Mantasha Haji Biriyani

Our shop is on the ground floor along Jessore Road in Michael Nagar. It’s a very busy stretch of road, especially with BT College so close by. You can usually find us by the big aluminum pots sitting out front. We spend most of our morning getting the wood fire ready and layering the rice and meat. It’s a messy job, and our clothes usually end up smelling like spices by the end of the shift. The seating inside is pretty basic—just some stools and tables that have seen better days. We don’t have air conditioning, so it gets pretty warm when the biriyani is steaming. We get a lot of students from the college who are looking for a quick and heavy meal. It’s usually quite loud with the traffic from Jessore Road passing right by the door. We don't have a big menu; we just focus on the few things we know how to make well. Sometimes we run out early and have to close the shutters before the sun goes down. We are just a local team of cooks who have been in Michael Nagar for a while now. There isn't anything corporate about us. We just show up, light the fires, and serve whoever comes through the door. It’s hard work, but we like the routine of it. We just keep things simple and honest here.