Makan spotlight: Biryani

When it comes to bragging rights, the biryani from Bismillah comes with a nod by Anthony Bourdain himself when he stopped by the eatery as part of The Layover, a travel and food series. Soon after, many would flock to Bismillah for a taste of the most 'authentic' biryani in Singapore. The dish is prepared the dum-style so the meat is cooked with the rice and spices – adding an incredible depth to the flavour. Signature dishes at the Michelin Bib Gourmand-approved establishment include the chicken dum biryani (from $7), young mutton biryani (from $12), lamb shank biryani ($22.50), the best selling meat stew, haleem (from $10), and cool it all down with kulfi ($2.50) for dessert. 

There’s no preventing the pong of oil and fried dough clinging to your clothes the moment you step into this grungy shophouse unit. But it’s well worth the smell. Singapore Zam Zam has been serving up its biryani (from $8) and murtabak (from $7) for well over a century, so you can be pretty much assured of getting the legit stuff. 

Zam Zam – its name refers to ‘holy water’ in Arabic – has been an institution in the Kampong Gelam neighbourhood since the Kerala-born Abdul Kadir opened the restaurant there in 1908. The recipes have largely remained unchanged and are great for an indulgence.

So, forget your diet and if it’s biryani you’re after, Zam Zam makes its version of Hyderabadi dum style: the meat is cooked together with the orange-flecked basmati, which makes the rice that much more fragrant. 

Founded in 2017 by chef Govinda Rajan, Mr Biryani is a casual dining restaurant specialising in Hyderabadi style biryani, a regional cooking method of slow-cooking spiced meats together with par-boiled rice. Try this flavourful creation in its signature Hyderabad Chicken Dhum Biryani, where spice-marinated chicken is cooked together with fragrant basmati rice, or sample variants that come cooked with mutton, prawn, paneer, lamb shank and fish. They offer island-wide delivery too.

The decor of Islamic Restaurant is grander than you’d expect of a 95-year-old biryani shop. Then again, its regular patrons included the late presidents Yusoff Ishak and SR Nathan, and even the sultans of Brunei, Johor and Perak – literally providing meals fit for a king. Owner Abdul Rahiman was once the head chef for the wealthy Alsagoff family and his biryani was especially well-loved.

Today, Islamic Restaurant is run by Rahiman's grandson, who still keeps the biryani recipe a secret. While there are six versions of the dish, including chicken, prawn and vegetable ($10-13), the mutton briyani ($11) – with generous chunks of fork-tender meat buried under a mountain of fragrant basmati rice – is the indisputable star. And thankfully, Islamic Restaurant does home delivery, too.