Shaik Muhammad Dham Briyani

Shaik Muhammad Dham Biryani has recently opened in my hood as as the name suggests, they sell the Indian Muslim kind of briyani and the menu only has two options, mutton or chicken. I got the chicken option ($6) and it comes with an ayam masak merah, chicken in spicy tomato sauce, with a bed of basmati rice, pickled achar and a bowl of dhal. Hearty portions and flavour packed that will hit you with a food coma very quickly.
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✨ Shaik Muhammad Dham Biryani
📍 929 Tampines Street 91, NamWah Coffeeshop, Singapore 520929
🍴 [Self Funded]

While the chicken was dry, it was full of flavour and the gravy it was cooked in was delicious, noticeably different from the usual. Extremely savoury, slightly sweet but not too spicy, it complemented the chicken really well. Rice was extremely fluffy while the curry had a full body from the chickpeas, and it was more tangy than savoury. While it may appear mild at first, there's this heat which burns the back of your throat. Definitely the best briyani I've had by far if only the chicken was remotely tender. Hopefully it's because it's the end of the day and it tastes much better when it's freshly cooked. Do note that their closing time vary wildly from 1pm to 4pm depending on the business. For me when I arrived at 3pm there were only 2 packets left and he was preparing to close.

P.S. the portion is huge tho, good enough for 2

Recommended by a Grab driver to Tastemaker Zul Latiff, the Nasi Biryani Ayam ($5.50) at Tampines Street 11 is, according to Zul, "a full-bodied biryani that eclipses virtually other renditions that I've had, maybe with an exception of one or two". It is also possibly the best biryani in Tampines in his books. This Halal chicken biryani ticks all the right boxes — the long-grained basmati rice and curry are both really fragrant and deliciously seasoned, and then there's the chicken, which is redolent with spices from the rice and is what Zul describes to be "tender to a fault". We're sold.
Avg Price: $5 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Zul Latiff

[Halal] Under normal circumstances, you’ll never catch me having a plate of Nasi Briyani to myself. Not that I have anything against it, but it just feels like a dish suited for grand occasions, namely weddings. Yet, here I am, trying Shaik Mohamad’s Nasi Briyani Ayam ($5.50) after a Grab uncle recommended and lauded this. So how does it fare?

It was actually very good. Now I know briyanis aren’t exactly gourmet or anything to critically assess, but really there are a couple of things about this that are worth mentioning. The long-grain basmati rice and the curry were both so fragrant and deliciously seasoned with flavour, that they were essentially a crime. And the huge piece of chicken that came along with it…holy. The meat was tender to a fault and carries some of the spices that were cooked with the cauldron-size pot of rice which made it incredible. In short, this was a full-bodied briyani that eclipses virtually other renditions that I've had, maybe with an exception of one or two.

My only gripe though is with the smell. Forgive me, for I personally find it hard to stand even a whiff of lamb and mutton. They are notorious for having a pretty pungent, hot rubber-like smell, which was quite detectable in this. If you’re like me and find it difficult to tolerate, you might actually be convinced by that alone to give it a miss, but trust me – don’t be quick to dismiss it because as the old adage goes, smells can be deceiving…right? (8.2/10)

-- Operating Hours --
Mon: Closed
Tues - Fri: 11am (until sold out)
Sat - Sun: 12pm (until sold out)