My ongoing quest to find the best Dum Biryani in Singapore led me to Anjappar Restaurant at Race Course Road. Anjappar Singapore is the local franchise of an Indian Restaurant Group famed for serving authentic Chettinaad cuisine and has many overseas branches. They do serve a whole range of different kinds of Dum Biryanis including more exotic ones like Quail and Turkey Biryani.
To be objective and to have a better comparison with the competitors, I had to try the Mutton Biryani first.
It came in a familiar serving method (see above), with the rice and meat and hardboiled egg all in a metal bowl.
I emptied the contents onto a plate for more convenient consumption. I discovered the mutton came in bite sized chunks (as below).
Most important, how was the taste? I don't know if it is because I had high expectations after hearing from friends and colleagues who frequent the place and sing the praises of how good the food is, but I was kind of disappointed. The mutton meat wasn't very tender and was on the chewy side. And to me at least, it didn't taste as if the meat chunks were really cooked together with the rice. The saving grace was the rice which was slightly moist and nicely spiced: slightly salty and you can taste the different kinds of spices as if they were layered. A Biryani Rice done in a different style from its competitors and which is more complex. Overall though, it is still a very good meal.
I discovered a new dish which we ordered based on the waiter's recommendation which is worth mentioning : Golden Crab!
Normally I don't order seafood dishes in Indian Restaurants because I usually concentrate on the meat dishes but this was a welcome discovery. The crabs were covered in a golden brown paste which is spiced to whet the appetite. I'm not very good with spices so I can't tell you what spices are used but just know that it complements the crabs very well.
Taste Verdict: I give the Mutton Dum Biryani 3.5 stars out of 5 just on the basis of the rice. Pity the mutton meat was not tender else I could have given a higher score. It is priced at S$12 per portion which is not exactly cheap. How does it compare to Bismillah Dum Biryani or Al-Azhar Eating Restaurant's Dum Biryani? It stands out with its own identity but for now at least , I still feel Bismillah edges ahead of the other two. The Golden Crab is a good discovery! Will definitely be back to try other dishes of theirs.
Where: 76-78 Race Course Road, Little India Conservation Area
Opening Hours: (Daily) 11.30am–3.30pm, 6.30pm–10.30pm
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