Anise

Iconic fine dining restaurant Sid at The French Cafe has dropped the 'Sid' and moved down the hall to make space for Anise, a restaurant focused on modern pan-Asian cuisine.

Sid Sahrawat and his wife Chand will still be at the helm of this brand-new addition, with the name 'Anise' born out of Sid Sahrawat's first job as a chef in Wellington at the now-defunct restaurant of the same name.

The Sahrawats, alongside The French Cafe's head chef Tommy Hope, have curated an offering filled with the "complexity and depth" of Asian cuisine.

"I've always been a massive fan of contemporary Asian flavours [and] I have always incorporated Asian influences in the fine dining context. I am now looking forward to diving back into the robust flavours of this region and sharing them with our diners," Sid Sahrawat says.

Anise diners can look forward to an array of spicy, smoky flavours incorporated into the carefully crafted menu, starting off strong with the entree course offering buttermilk masala fried chicken sliders and Thai green curry beef rib pies.

The main course features staples like pork belly and duck, finished off with a contemporary Asian spin. Two other stand-outs: the Tiger prawns soaked in a fermented pepper yellow curry and sticky braised beef galbi, a traditional Korean barbecue dish.

Sahrawat has become well known for his restaurants' desserts. His Federal Street restaurant Cassia offers a range of Instagram-worthy treats, and Anise is rolling with the same showcase treats on a dessert menu that stars surprising combinations like cucumber and wasabi, or a mouth-watering banana parfait complete with caramelised white chocolate, black pepper hokey pokey and licorice.

Anise sits within the Sahrawats' new dining hub, which is home to a smaller version of The French Cafe, a bar, a courtyard dedicated to al fresco dining and two private rooms.