Hamdhoon writes here about his quest for the perfect biryani, which finally came to fruition on a visit to Hyderabad, India.
During the COVID lockdown, I spent most of my time on YouTube. Unable to indulge in my greatest pleasure—eating out, I turned to food vlogs to curb my cravings.
Among all the videos, the one that truly caught my attention was famous Indian food reviewer Kripal Amanna’s vlog about Hyderabad’s Bawarchi Biryani.
As a die-hard fan of Biriyani, I found myself drooling as I watched Kripal savor the food and share his reviews.
Hyderabadi Biryani is undoubtedly the world’s number one biryani, and if Bawarchi makes the best Hyderabadi Biryani, it must be incredible, I thought to myself.
Not having the chance to visit Hyderabad, I tried many biryanis from different places around Malé and Hulhumale, pretending they were the one. But none lived up to the standard I had imagined from watching Kripal.
I even went so far as attempting to cook it at home, following online recipe videos, but, in all honesty, I failed miserably.
Late last year, I was invited by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to visit India as part of a delegation of content creators.
Imagine my glee when I saw that the itinerary included Hyderabad! This was my chance to finally taste the biryani!
At one of the pre-departure meetings with the Indian High Commission in the Maldives, the conversation turned to Hyderabad Biryani, which only fueled my excitement.
When we arrived in Hyderabad, I was determined to visit Bawarchi on the very first evening we had free from the official program.
However, I knew there were many fake Bawarchis, and I didn’t want to end up at the wrong one. I carefully researched online and on social media to identify the real Bawarchi and made my way there.
The authentic Bawarchi was located at RTC Cross Road, with two outlets; the original one, established in 1994, and a newer dining area across the street.
Out of our 11-member delegation, eight of us went there. And wow, the place was like a sold-out stadium!
Every table was packed, and long queues of people were waiting for their turn. I had never seen such a lively restaurant. Customers eagerly waited for waiters to take their orders and were even more excited about being served.
The staff were bustling around, taking orders and carrying food. The place felt like a carnival, and I couldn’t help but feel overjoyed watching people enjoy their food and share moments together.
As the person who introduced my friends to Bawarchi, I took charge of ordering. Without even looking at the menu, I confidently ordered chicken biryani and mutton biryani. The wait felt endless—after all, I had been dreaming of tasting this biryani for five years.
I was also a bit nervous because my friends were relying on my recommendation. What if it didn’t live up to their expectations?
Finally, the biryani arrived, and what a treat it was! The word 'delicious' hardly does justice. The rice and meat were perfectly tender and bursting with flavor. Just as Kripal mentioned in his vlog, rice was a textbook example of how it should be cooked. What truly stood out was the subtlety of the flavors. Unlike many biryanis that are overpowered by spices, this one was mild, balanced, and incredibly enjoyable. It also didn’t have chunks of cashews, cinnamon, cardamom, or cloves—ingredients that often discourage kids from enjoying biryani.
It was so good that we ordered extra-large portions, thinking we wouldn’t finish them. But guess what? We ended up ordering even more!
The tandoori chicken we ordered was on another level—smoky, flavorful, and incredibly tender. When recommending Bawarchi, I would now say along with the biryani, don’t miss the tandoori chicken. It’s the best I’ve ever had.
The next day, three more friends tried the biryani, including my friend Ibrahim Maahil Mohamed, who had never been a biryani fan. After tasting it on a friend’s recommendation, he said he loved it and even posted a review on Instagram. That’s how good Bawarchi’s Hyderabadi Biryani is—it can even convert non-biryani lovers.
On this trip, we visited many iconic places, including Charminar, Ramoji Film City, and Golconda Fort, but for me, the highlight was the biryani.
Tasting authentic biryani in Hyderabad felt like eating pizza in Naples, paella in Valencia, or pasta Bolognese in Bologna.
The flavors were exquisite, and the entire experience at the restaurant was incredible. Bawarchi truly embodies the joy of good food.
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