[Fordmanchau]

Originally Posted by NoRules

One of the major issue I have with the chicken biryani of popular biryani joints like Paradise, Bawarchi, Bahaar, Astoria & Dine Hill is that the chicken pieces are very big and chicken is the kind of meat that does not cook through and through. Only the top layer gets some masala and inside it is completely bland because the masala does not seep through. .

Originally Posted by mobike008

As you rightly said the meat isnt cooked entirely and i dont like the white color of the meat too much.

Chicken being white meat does not have the characteristics to absorb the masala and flavours completely through and through. The flavours doesn't seep inside the meat, it remains only till the surface and very little inside.
For masala's to be soaked thoroughly it needs to marinated first by making a slight incisions on the meat and then pouring a little vinegar/lemon juice or soaking the meat in curd for sometime. This also makes the chicken meat a little more juicy and tender and also allows the flavour to be absorbed well.
All these biryani outlets make biryani in bulk and I am sure they won't have the time to marinate it at all.

The mutton biryani will taste better than the chicken biryani because of it's meat content. As mutton being a red meat absorbs the flavour nicely into itself.
This is the reason why you will find that mutton cooked and eaten after sometime will taste better than mutton cooked and eaten hot straight out of the stove.
Mutton soaks the masala and flavour over time.

[NoRules]

Originally Posted by mobike008

I went there once and had their NV biryani and didnt like it. Never mustered the courage to visit them again. We Hydeez are spoilt with too many choices

I went there when it was newly opened, with a large group of friends and families. For the kind of money they charge I felt the food was not upto the mark. Paya was good though. But my kids love the haleem of PP and make me get it for them atleast 5-6 times every season.

Originally Posted by mobike008

When are you inviting the hydeez foodie bunch for your home cooked biryani??

Will plan something soon, may be in September.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Blue Fox is my favorite restuarant. There is not a dish they can go wrong with. I always had mutton biryani. Will try chicken too next time. Btw, their prices for biryani has touch the roof. I think it's around Rs.280 for a plate.

Since i moved from Domalguda to Banjara Hills, this is one place I really miss. They serve the best (Indian) Ginger chicken I tasted at Hyderabad. Blue Fox was as it is expensive earlier and I heard they have become even more expensive in recent past. 280/- for a biryani, however good it is, is a rip off.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Been to "Zurna" on sunday evening to take-away their platter after seeing so much appreciation for same.

Do they also serve or is it only a take away?

Any one tried out AlFaham, a new place opened at Masab Tank, just before Dine Hill?

[SILVERWOOD]

Originally Posted by NoRules

Do they also serve or is it only a take away?

A take away as of now, will start serving in 2 weeks time.

[roadie_swift]

Dear foodies in Hyderabad, thank you so much for this thread. Today was my first visit ever to Hyd, and my day was totally made! Had some awesome biryani at Four Seasons in Tolichouki, followed by Qubhani ka meetha. Thought it to be out of this world.

Actually I came here, and realized I didn't have anyone to call and find out where I can get some good Biryani. And then suddenly I remembered this thread - this compilation is actually a life saver for newbies in Hyd. Thanks so much, once again.

This time I unfortunately have only one day to spend here, but i'll be back next month, and will try to get some more expert opinions from you guys.

Cheers,
R_S

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by roadie_swift

Dear foodies in Hyderabad, thank you so much for this thread. Today was my first visit ever to Hyd, and my day was totally made! Had some awesome biryani at Four Seasons in Tolichouki, followed by Qubhani ka meetha. Thought it to be out of this world.

Dear Sir,

Four Seasons is not what the Hyderabadi Food Connoisseurs advice .

Enjoy!

[roadie_swift]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Dear Sir,

Four Seasons is not what the Hyderabadi Food Connoisseurs advice .

Enjoy!

I know sir. However, it has at least had the honor of being mentioned in this thread, which, along with the time, mobility and location constraints, made it the most feasible choice.

And fortunately, since I came here for the first time, I thought the biryani to be good, though the food connoisseurs here may not find it too nice.

I'll make sure to get better guidance next time, and hope my gratitude was not misplaced.

Cheers,
R_S

[SILVERWOOD]

Originally Posted by roadie_swift

Had some awesome biryani at Four Seasons in Tolichouki, followed by Qubhani ka meetha. Thought it to be out of this world.
R_S

Try biriyani at Shah Ghouse, Opp Yusuf Tekri (the complex which houses four seasons et all).

Try Haleem before you leave for Bangalore.

[ranjitnair77]

I've moved to Hyderabad recently and here is my take on some of the restaurants here.

Indian Food.

Rubaiyat at Cyber Pearl, Hitec City.
Nice decor but the lighting seemed excessively dim. The service was polite and prompt. The food was pretty good with the Almond soup being the standout dish. It was moderately expensive so you can expect to pay around Rs.700 per person. I peeked into Nautanki Gali which is adjacent to Rubaiyat, but gave it a miss as it seemed excessively noisy.

Shaadab at Mir Chowk, Charminar.
Good biryani, probably the best I've had at Hyderabad so far. My only quibble would be that the biryani seemed to have a disproportionate amount of rice as compared to mutton and I'm not much of a rice eater. The khubani-ka-meetha was to die for and we ate bucketloads of it. The place has a very crowded, old city feel but it's fun. Expect to spend around Rs 200 a head here.

Fusion 9 at Road no 1, Banjara Hills.
Sunday buffet lunch was expensive at Rs 1000 a head (drinks extra). The food was generally insipid. They had a big selection of Indian and Western cuisine. The deserts were not too bad. The decor did not reflect the price as the restaurant is located in a fairly ramshackle building. The interiors did not let in enough natural light. I guess I just prefer restaurants that keep it simple and have big windows with lots of light coming in.

Deori, Ista Hotel, Gachibowli.
Lovely ambiance if you can get a table outside. You can sit by the lawn and look out. The food was very average overall although the bartender can mix a mean Mojito. Quite expensive so you can expect to pay Rs 1500-2000 per head, inclusive of drinks.

Ella Suites and Hotel, Gachibowli.
The ambiance is not too bad if you can get a table by the window. The buffet lunch was very average with no standout dish. I would personally avoid the place as it doesn't have anything going for it.

Our Place, Banjara Hills.
Quaint place with a lot of character. You can sit outside (yaay !). You are surrounded by lots of trees and plants and honking geese. The food is pretty decent too. Recommended.

Punjabi Rasoi, Gachibowli.
Good north Indian food and they don't skimp on the masala. Their service is efficient and the home delivery is always on time. It is a great option for the folks who live near the Hitec-Gachibowli area.

Italian.

Via Milano, Jubilee Hills.
Lovely place with a nice decor and with big windows to watch the traffic go by. The food has been a little inconsistent but mostly good. They have a great selection of drinks with the Fidel Castro (a Mojito variant) being the standout. Expect to spend Rs 1000 a head here. I go to Via Milano all the time.

Little Italy, Film Nagar, Jubilee Hills.
Probably better in terms of food as compared to Via Milano but it is vegetarian and drinks are not served. The ambience is pretty nice and you get a lovely view of KBR park and the surrounding area if you reserve a corner table. The service is inconsistent but manageable. Highly recommended.

Breakfast.

Ruci and Idoni, Banjara Hills.
Supposedly famous for its English style breakfast (eggs, toast, bacon etc) but very disappointing. The eggs were cold, the juice was canned (no fresh juice), the service was horrible. I've been here thrice with the same poor food and service. Avoidable.

Chutneys, Jubilee Hills
Great South Indian style breakfast place with an outstanding steamed dosa and Guntur idli. They also have six different chutneys served with every meal. Wonderful coffee. I go here very often.

Minerva Coffee House, Jubilee Hills.
It's usually a toss up between Chutneys and Minerva and it's hard to choose. Chutney's probably serves a better dosa and Minerva serves a better idli. The filter coffee is to die for. I go here very often.

Others.

So Restaurant, Above Little Italy, Jubilee Hills.
They serve a mix of Italian, Lebanese and other miscellaneous things and don't serve alcohol. I went there for dinner, just after a downpour and they seemed to be badly prepared. The plates and glasses were dirty. It was mostly outdoor seating so there was water everywhere. The service was chaotic. The food was insipid and we left very quickly. The restaurant has potential but they are just not ready yet.

Republic of Noodles, Lemon Tree Hotel, Hitec city.
Outstanding east Asian food with great service and a nice cozy ambiance. Everything I've eaten here has been great. It is a touch expensive at Rs 1000 a head and they don't serve alcohol. Highly recommended.

[kkr2k2]

Originally Posted by mobike008

......
Blue Fox is my favorite restuarant. There is not a dish they can go wrong with. I always had mutton biryani. Will try chicken too next time. Btw, their prices for biryani has touch the roof. I think it's around Rs.280 for a plate.

Blue fox is one of my favourite restaurants for Mutton Biryani. In fact its the only restaurant (apart from Hai-King for Chinese) which my dad would want to go.

As for the cost, well most of the times we went to Blue-fox was during lunch for family get-togethers. So Biryani is ordered in the last after all the starters / soups / rotis and chapthis. So it comes to 3 people having a plate of Biryani!!


PS: The mirchi bajji(please dont ask me to type in English for this!!) from minerva(Himayathnagar) is another of our family's favourite. Its been quite some time we had it from there. I guess I shall be getting it today in the evening. If I remember correctly, it is served between 6pm and 7pm ONLY!!

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by NoRules

Since i moved from Domalguda to Banjara Hills, this is one place I really miss. They serve the best (Indian) Ginger chicken I tasted at Hyderabad. Blue Fox was as it is expensive earlier and I heard they have become even more expensive in recent past. 280/- for a biryani, however good it is, is a rip off.

I beg to differ here Sirji. There was a place called "Broadway Restuarant" above Abids Chermas. One of the best fine dining restuarants in Hyderabad.

They served the best ginger chicken in Hyderabad and probably the best Ginger Fish in the whole world. My uncle who was a U.N diplomat and who travelled abroad covering every country in the world use to say " I never tasted such a good fish ( Ginger Fish) anywhere in the world"

Unfortunately, that place got burned down and Hyderabad lost a great dining place.

Originally Posted by ranjitnair77

I've moved to Hyderabad recently and here is my take on some of the restaurants here

Nice take on those places. Keep updating this thread with your experience. Cheers !!!

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

Blue fox is one of my favourite restaurants for Mutton Biryani. In fact its the only restaurant (apart from Hai-King for Chinese) which my dad would want to go.

PS: The mirchi bajji(please dont ask me to type in English for this!!) from minerva(Himayathnagar) is another of our family's favourite. Its been quite some time we had it from there. I guess I shall be getting it today in the evening. If I remember correctly, it is served between 6pm and 7pm ONLY!!

Thats right ! They are available only during those times and I had it many times but, I still like the ones from a place in Abids which is a small pushcart.

Now you reminded me of Bluefox, Will go this weekend and relish their biryani.

Have plans to eat lunch at "Pebbles" on Sunday afternoon. Want to join? I can holler from the restuarant and you can come over....

[NoRules]

Originally Posted by mobike008

I beg to differ here Sirji. There was a place called "Broadway Restuarant" above Abids Chermas. One of the best fine dining restuarants in Hyderabad.

They served the best ginger chicken in Hyderabad and probably the best Ginger Fish in the whole world. My uncle who was a U.N diplomat and who travelled abroad covering every country in the world use to say " I never tasted such a good fish ( Ginger Fish) anywhere in the world"

Unfortunately, that place got burned down and Hyderabad lost a great dining place.

Never been there. Infact this is the first time I am hearing about it. Mind you, I am living in Hyderabad only from 1995. So my knowledge could be limited to the places post-1995.

Must have been an awesome restaurant if a world-traveller rated it as the best he ever been to.

[sr912m]

Guys ,
I am attaching a pic of Sarvi Takeaway flier. The offer is valid from 24th Aug - 6th Sep and only at Banjara Hills location (not sure if there are other Sarvi outlets in Hyd).

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by sr912m

Guys ,
I am attaching a pic of Sarvi Takeaway flier. The offer is valid from 24th Aug - 6th Sep and only at Banjara Hills location (not sure if there are other Sarvi outlets in Hyd).

Tempting offer for a biryani meet. Btw, saw this advertisement in TOI yesterday.

[bblost]

The Family Pack is good enough for 4 adults.
Do ask for extra "mirchi ka salan".

The Phirni (milk based desert) is also quite good. Its served in a earthen container.

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Tempting offer for a biryani meet. Btw, saw this advertisement in TOI yesterday.

However good their Biryani might be, the service is absolutely horrible and the guys extra rude. I would think twice before buying Biryani from there