There is a little corner in my neck of the woods which always interests me. Every now and then, a little eatery opens up there. And, of course, every now and then, it downs its shutters, too – but nevertheless, while it lasts, it’s good news for us.
This is the Pocket B Market in Mayur Vihar Phase 2, the rather ugly structure that faces you the moment you enter the neighbourhood from the highway (NH 21). This is where Wah ji Wah has been doing a roaring business ever since it opened several months ago, never failing to surprise me about the number of people who seem to enjoy soya products. This is also where, I am happy to note, Roll Club has been doing brisk business. A restaurant called Sigri opened up there, and then shut. I felt particularly sad about Tunda’s, which opened a branch and then wound up soon thereafter.
But hope rises again. The other day, while taking a way in the area, I found that a new eatery had opened up. The name — Biryani Box — interested me. So I went in to have a look at the menu.
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The official address is No. 6, G.S. Arcade, Pocket B Market, Mayur Vihar Phase 2 (Phone: 8587000673). I found a young man there called Salman overseeing the proceedings. The compact place has some chairs and tables inside, as well as some outside the shop. You can see men at work in the kitchen at the back, and some grilling kababs outside.
So where are you from, I asked him conversationally. Turned out he was from Choori Walan in Old Delhi. I quizzed him a bit, asking him about the well-known bawarchis of the area. He said he was related to quite a few of them – including Kallan, who is a real Ustad. Okay, I thought to myself – Salman’s food can’t be bad.
So I asked for a plate of mutton biryani (Rs.300), mutton korma (Rs.200) and chicken seekh kababs (Rs.165). First, let me tell you about the disappointment – the chicken kababs were nothing to write home about. Seekhs need some fat for the taste, and this seemed completely fatless and bland. The meat had been minced too fine, which again took away from the taste. All in all, it was eminently avoidable.
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The korma and the biryani, on the other hand, were rather nice. The korma gravy was thick and rich, and the pieces were ample, well spiced and tender.
The biryani was very good too – the rice had been flavoured so well that you could eat it without the mutton and get all the aromas and taste of a good biryani.
The mutton pieces were large and tender, but I enjoyed the rice so much that I didn’t venture there much.
The menu has lots of other things – mutton keema biryani, mutton roast biryani, egg biryani, tandoori, Afghani chicken and so on. There are some nice rolls and curries, and quite a few vegetarian dishes too.
I just hope Biryani Box keeps the flag flying. We owe it to Kallan Mian.
Rahul Verma is a seasoned street food connoisseur.