Mr Biryani – Delicious Hyderabad Dhum Biryani & Tandoor in Little India

My group of makan kakis seems to be crazy about nasi biryani. I lost count of the number of times that we met for biryani. And they even brought me to Mustafa to show me the spice brand they use to cook nasi biryani at home. Because they are such big biryani fans, whenever they jio me for a biryani meal, I will make time for it.

Last week, our lunch was at a relatively new restaurant in Little India – Mr Biryani. The owner, Mr Govind, worked as an operations guy in many five-star hotels in Singapore before setting up this eatery. His menu is not extensive, as he just wants to focus on serving the best version of the dish he is familiar with — biryani.

Hence, at Mr Biryani, the biryani is made in traditional Hyderabadi dum style: the ingredients are layered in a pot and steamed together with the lid sealed shut by long strips of dough. Elegantly presented in a classy white bowl, and adorned with cashew nuts and fried shallots, the biryani, which is immensely fragrant and flavourful, is a testament to the virtues of slow cooking.

Among the two biryanis we shared, the Boneless Chicken Biryani ($12) was the standout. Topped with crisped curls of onion, a hard-boiled egg, and cherry tomato, the biryani comes with chicken meat that’s been cooked in biryani masala. Juices from the tender and intensely-spiced meat made the rice so moist that you need only a dab of raita. It held up well against the mirchi ka salan, a light curry coating the jewels in its depths.

Mr Govind recommended their popular Lamb Shank Biryani ($18) but we chose the Boneless Lamb Biryani ($14) instead. Just like what went on with the chicken biryani, each spoonful unearthed new treasures — golden raisins, cashews and an abundance of cilantro — which announced their freshness. The rice was tasty, springy, and not clumpy. Unfortunately, the lamb suffered from a lack of moisture towards the middle. Perhaps, I will go for the lamb shank next time. Nevertheless, both biryanis were satisfying.

I don’t think I have tasted much of Hyperadad biryani to be a good judge but Mr Biryani’s version was light but fragrant. The biryanis came piping hot and the portion was substantial enough to feed more than 5 of us. (But of course, the hefty helpings of carbs didn’t help me soldier through the day in the office.)

To accompany our biryani, we ordered Brinjal Pachadi ($7) and Bhindi Palli Fry (not on the menu yet). Both were excellent and armed with a pleasant smokiness that was not overwhelming. The spices were aromatic and the nuts added a contrast in texture to the vegetables.

The Butter Chicken Masala ($10) was astonishing in its richness and depth of flavour. The yogurt-and-spice-marinated chicken sat in a velvety red bath scented with garam masala, cumin, and turmeric. The chicken had a lovely caramelized flavour, and the gravy worked wonderfully with their butter naan ($3.50).

As I sat in the restaurant during their busy lunch hours, I realized that the diners here are predominantly Indians. It shows that Mr Govind is doing something right. Plus Mr Govind was incredibly pleasant and even taught us how to enjoy eating Indian cuisine. What blew us away was the special masala chai tea that was served at the end of the meal.

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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