This meal at Bismillah Briyani at Little India happened some time ago, but I have no impetus to blog about it until now, until Michelin Guide awarded it its Bib Gourmand.
Huccalyly brought me there because she said it is the best briyani in Singapore. She married an Indian man, and works in an Indian company, so she knows what she’s talking about.
The lamb briyani we ordered costs a whooping SEVENTEEN DOLLARS (I think. It was some time back). Wow. It’s big enough for two persons but I didn’t know briyani could be so expensive.
The server (or maybe owner), who is warm and friendly, explained that they used Australian lamb, and that’s why it’s expensive. Erm… Ok. But what ingredient isn’t imported to Singapore?
Let’s talk about taste. It’s ok. It’s not extremely aromatic, and although the lamb isn’t gamy, it’s not tender and the meat portion is pathetic. It’s middling. I find the rice too dry, and hard to swallow. When I compare this to the briyani I ate at Dindigul Thalappakatti in Chennai, it is a far cry from what a good briyani should be.
I don’t find Bismillah superior to other briyani you can find in Singapore. If I want to eat briyani, I won’t travel all the way to Little India; the one below my block tastes as good.
I understand the reason Michelin Guide picks most of their Bib Gourmand—some times it’s the fame of the shop, some times it appeals to a Western sensibility (not taste)—and Bismillah belongs to both categories. I don’t hate the biryani but it is overpriced and it is not an exemplar of a good briyani.
For other Bib Gourmand’s establishments,
Lagnaa – Indian restaurant
Zaffron Kitchen – Indian restaurant
True Blue – Peranakan restaurant
Kok Sen – Cze Char
New Ubin – Cze Char
JB Ah Meng – Cze Char
A Noodle Story – Singapore-styled ramen, hawker
Chey Sua Carrot Cake
Sungei Road Laksa
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice
Balestier Road Hoover Rojak
Liang Zhao Ji Braised Duck Rice
Bismillah Biryani Restaurant
50 Dunlop St Singapore 209379
11.30am-9.30pm, closed Tue
facebook
T: +65 9382 7937
Outlet: 1 Fusionopolis Link, #01-03 Nexus@One-North, Singapore 138542; +65 9270 7649; M-F 11am-7.30pm, Sat 11am-5pm
Decor/Ambience: NA (kopitiam)
Food: 6.5/10
Value: 5/10
Service: 8/10
Overall rating: 3.25/5
Written by A. Nathanael Ho.
Categories: $0-$20, Bib Gourmand Singapore, Families, Hawker/ Food Court/ Kopitiam, Indian, Little India
Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow 
I ate Bismillah’s signature mutton biryani 5 weeks ago. The taste is overrated. I’ve eaten better biryanis. Although their price is high for a hole in the wall eatery, I would not complain had the biryani tasted better. Bismillah is overhyped.
Bismillah Biryani does not use much ghee because they believe “taste counts but your health matters most”. This is dumb. The truth is that low-fat, low-oil diets are outdated and wrong thinking. The rice in biryani is actually more dangerous to health than ghee or saturated fats. As a start, read the New York Times “A Call for a Low-Carb Diet That Embraces Fat”. In any case, their dish would benefit from more ghee. Also check the FAQ in the Udoerasmus website.
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I didn’t know they use less ghee. No wonder I didn’t like it as much as others. I only like fat food. Haha.
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You’re correct! Without the essential ghee to rice ratio, there is nothing to savour but dry rice? Go to the less expensive places in Lt India for richer biryanis.
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The Sungei Road laksa that you linked is a different one tho. The one that got into the list is in Hong Lim food centre
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I heard the Hong Lim is the outlet, the main stall is at the little india. Do you know if my info is right or wrong?
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The stall at Hong Lim uses the Sungei Road Laksa as a supplier but uses their own recipe. Their fruit mee siam is super good.
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thanks for the info.
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You hit the nail on the head! The biryani there is overblown sensationalism populist rubbish! I’ve had better biryani at Tekka market! Don’t believe the hype, ain’t nothing special.
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