Firing it up at Biryani House, London

Dear friends, for the sake of clarity the use of the word "hot" in this article is meant to represent the burning sensation on your tongue, throat, stomach, (and butt in the later evening) whereas "spicy" is used to denote the amount of spices (marjoram, thyme etc) in the dish.

Back in the day when there were more than a mere handful of Malaysians studying at City University we used to make these spontaneous and crowded pilgrimages to Whitechapel, which sits comfortably at the edge of Zone 2 and Zone 3 of the eastern end of London. Having seated itself thus, Whitechapel only very narrowly avoids being branded as dodgy, or perhaps worse. What then, could possibly coerce a bunch of plump and spoilt Malaysian brats to brave the dangers of Eastern London? Nothing other but the legendary Biryani House and its devilishly hot offerings of authentic Indian food.

Notwithstanding the confused failings of its misspelt name and its perilous surroundings, the Biryani House was quite the popular eatery for us Malaysians. The portions were generous, the food scrumptious, and the prices more than reasonable. Most memorable perhaps, was that due to the scarcity of other patrons (the Biryani House was still relatively unknown back then), few if any reproachful glances were thrown our way when pressing Malaysian issues and arguments were offered and then hurled between our tables halfway across the simple, small restaurant.

Therefore there was little doubt, when Sandee suggested that we bring his cousin Ash to sample the fare there, that I would jump at the opportunity to make the journey. Now, I am not exaggerating when I say that Ash's mother is THE goddess of Indian cooking and we knew that Ash would be hard to satisfy. We were confident, however, that the Biryani House would more than qualify. The Biryani House is about 15 minutes walk from Whitechapel station. As you exit the station cross the road and turn left, persevere and you will eventually see the bright red banner of the Biryani House promising an evening of delicious Indian cuisine and a scorched tongue.

The Legendary Red Banner and the Fail of Spelling

The menu at Biryani is huge and mostly Ala Carte. The closest item resembling a set is the Briyani House Special - compromising of a Chicken Briyani (traditional Indian spiced fried rice with herbs), a poached egg, a vegetable side dish, a piece of Naan (an Indian flat dough normally taken with curries) and a soft drink, all for £7.50 - which I heartily recommend. The House Special shares the menu with other Briyanis, of which you may find the chicken and mutton variety, and a whole host of curry side dishes and other vegetable side dishes. No stranger to the Biryani, me and Ah Seng decided on a House Special with curried potatoes and a vegetable Sag as our vegetable side while both Ash and Leng opted for the ala carte mutton Briyani. Eventually we also decided to order a curry side dish each, and Indian Yoghurts were ordered all around as somewhat of a fire extinguisher should the curries prove to be overly punishing.

Hungry Kean, is Hungry

It goes without saying that the signature dish (if thou shalt be so kind to conveniently ignore the spelling shortcomings of the restaurant owner), the Briyani, was expected to be magnificent.

Chicken Briyani

Unfortunately however, it seemed to be the general consensus among the table that the Briyani was lacking inspiration and shockingly underseasoned. Certainly it was not the mouth watering and generously spicy dish which had so rightly cemented its place in Kean's Hall of Food Fame. The portions were also disappointingly smaller, and the chicken chunks were distressingly too huge for such a fine dish as Briyani. Having said that, the Briyani was still more than decent, and miles ahead of other Indian eateries about London.

On a happier note were the 4 side curry dishes and the curried potatoes. The curried potatoes was a worthy supplement to the Briyani and its dhal (nut sauce) is perfect if you deem the Briyani too dry. The mutton Bhuna (Garlic sauteed mutton curry with onions, tomatoes and herbs) was absolutely heavenly; each bite reminded me why the Biryani was so frequented in past times. The mutton was cooked to perfection, the garlic and onions managed to lend its flavour to the dish without overpowering it. In my opinion few other dishes can represent fine Indian cooking to the level Bhuna at the Biryani has.

Shameless Promotion of the Mouth Watering Bhuna

My dish, the mutton Rogan, was but a carbon copy of the Bhuna, albeit lacking the heavy spices and a tad more hot. Therefore, it was also a delight to the palate and I would heavily recommend it unless you already have another Bhuna dish. Ash's dish, the Sag (Garlic sauteed meats cooked with a generous helping of tasty spinaches) was confusingly inconsistent. The side dish on the table was depressingly lacking in flavour, but a quick taste of Ah Seng's Vegetable Sag brought a smile to Ash's face whereupon he declared it one of the best Sags he had ever tasted.

Finally, what record can be made of the Biryani House without any mention of its legendary dish, the Phal. Firstly, 2 things must be said of the Phal. Firstly, it isn't on the menu, and therefore only the most devoted customers know of its existence at all. I don't even know how its spelt! Secondly, I have not the slightest idea of what Phal is, except that it is evilly delicious and extremely extremely unforgiving on your tongue's heat detectors. An initial tasting of the phal suggests few other ingredients but curry powder. However, once you get past the initial stream of tears and sweat, the true flavour of the phal and its ingredients emerge, making it a unique culinary experience and truly unforgettable.

Hellfire and Phal

In conclusion, the Biryani may have lost some of its impressiveness upon me. However, it is still a whole level above other Indian restaurants in London. The price of the food, a major factor contributing to my decision, is more than reasonable, but the isolation and distance of the restaurant from city centre is somewhat of a balancing factor. Nothing can be said of the ambience, while the restaurant is neat and clean, there is hardly any decor at all. A major redeeming factor is the service. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. In my opinion, the Biryani deserves a strong 7.5 / 10 and is recommended.

Biryani House

100 Mile End Rd,
London.
E1 4UN.

020 7790 7519