First One Sahi Biriyani

Our little shop is right on Dum Dum Road in Motijhil. It’s on the ground floor, so it’s easy to step in from the street. We are quite close to the Commerce College, so we see a lot of students every day. Kolkata is famous for food, and we wanted to do our part with biriyani. We spent a lot of time getting the spice mix right. It’s not too oily. We cook in big pots and when it’s finished, the whole street smells like it. Sometimes we run out early if the crowd is big. The seating is basic, just tables and stools, but it’s clean. My uncle helps with the accounts and I stay in the kitchen mostly. It gets hot back there. We don't do much advertising. People just tell their friends about us. If you are coming from the station, just look for the building near the college. We use long grain rice and fresh meat we get every morning. There’s no secret recipe, just patience. We’ve had some rainy days where the water gets close to the door, but we stay open. It’s a family thing, really. We wanted a place where a worker or a student could afford a full plate. That's how we run things here. The students from the nearby Commerce College often come in groups between their classes. It makes the place quite lively for an hour or two in the afternoon.