After I published my review on Islamic Restaurant on Facebook, a Facebook user commented that Islamic Restaurant is overrated. He suggested that I try out Singapore Zam Zam Restaurant and Bismillah Biryani Restaurant.
I have already tried Singapore Zam Zam Restaurant and now I finally have the chance to visit Bismillah Biryani Restaurant. Let’s see how their briyani compares to Islamic Restaurant’s.
Bismillah Biryani Restaurant’s signboard boasts “probably the best briyani anywhere”, let’s see if it’s really that good.
I was unimpressed by Bismillah Biryani’s, or lack of, interior design. Compared with the grandiosity of Islamic Restaurant, Bismillah Biryani looks very bare.
The ceiling and top of the walls are painted a reddish-brown color while the lower half of the wall is white. Wooden tables are paired with with black-covered chairs.
Air-conditioning and ceiling fans keep the restaurant cool in Singapore’s sweltering tropical heat.
Besides biryani, Bismillah Biryani also has many Indian starters and side dishes worth exploring.
This is the restaurant’s signature Chicken Briyani [S$9] which comes with a boiled egg and a piece of chicken. If one piece of chicken is not enough for you, you can also order Double Chicken Biryani [S$14]. There is also Kid Goat Briyani [S$15], Double Kid Goat Biryani [S$20], Lamb Shank Briyani [S$20], Lamb Chop Briyani [S$20], Grilled Fish Briyani [[S$12.50], Vegetable Biryani [S$8.50], Vegetable Biryani with Egg [S$9] and Tandoori Chicken Biryani [S$15] to choose from.
This is dum biryani where all ingredients are cooked together in large handis sealed with dough or cloth to trap the steam.
The basmati rice is not as soft and fluffy as Islamic Restaurant but it is well-flavored. The only problem is I keep biting on the spices. The chicken is well-marinated but the meat is a little tough.
My favorite drink to have with biryani is Mango Lassi [S$4]. It is essentially mango yogurt, but serving it in bubble tea plastic cups makes it look less appealing. The yogurt drink itself is also tastes a little diluted.
Kulfi [S$2.50] is an Indian dessert that I have not seen before so I decided to give it a try. It is often described as “traditional Indian ice-cream”.
Kulfi looks and tastes like ice-cream but it is much creamier and denser. Unlike ice-cream, kulfi is not whipped, resulting in a solid dense frozen dessert similar to traditional custard-based ice-cream.
After having tried Singapore Zam Zam Restaurant and Bismillah Biryani Restaurant, I can safely conclude that Islamic Restaurant is so far the best both in terms of quality of food and ambience.
You can find the address and opening hours of all Bismillah Biryani Restaurant outlets on their website.
