Trust The Taxi Drivers

The Age

Tuesday November 25, 2008

Matt Preston

REGULAR readers will know I have a bit of a thing for taxi drivers. Not to the extent that I've asked my wife to get a job with Yellow Cabs so she can bring the uniform home - I mean, obviously, she'd look far hotter with Silver Top epaulettes - but it is for their dining recommendations. Luckily, I'm partial to food from India and Ethiopia.

Biryani House's name comes from a homesick Indian doctor but must have a following among taxi drivers as mine takes me there without ever asking for the address. He is, of course, from Hyderabad.

We pull up at a rather basic but bustling halal canteen with close-packed modern tables, wooden floor and a couple of big pictures of the Charminar on the walls. This four-turret edifice stands in the centre of Hyderabad's old bazaar area; very much the icon of the city.

Tonight, my mistake is, once again, to be late. This time for my tennis club's AGM. Missing the president's opening address on the cinematic career of Indian tennis great Vijay Amritraj imaginatively titled Spy ... Doctor ... Space Ship Captain is the least of my worries when I discover the greedy buggers have already eaten the serve of peppery and well-herbed haryali chicken kebab. This is constantly (and rather annoyingly) referred to through the night as "the best dish we've tried tonight - or most of us tried - ha, ha, ha". I have to content myself with the plate of slightly rubbery, deep-fried Chicken65 with curry leaves, a serve of egg puffs, and luqmi, which are like a more refined and less dumpy samosa filled with mince, until the main event arrives. Not happy.

Given the name, it's no surprise we're here for the biryani. The lamb one is best. It is heavily scented with green cardamom pods and the meat the perfect pink, suggesting it's been soaked properly, as is traditional, before being cooked. The rice is separate and light. The chook one comes with a hunk of meat on the bone. It is basic peasant fare, so make like a local and tip the pot onto your plate and pick through to find the meat. Both are perfect with a thin pot of curds with a little fresh ginger, plus a side pot of mirch ka salan mild green chillies stewed in a tangy gravy coarse with what I suspect are ground sesame seeds and nuts.

The breads are pretty good here, too: naans, parathas and phulkas landing on the table too hot to handle. Local knowledge suggests ordering your dum ka when you sit down because this pot of slow-cooked chook takes 40 minutes to prepare. It's also worth noting that - given 24 hours' warning - they'll roast a leg of lamb or topside of beef for special occasions here. Although I am hard pressed to imagine what sort of special occasion might require these basic surroundings - unless it's our next AGM or a celebration to acknowledge that, in qubani meethai, Biryani House actually has an Indian dessert worth leaving space for. It's a dark, jammy concoction of stewed apricots doused with cream. It's very good indeed. As good as the conversation batted over the top of it about whether Vijay's greatest performance was when he beat Rod Laver in the 1973 US Open or his tautly played role in the ninth season of Walker, Texas Ranger.

Biryani House

Where: Biryani House, 343King Street, West Melbourne; 93294323

Prices: Vegetarian dishes, $5-$7.90; meat dishes, $5.50-$9.90; desserts, $2.90-$3.90

MC V Eftpos

Unlicensed

Open: Mon-Thu, 11.30am-10pm; Fri, 11.30am-11pm; Sat, 5.30pm-11pm