent and the seating in any part of the restaurant is really cool

Beautiful restaurant, excellent service. The Bliss Hour menu is outstanding!

I went to Ananda on a Friday night and it was very enjoyable. The atmosphere is wonderful. The food was very authentic and tasty. The service was outstanding.

Yummy! My sister and I went for buffet they have on Sundays. The food was nice and fresh. My favorites were the Biryani, Palak Paneer, the Tandori chicken, and of course the Naan! I something that resembled a crabcake but it was a little more bready. It was good though. They had a party going on in the other room but the service was still very much on point. I plan to return very soon.

Beautiful restaurant with a great patio. Has kind of a «secret» feel to it, set back off the road with no signs. If you didn’t know it was there, I’m not sure how you’d find it. Service was great. Specialty cocktails were great. Food itself was fairly typical of what you’d get in most American Indian restaurants. The chicken Tikka Masala was tasty, but unspectacular. Kind of atypically small portion and not super spicy. Rice pudding was great.

The ambience of this place sets it apart from most other Indian restaurants. Spacious and open, the attentive staff makes you feel like you are having a dining experience.
I love the naan and the avocado + corn salad. I haven’t tried too many entries, but am very satisfied with the chicken tikka masala, chicken cheera, and Goa fish.
I live just a few blocks away, and make sure I come here a couple of times a month.

The first thing I noticed about Ananda was the décor! It’s a beautiful place inside and out! It’s the perfect place to go and have drinks outside when the weather gets warmer. They have tables and lounges outside to choose from. The Windows on the inside were old garage doors, or so they appeared, that the remodeled into a restaurant. It’s was fantastic.
Our waiter was pretty awesome as well. The drinks were good, I got a red sangria and it was pretty strong.
The food… Honestly I’ve had better Indian food. It seemed to be westernized, upscale Indian food. But it was pretty good to me. The best thing we ordered was the rosemary and sea salt naan! That is a must. Would I return, maybe if I happened to be in the area but I wouldn’t make a special trip.

Not much to look at from the front, but when you pull in to the rear parking lot, you see the outside seating area. Inside, the ambience is amazing, with several fireplaces and a fully stocked bar. The service was classy without being snobby, and the food was excellent. Try the crabcake appetizer!
I plan to return soon. Great place for date night!

I really enjoyed the experience, and the food, at this restaurant. I have been 3 times now, and it’s confirmed. This is one of Howard County’s many treasures.
Try the jingha karari. Don’t even think about it.

The ambiance is the reason to go to this restaurant. Sitting outside with the fireplaces creates such a romantic mood.
I do feel the food itself was rather bland and needs to be spiced up a bit. They didn’t ask for a spice level and all of our meals came out mild. The presentation is lovey and each entrée came served on a plate with rice and a side. This is good place to take someone who has never had Indian food before since the meals were all mild, but for someone who loves spice I would definitely ask for more fire next time.
We also enjoyed the naan, especially the Rosemary sea salt naan.
The desserts and Masala chai were also very good.

If you are in the mood to to be adventurous and want to try a different cuisine, like Indian food, then Ananda Restaurant is by far the best In the area. The restaurant is nestled in a nice neighborhood in Howard County with a romantic ambiance. Start your evening off with drinks by the fire before you go to your table in the garden area surrounded by lights and big windows. The restaurant is perfect for a group outing, a date or a special occasion. When asked to describe the experience in one word some things that were said were, out the box, delicious, 4.5 out of five stars, love, different and an adventure. The highlights at the table were the lamb and the crab balls along with the many sauces and flavors. You have to be ready for food that is very flavorful, spicy or food that just has a kick. The only downside was the distance traveled for those of us that came from the southern part of PG county.
#fallynsfoodieexcursions
#anandasreastaurant
#indiancuisine

My husband and I eat out 3 – 4 times a week. We dined here tonight and everything we had was so flavorful we decided to rate our top 5 restaurants and this rose to number 1 instantly. The ambiance, service food and drink was superb. I had the sea bass, and he the lamb chops. Our appetizers were crab cakes and a puff pastry filled with pulled lamb, & veggies, partneed with the garlic naan bread.
The flavors lingered after bursting in our mouths, we started planning our next visit before the bill even arrived. If you want great food with an Indian flare visit Ananda

As an Indian cook and reviewer, I believe this review should count as 20 of the other reviews on this page. The ambience and the location was excellent– posh and cozy unlike other Indian restaurants. So we excitedly ordered our appetizers and dishes expecting an epic dining experience. Only one problem I noticed when I walked in– an Indian restaurant with no Indian people in it (except the wait staff). Big red flag. If you see an Indian restaurant with 5 star reviews with all peeps raving about the «chicken tikka masala,» seriously run people!
So the dishes/​drinks we ordered were: the lamb kofta, organic salad, meat (lamb) samosa, butternut squash samosa, caipirinhas, cod curry, shahi lamb korma, Bengan curry, navrathan korma, and malai kofta. We also got onion kulcha, paratha, and some other roti. I don’t know how a chef can be so talented that every single dish he makes tastes like sh*t, but now I know it’s possible! Nothing had salt or spice in it. How do you skip the salt in everything? It’s BASIC STUFF. It’s like not being able to boil water without setting the kitchen on fire. So I after tasting my baby food and telling the waiter that I asked for «hot» spice level, he proceeded to bring some chicken spicy gravy and some cut green chilies in a spinach sauce. All with no salt or flavor of course. I guess it was one of those DIY cook and eat at your table deals and no one told us about it. At one point, my mom blurted out what every single one of us in our party of 7 was thinking: «Is the chef a gora? Who can screw up Indian food this bad!»
At one point I was dumping so much black pepper on my plate that I felt like bursting out laughing. The whole meal was turning into a joke and a waste of stomach space. I was trying to salvage something that couldn’t be salvaged. It felt like George’s Marvelous medicine.
So there you have it: Indian food is not just about throwing spices at something and saying «ooh I like spicy food! Let’s go inhale some chicken tikka masala y’all» It’s about great flavor and taste. And when a cook doesn’t understand basic flavor, then nothing he cooks can possibly be edible. Come for the ambience, order a salad (leaves and an orange slice) like my nephew did and leave. If you want passable Indian food, go to Royal Taj.

Concerning the Lamb dishes (particularly Vindaloo) available, this place is literally as good as it gets. Top that off with great bar tending skills and you have one of the best values of upscaleness in respect to price available anywhere in the DC area.
If you are drinking alcohol it is worth it for you to try their caipirinha, you won’t find a similar experience anywhere in the DC area.

This restaurant is awesome. Roby was my waiter. (I spelled his name correctly). He gave our table great service. The atmosphere was as good as his service. I found out that Binda, the owner grows all of his vegetables on his farm, which makes all of his dishes so fresh. I ordered the Mashli Javery, Its a halibut dish. EXCELLENT!
There’s no sign on this restaurant. All of their business is by word of mouth.
It’s worth every penny!

I like their decoration. It feels sophisticated without overbearing. The service was decent although there was a mistake in my bill. It was corrected promptly. We ordered a couple dishes. My favorite is mango lassi and chicken tikka masala. But the chicken was not nearly as moist/​tender as I had the last time. The flavor is still excellent.
The portion size is small. So I recommend ordering apperizers, naan and sides.
Lastly, I feel the flavors (spice, salt etc) could be turned up a notch. The shrimp, chicken and the vege all taste very mild/​tame, or if put in a nicer way, delicate. As I think back, they taste somewhat the same. I would appreciate some big and vibrant flavors.

This one is for you Carl…
There used to be a time in this country when dining out felt like a much needed escape from the harsh realities of life… A place where you could go and enjoy the comforts of home away from Home… Where the owner greets you as a friend and the wait staff does everything they can to make you satisfied in every possible way… Where you dont just feel like a customer but a guest.
Few restaurants in today’s market can successful pull this off. They’re either too trendy, too crowded, too rushed or too transient and temporary. Amanda is none of those things. It’s a new restaurant that treats you like an old friend. It has the class and charm that restaurants used to have but no longer do. When I walk into ananda I truly feel like I’ve been transported into a time long forgot. Every detail in this establishment feels royal and majestic. The craftsmanship put into this facility is truly awe inspiring. Once you arrive you never want to leave. That is partly due to the superb dishes but more importantly to the personalization that you as a customer receive. I’ve eaten here about 8 times now and I’m already treated like an old Friend rather than a customer. When I first started eating here I would always talk about how much I liked HUM liquor and how I wished Amanda would have it in stock. Low and behold they now have cases in stock. How many restaurants do you know of that would remember to order a certain type of liquor because a certain customer requested it?!
But here’s what makes dining at Amanda so special… His name is Carl. He is the point man between the Amanda’s many delectable creations and you, the guest. He’s the guy that makes us feel appreciated, honored and thankful to live In a country where you can still find and enjoy a restaurant like Amanda. He is charming, sincere, honest and just one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. It’s a joy to come here and speak with him. Plus he’s a superb waiter… The kind of guys in this business that just don’t exist anymore in too many places.
Like I said before the food here is very special. I’ve never really been disappointed in anything. The corn and avocado salad is a refreshing start. The kofta lamb balls are supreme. The lamb saag is equally sublime and the fish tikka is light and full of flavor. The chicken Marsala is also a favorite of mine and the flourless chocolate cake is always a sweet finish.
So What can I say… A Great location, ample parking, incredible waitstaff, owner, and atmosphere. This really is the most beautiful restaurant you will ever done in. Enjoy it as much as We do. Just don’t spread the word too much or we will never be able to get a table ;)!!

This place is absolutely gorgeous and stately without being imposing. There’s a fireplace everywhere you turn (and candles on every table), twinkling little Christmas lights throughout and big, comfortable chairs.
However, I found the food just mediocre, the main room incredibly loud (my throat was almost hoarse at the end of the evening) and the service kind of odd.
We ordered all vegetarian dishes (about $ 15 each): palak paneer, which was very creamy but therefore slightly bland, with chunks of paneer that were too big for my liking; dal makhani, which was fine; bindhi pyaaz, which was more moist than I would have preferred– I thought it would be more dry and roasted. We also got garlic naan, which was pretty good, and a special stuffed naan with goat cheese and cilantro, which was interesting but probably not worth ordering again. The grapefruit ginger sorbet was lovely and super grapefruit-​y, though I didn’t detect much ginger.
We asked for things to be medium spicy, but I detected zero heat in any of the dishes. I find it vaguely insulting when places offer the option for medium, which I expect to have at least the tiniest kick, and then decide to not spice it at all (is it because two of us weren’t Indian?).
Service was weird because I was there with my friend, who is Indian. Our waiter only addressed her the entire night, not asking the other two of us if we needed anything, and even handed the check directly to her instead of placing it in the middle of the table.
If I go back– it was such a beautiful environment– I’ll try to order some meat dishes to see if they are any better, and ask to sit next to a fireplace and not in the big room to see if it might be warmer and less loud.