A shame on the hoteliers in Cochin (I can’t say for the rest of Kerala) that the status of biryani in our fair city is pathetic. Once upon a time, which is just 10 plus years ago, you could be assured of being served a very good biryani at a lot of restaurants in the city. However the trend has become that what you get when you order a chicken biryani is cheap quality boiled basmathi rice with a few cinnamon sticks, a clove or two and chicken masala or chicken roast that has been cooked separately and then hastily added to your plate over the rice. Add in an egg and then they charge you a minimum of Rs. 130-150 for the dish! Highway robbery!
Back in the mid to late 90s I have tasted so many really good, well prepared chicken biryanis. There was a small restaurant in Ravipuram, which is where NIIT is, called Tima where a bunch of us would opt to have lunch at regularly. The choice almost every 4 or 5 days would be biryani and we would order Tima’s chicken biryani which they served with little chopped up pineapples to offset the spiciness of the masalas. Wow, they had a good biryani and yet there were a really small, low brow place. Many other places have good variety of biryani. But as I have stated early in January, what we get now is a bland mix of stuff.
Even Ceylon Bake house, once certain to give you good biryani paled in comparison to what they used to serve. Thin pieces of chicken that tasted like they were just dipped in boiling water and mixed with some gravy. I’ve tried them at Velocity & Coffee Beans – they don’t make the grade! Atleast Sea Park in Kalamassery had a decent Hyderabadi Dum Biryani which I really liked and had on many occasions during the 4 years that I worked in an office near it. I can’t remember the last place that I have had a decent biryani since 2006 other than Sea Park. It was so bad that for the last couple of years I have opted not to try biryanis unless someone else is also having it.
It is my intention to try out the biryani’s in a few places that people have suggested to try them out. I will go in with a little hope and wish for the best. There has to be some decent ones out there. Anyone in Cochin who is reading this, please give me your suggestions for a good biryani place.