BEST PLACE FOR CHICKEN OR LAMB BIRYANI IN OR AROUND TORONTO?

[TanglinBoy]

Has anyone gone to Best Biryani Corner lately? They used to be @ Sheppard/Birchmount and someone told me they moved to Lawrence/Brimley but I can't find them. Are they gone?
Does anyone have a fetish for really good biryani @ a good price and suggest a place?

[Charles Yu]

On a similar topic: Anyone tried the Dungeness crab Biryani at Aravind? Is it reallt THAT GOOD?!

[looking4yummy]

The best lamb and chicken biryani I've ever had here was at restaurant with Nepalese cooks that used to be at the strip with Cooper's Pub at Burnhamthorpe west of Mavis (Mississauga). Unfortunately it closed down, replaced with another Indian restaurant. Wonder where they've relocated to.

[JFoodi]

A lot of good Indian in and around TO... Try Pakcentre (http://www.pakcentre.ca/). They are a little out of the city being at Lawrence and Midland. I was out there for dinner last week and had a very tasty meal. The place was packed (no pun intended). Good food!

[TOchowgal]

I love the Lamb Biryani at Lahore Tikka House (Gerrard - Little India area). I am going to Iqbal in the Don Mills + Eglinton area on Sunday. Will post a review.

-----
Little India
255 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V1Z4, CA

[TOchowgal]

I loved the biryani at Iqbal! I wouldn't say it is the best I've ever had but it is definitely in my top 3. They also have a great deal for $40. It is called a family deal and you get 4 naans, a goat curry, biryani and 4 kababs.

I will definitely go back for my biryani fix and I would putit above Lahore Tikka House's biryani.

[hal2010]

Iqbal is in my neighborhood and they are consistently good, although the service varies from obsequious to surly (more commonly on the surly side) I like their butter chicken, too.

[hungryhog]

Is Lahore Tikka still worth visiting or is there another great Indian in the neighborhood I should try?

[ssainani]

i posted this 3 years ago --> and i still think it's the best place (the National Post agrees)

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/4697...

by far the best Biryani i've found in the gta is in this super small whole in the wall place in scarborough at Danforth and Brimley called 'Ghareeb Nawaz'. They have a location in Chicago which is very famous apparently too. Anyways -- the lamb is only available on the weekends....but the chicken is available everyday and is super cheap and good.

this is no means whatsoever a place to take a date...it's takeout only and and a total hole (albiet with great eats)

[TG101]

Thank you @ssainani - I suggested this place to the op and couldn't remember the name. They had a fire in the kitchen a few months ago and renovated a bit...still a hole though lol.

[Yongeman]

Thanks to ssainani for posting about 'Ghareeb Nawaz' originally. It's very small (one table, more for waiting than eating, I think), but clean enough. I had an excellent chicken biriyani this week...two pieces of chicken (leg and thigh), in a huge styro container of well-seasoned biriyani. Quite delicious, with nice spice and heat, accompanied by a small container of raita. All for $4.00! What a deal.

[Charles Yu]

Went to get a mutton Biryani at Babu this morning. Even at 10.30am the place was already buzzing with customers. At $4.99 for a huge container, I still think its the best Biryani deal in town. Lots of flavouring from the shredded meat, chili and spices used. Comes with three huge chunks of flavourful meat with bones, a whole boiled egg and a small carton of yummy sweet onion/cucumber yogurt salad. Chicken Kurma was pretty delicious too!

[bumblebee_tdot]

There's a place called 786 on gerrard east - its right across from lahore tikka house. Great chicken biryani, the meat is moist and the rice has tons of flavor. Ask for the super spicy to get more of the golden onions and spices. The biryani is $4 on special and $8 regular.

[bumblebee_tdot]

Scratch 786 off the list, it's been taken over by new management. It's now a buffet and no sign of that amazing biryani.

[warlock]

I heard that they had moved to Sheppard and McCowan but I need to verify that.....Let me check with my source....

[TanglinBoy]

Any word from your source on Best Bryani @ Sheppard and McCowan ?

[knusprig]

Have you tried Pakwanji (not sure of spelling), southeast corner of Sheppard/Kennedy, behind Petro Canada. Accessible only from Kennedy. I mostly buy takeout their birjani & butter chicken.

Knusprig

[TanglinBoy]

Thanks. Will check them out. Got a box @ Ghareebs Danforth/Brimley and was very disappointed. Lots of packet flavoured rice, worst was the chicken, 2 small pcs of bony
chicken at least a day old. Can't understand why the Post wrote them up.
I tried Babu's lamb biryani @ McCowan ( S Major Mac.), nice flavour but rice was mushy
maybe I went too late (10:30pm), staff was friendly and offered bits to taste.
I found the Biryani Depots to be the best of the 3, maybe 'cos the chicken was juicy and
tasted freshly cooked, tho' the rice was so-so. Still looking for a place with the
real spices, sure miss Best Biryani Corner, who by the way, is out of business.

[warlock]

Pakwanchi is a disappointment as well........so Best Biryani went out of business?????

-----
Pakwanchi Restaurant
2245 Kennedy Rd, Toronto, ON M1T3G8, CA

[TanglinBoy]

Yes, too bad ,got word from the grocery store nearby. Best Biryani is gone.

[warlock]

If you are willing to make the trip to Missisauga,there are two places that I used to frequent. Eastern Foods and Desi Corner,Easterns Biryani is very similar to Best Biryani's. Desi Corner's Biryani is spicier ,and I prefer them for their Haleem and Nihari....
These two places are 5 minutes from each other

Eastern Foods
3071 Hurontario Street, Mississauga, ON L5A 2G9
[phone]

Desi Corner
40B Dundas Street East, Mississauga, ON L5A 1W2
[phone]

[TanglinBoy]

Thanks.

[TanglinBoy]

Finally got to Eastern Foods today, YES. Much like the defunct Best Biryani,
take-out only, but very well done the old fashion way with all the real stuff.
Rice was superb with home made spices and the chicken was well seasoned.
This is definitely the place to go for good Chicken Biryani.
Many thanks for the lead, will try Desi Corner next and let you all know.

[warlock]

Tried the Biryani today at Hyderabad House,,,,in the same plaza as Silver Spoon in the McCowan and Sheppard Ave area...

http://hydhouse.com/

This is now my go to place...I feared that since the demise of Best Biryani,I would have a tough time finding a replacement...The Biryani from Hyderabad House is actually superior that the Best Biryani one....well seasoned chicken and flavourful rice.....Had the Tala Hua Ghost as well and that tasted just like amazing home made beef curry....
I'm going to try more items from the menu over the coming few weeks...The place is only takeout....
This place is a must try....

[Wahooty]

Do they not have the sign up in the window anymore? I think that whole strip mall is being cleaned out, but they had a sign up a few months ago announcing the new location. It's a shame - they just did a pretty major renovation of the place.

[shakkar]

I think the place is called Biryani depot , its on Steels and Markham Rd, in the strip mall across from Lowes. They serve good biryani too ( large portions and cheap), but it is a take out only.

[Charles Yu]

A few months ago, I drove all the way from Richmond Hill to try out this 'Biryani Depot'. Sure, it was cheap and portion was huge BUT the product tasted really bland ( both meat and rice ). IMO. Babu is way way better! At least in the latter, one can see some of the spices and herbs used in cooking the pilau rice, like bay leaves, cardamom pods etc.

[Charles Yu]

Babu at Major Mac and McCowan has pretty good lamb one. Cheap and huge portion.

[kwong]

Is the Babu at Major Mac at all related to the one on Sheppard, east of McCowan? Or just the same name?

[TorontoJo]

Yes, they are sister locations. Both are listed on their web site:

http://babudelivery.ca/index.php

[TG101]

There's a great little spot at the SE corner of Brimley Rd and Danforth. I can't remember the name but there's a Subway in the same strip plaza. The chicken biryani is only $4 but there are no tables - takeout only.

[TanglinBoy]

Thanks ! Sounds good to me.