Best biryani on Devon

Which place on Devon has the best biryani these days?

And is there any place in the western suburbs that has good biryani?

Hi,

What is your favorite Biryani to date?

Regards,

This is a topic I heartily encourage.

My usual go to for biryani on Devon is Sabri. However, their's is best eaten-in and earlier in the evening when still fresh. When its on point, its full of caramelized bits and a beautiful kaleidescope of yellow and white rice.

Habibi wrote:This is a topic I heartily encourage.

My usual go to for biryani on Devon is Sabri. However, their's is best eaten-in and earlier in the evening when still fresh. When its on point, its full of caramelized bits and a beautiful kaleidescope of yellow and white rice.

I'm just getting to know the "new" Sabri Nihari location after a few years away pre and post fire, and think this is a good choice. I have friends who think the mutton biryani is closest to home cooking now that Bhabi's is gone, and they get major points from me for the abundance of crispy onions. A few other dishes like the seekh fry swimming in butter and the signature nihari are indulgent enough to keep my interest even though I usually prefer my meats drier to contrast more with the stewed vegetables (has anyone had the chicken charga at the new location?)

Sabri Nihari
2502 W. Devon Ave., Chicago
Tel: (773) 743-6200

We attended a well-catered event in Lombard from a Sabri Nihari there which I understand to be related, not sure about their setup or hours at this location:

Sabri Nihari
530 East North Avenue
Lombard
(630) 792-8839

I always liked the one at Hema's (I believe I had the lamb and goat) but that place seems to be pretty polarizing. I remember I got it the first time and forgot to ask them to make it mild, and after I used my first napkin to wipe my tears, the waiter stood there with a shit-eating grin saying "Hot, huh?"

www.hemaskitchen.com
2439 W Devon Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60659
(773) 338-1627

My favorite biryani on Devon is actualy not biryani at all. It's the Frontier Chicken Rice at Khan BBQ.

I have usually liked the biryani at Ghareeb Nawaz but not tried too many other places.

I've always liked the biryani at Zaiqa (858 N. Orleans). I prefer this even over the biryani I had in India. It is drier, much more textured, and more fragrant than biryani I have had anywhere else. I don't know if this is a specific style or just something that happens to suit my tastes.

I like Zaiqa's best too.

Ghareeb Nawaz. Always quality. Always cheap. More veggie biryani than I can eat in one sitting and naan for $2.50! <-- Best place to take someone out to lunch.

IMHO a true Biryani must be Goat - otherwise it is Blasphemy, not Biryani.

The best true Biryani on Devon is, IMHO, at Usmaniya. Sabri's is good too, and Ghareeb Nawaz' is tasty (but, it being the cheapest, they skimp on the meat - which lowers their quality, a true biryani must have as much meat as rice). But if I have one choice for biryani, Usmaniya is where I go.

c8w

What about Hyderabad House?

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1911

I'm not fond of the Hyderbad House biryani, I find its low proportionately on meat & I think its lamb, rather than goat too, which I prefer.

I do like the biryani at Zaiqa too, on the rare occasions I remember its there rather than stopping at Baba's Palace (basically because its closer to where I live).

stevez wrote:My favorite biryani on Devon is actualy not biryani at all. It's the Frontier Chicken Rice at Khan BBQ.

I tried this today, seeing as I was looking for a filling/cheap lunch, but I like Hyderabad House's biryani better. Granted, I'm not a huge biryani fan in general, because rice is more of a filler to me that I try to minimize. My favorite rice dish is the palau at Kabul House.

Khan is doing biryani on the wkends as a special. Think sat is chicken and sunday is lamb. They teased me w/a little one day that was quite excellent.

It's not on Devon, but the best biryani I've had in chicago (several times) is Tabaq (if you can catch them when they have it freshly made). Devon options are Sabi or Usmania but those are hit or miss.

Tabaq
1245 N Clybourn Ave
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 944-1245

Jazzfood wrote:Khan is doing biryani on the wkends as a special. Think sat is chicken and sunday is lamb. They teased me w/a little one day that was quite excellent.

Went twice for Sunday goat biryani, I believe Khan says goat. First time terrific, second time gone by 9pm. Chicken boti, dal fry and paratha hit the spot though.

Khan Biryani





I'm also a fan of Shan's Biryani.

Shan Biryani



Khan B.B.Q
2401 W Devon
Chicago, IL 60645
773-338-2800

Shan
5060-A N. Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL. 60640
773-769-4961

I stand corrected. It was goat @ Khan. Haven't been to Shan forever. Just fell off my radar. Need to go back soon

What is that gets the two-tone rice color? I'm a relatively recent devotee of Biryani (Shahi Nihari in Villa Park does a pretty good job), and I'm trying to understand the basics...

Saffron, if you're lucky. Food coloring if you're not.

G Wiv wrote:
I'm also a fan of Shan's Biryani.

Shan Biryani



Shan
5060-A N. Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL. 60640
773-769-4961

I wish I would have seen this pic of pretty biryani at Shan before my maiden lunch voyage there last week. I should have known better that biryani is the superior dish to pulao, but the goat pulao was on special and who am I to turn down goat. There was enough spice to the rice not to call it a total wash, but the meat was spent and hardly tasted like anything, pretty much a one note dish. Other dishes made up for this mis-order. A spiced up chicken haleem, while deemed unorthodox by my dining companion, was eminently scarf-able. Elementally simple bitter green saag and pleasantly greasy paratha rounded things out.

It's funny all this Shan stuff is coming up. Perhaps you all were stymied traffic wise as me--I was in that area last week on business in the AM, planned on pho but then could not turn left onto Argyle. Next thing I know, there's Shan a-callin'. That all said, my breakfast was pretty ick. I over-ordered, getting the halwa puri AND a meat parantha. On a table of puri, halwa, chick peas masala, potato masala, and bread stuffed with burger, not a single element was enjoyable. You would think halwa a bullet-proof dish, yet this one was just too old, breaking into congealed chunks instead of smooth pleasure. The puri were greased from multiple fying, and adding insult, probably multiple frying earlier, what I got probably nuked. The vegetables, needless to say, insipid. Between once living around the corner from this place, and the chowathons, Shan has an awful lot of goodwill in my bank. This meal, though, made a huge withdrawal.

Vital Information wrote:Shan has an awful lot of goodwill in my bank. This meal, though, made a huge withdrawal.

VI,

Surprising, I've been 4-5 times in the last 6 months and thought Shan hitting on all cylinders.

Vital Information wrote:The puri were greased from multiple frying, and adding insult, probably multiple frying earlier, what I got probably nuked.

I dig Shan's halwa puri, here is a recent picture which hopefully speaks 1000 words toward your dismal puri being an unlucky anomaly.

Shan Halwa Puri



How you feel about Shan is how I currently feel about Ghareeb Nawaz

Shan
5060-A N. Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL. 60640

Ghareeb Nawaz
2032 W Devon Ave
Chicago, IL 60659

If possible I would like to bring this back from the dead and ask
What is the best biryani currently on Devon? Lamb biryani especially?
A lot can change in 6 years!

Keeping in mind that Biryani comes in a staggering variety of regional, cultural, and national variations, I'll offer that Hyderabad House does a pretty spot on Hyderabadi Biryani - intensely spicy from red chili, sour from tamarind, and fairly light on the stronger aromatic qualities of some other Biryanis (e.g. Awadh/Lucknow Biryani and other Biryanis of India's North which often feature strong rosewater, saffron, cardamom, mint and other flavors).

Hyderabadi Biryani basically adapts the Mughal Biryani (itself a dish with Persian roots) to the local Telegu tastes; again, spice, sour, salt. Hyderabad House's Biryani, to me, is a pretty accurate simulacrum of the city's famous Biryani chain Paradise Biryani. Personally, I found Paradise's Biryani to be fairly middling compared to other Biryanis in Hyderabad (see Shah Ghouse or Hotel Nayab), but still damn good. And in Chicago, great.

Making HH's version especially authentic and delicious are the inclusion of the traditional Hyderabadi accompaniments: most often mirch ki salan (peppers in tamarind/peanut masala) or just salan (masala minus the peppers) and of course raita (yogurt sauce). I'd opt for the goat/mutton version. Chicken Biryani is for suckers and fake vegetarians who are afraid of red meat.

I also love Ghareeb Nawaz's Biryani, also prepared more or less in the typical Hyderabadi style with the same accoutrements.

I'd love to hear if anyone has any recs for Kolkata Biryani (an exemplary Northern Biryani with tons of aromatics, still spicy, and spiked with egg and potato), Lucknow Biryani (the king of Biryanis in India according to me) and Kerala Biryani (again, showing how Biryani adapts to its local cuisine - in this case loaded with local favorites coconut milk, powerful cinnamon and clove, and often made with seafood).

Bismillah on Ridge used to make a great generic Mughal style Biryani, but I think they are closed.

For non-South Indian variations, try Zorbian at Yemeni or Somali places, Kapsa or Maqlouba at Middle Eastern places, or Pulao at Afghan or Persian places.

Habibi wrote:Bismillah on Ridge used to make a great generic Mughal style Biryani, but I think they are closed.

They didn't close, they moved:

2510 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL 60659
Wednesday Closed
Thursday 12–11:30PM
Friday 1PM–12:30AM
Saturday 1PM–12:30AM
Sunday 12–11:30PM
Monday 12–11:30PM
Tuesday 12–11:30PM

I haven't dined there yet, but it is not as humble a setting from looking through the windows.

Regards,
Cathy2

I went to Shan today with a friend. My friend lived in Kashmir for a year, so there's that.
I found Shan to be absolutely terrible. The Chicken Makhani was extremely bland. The Aloo Gobi was on the bad side of mediocre. The biryani was unloved and uninteresting.
Friend agreed.