Hyderabadi Biryani Corner - Biryani Specialists Next To Goodwill in Herndon

[Joe H]

This nondescript storefront, next to a Goodwill store, sits in the armpit of a Herndon shopping center.  We stopped in tonight,  partly because we were starved, partly because everyone of the 20+ seats was filled at 10:00PM.  We spent ten minutes reading the menu which, while in English, had very little meaning to us.  Finally, I told the person behind the counter I was adventurous and loved "flavor."

He asked me if I was "used to" hot food?

I said a manly "yes" and asked what he thought we should order which would be a good representative of Hyderabad Indian cuisine.  He suggested the vegetarian methi paneer, shrimp Chettinad, garlic nan and, for my wife who was leery of everything I was trying to talk her into, tikka masala.

I must mention here that I have eaten my way through the U. K.  Many times.  I once had dinner three nights in a row at Akbar's in Manchester, sharing the third night with the owner of Blackpool Pleasure Beach while her Bentley was parked outside waiting for us.  I've also been fortunate to experience Vineet Bhatia both when he was at Zaika and later in his own two Michelin star restaurant.  I can't begin to count the other dives, storefronts and white table cloth restaurants I've experienced in London and Manchester, certainly including what were suppose to be their best.

Some of Hyderabadi Biryani Corner, amazingly, approaches this level of excellence.

It is also among the most explosively incendiary food I have ever eaten in my life-yet worth my blistering breath.

The garlic naan is the equal of any I have ever had.  Chettinad is a complex curry with layers of flavor.  And, the methi paneer worth crossing the Potomac river to try.  Actually, it may be worth crossing the Atlantic ocean also.

A Herndon storefront.  When you graduate from Rasika and want to know where to go...

[DonRocks]

This nondescript storefront, next to a Goodwill store, sits in the armpit of a Herndon shopping center.  We stopped in tonight,  partly because we were starved, partly because everyone of the 20+ seats was filled at 10:00PM.  We spent ten minutes reading the menu which, while in English, had very little meaning to us.  Finally, I told the person behind the counter I was adventurous and loved "flavor."

He asked me if I was "used to" hot food?

I said a manly "yes" and asked what he thought we should order which would be a good representative of Hyderabad Indian cuisine.  He suggested the vegetarian methi paneer, shrimp Chettinad, garlic nan and, for my wife who was leery of everything I was trying to talk her into, tikka masala.

I must mention here that I have eaten my way through the U. K.  Many times.  I once had dinner three nights in a row at Akbar's in Manchester, sharing the third night with the owner of Blackpool Pleasure Beach while her Bentley was parked outside waiting for us.  I've also been fortunate to experience Vineet Bhatia both when he was at Zaika and later in his own two Michelin star restaurant.  I can't begin to count the other dives, storefronts and white table cloth restaurants I've experienced in London and Manchester, certainly including what were suppose to be their best.

Some of Hyderabadi Biryani Corner, amazingly, approaches this level of excellence.

It is also among the most explosively incendiary food I have ever eaten in my life-yet worth my blistering breath.

The garlic naan is the equal of any I have ever had.  Chettinad is a complex curry with layers of flavor.  And, the methi paneer worth crossing the Potomac river to try.  Actually, it may be worth crossing the Atlantic ocean also.

A Herndon storefront.  When you graduate from Rasika and want to know where to go...

Okay, but Zaika is hardly incendiary, and more like Indique in style than a curry house. No?

Would you call this kick-ass, traditional curry, or modern Indian with a kick? It sounds strongly like the former. Either way, it's certainly intriguing, and let it be known that Joe Heflin discovered this potentially fantastic, previously unknown, Hyderabadi restaurant.

Graduating from Rasika.

[The Hersch]

They have a website. Joe, this sounds intriguing indeed, although without your commentary the website wouldn't have seemed to promise much.

[Joe H]

It really is a dump.  Standing at the counter and looking at the menu, if it had not been for 20 or more people filling every seat at ten at night I wouldn't have given the place a second thought.  Let alone walked in the door.  After we walked in we read the menu over and over not really understanding, not even have heard of some of the dishes.  Frankly, I'd never heard of Hyderabadi Indian before.  Nor had I heard of Balti before eating my way through Manchester's Akbar.  It also never occurred to me that we should order biryani in a restaurant which had this as part of its name.

Sometimes I really don't think.

Don, the best biryani I have ever had was ten or so years ago when Bhatia was still at Zaika and he did a flaky puffed pastry crust on top of his biryani.  My wife still insists it is the best Indian dish of any kind that she has ever had.

But it never occurred to me that we should order Biryani here.

We only had a few dishes although the absolute star was the methi paneer.  Well....the other two were exceptional also.  This just seems like a whole different, more sophisticated level of regional Indian cuisine that D. C. has not had before.  I also believe that there is now a large enough of a native or second generation population that there is now a demand and expectation for something this well done.

I also noted that @ 10:15 when we left not only were the twenty seats still filled but another half dozen people had come and gone while we waited picking up carry out orders.  Remarkable.  I wondered if they had a Rose's Luxury like line out the door at 7:00?

Someone else needs to go.  We also need to go back (and order biryani among other dishes!).  And the methi paneer again.  Exquisitely delicious.

Addendum:  I am not overstating the throat blistering nature of some of this.  I must note that it is worth the burn.

[DonRocks]

Addendum:  I am not overstating the throat blistering nature of some of this.  I must note that it is worth the burn.

Let's discuss this tomorrow.

[plarkins]

Thanks for the post. i knew i'd be miffed about the restaurant selection after deciding to move to Reston last November. But I knew Herndon ethnic food might have a chance to fill that particular culinary hole. I've been to a few other Indian places nearby (Paradise, Angeethi, Karaikudi, Aditti Spice) but haven't been to Hyderabadi. I think  I noticed it at some point but it fell through the cracks. Hope to try this in the coming days.

[Tweaked]

The city of Hyderabad is a known biryani center. Looking at the menu you should try the mirchi ka salan, a chili curry with peanut sauce, also a traditional Hyderabad dish.

[Joe H]

Tomorrow night.  Thanks!

[Rhone1998]

I trekked 40 minutes from DC this afternoon to try this place, and it was worth it.  Tried three different curries, all of which were complex (and tasted uniquely different from one another), but the winner in my eyes is the methi (fenugreek) paneer.  I usually stay away from paneer because its texture is so often off-putting--a chewy/chalkiness that screams being made somewhere else weeks earlier.  But this was tender and fresh-tasting cheese, in an herb-laden, flavorful sauce.  Great stuff.

I didn't love the goat biryani.  It was good, but lacked the depth of flavor in my estimation that the curries had.

Everything was very spicy (without my asking), so fair warning.  Even the butter chicken, which I got for my preschooler thinking it would be tame like most other versions you find, was very hot.  But overall, this was complex, interesting cooking that really felt like it was made with heart.  Great recommendation, Joe.  Do you have any wines that you like? 

[Joe H]

I trekked 40 minutes from DC this afternoon to try this place, and it was worth it.  Tried three different curries, all of which were complex (and tasted uniquely different from one another), but the winner in my eyes is the methi (fenugreek) paneer.  I usually stay away from paneer because its texture is so often off-putting--a chewy/chalkiness that screams being made somewhere else weeks earlier.  But this was tender and fresh-tasting cheese, in an herb-laden, flavorful sauce.  Great stuff.

I didn't love the goat biryani.  It was good, but lacked the depth of flavor in my estimation that the curries had.

Everything was very spicy (without my asking), so fair warning.  Even the butter chicken, which I got for my preschooler thinking it would be tame like most other versions you find, was very hot.  But overall, this was complex, interesting cooking that really felt like it was made with heart.  Great recommendation, Joe.  Do you have any wines that you like? 

Rhone1998, thank you!  Seriously:  thank you for the trek and for trying the methi paneer. I must also tell you that your description of "made with heart" is a wonderful accolade for this place.  Or for any restaurant.  Actually, for any kitchen.

Sincere appreciation for trying this.

Addendum:  on the beer and wine thread you'll note that I have FAR too many opinions about wine including a trip literally a week ago to one of the most heartstoppingly beautiful places I have ever been:  the Kaiserstuhl region along the Rhein river in far southwestern Germany.