When it comes to the dining experience at Biryani King, which recently opened on Sheridan Street, Zishan Hameed — whose mother, Shahnaz Hameed, is the business owner and chef — says the business was inspired by Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan.
“We chose to emulate the style of street food in Lahore,” he explains. “If you go to Lahore, it’s a food destination. Street food in Lahore is like Dotonburi in Osaka. You show up to a vendor and you eat it (their dish) the way the chef makes it; it’s how they want to express themselves. It’s like an art; my mom wanted to do the same thing here at Biryani King.”
Biryani King opened in the former spot of a Thai restaurant in the beginning of May. The eatery offers a fast-casual, cafeteria-style concept, in which customers can create their own plates from the available entrees and side dishes.
“We named it ‘Biryani King’ because we wanted something that people would know and be able to recognize,” Hameed says, referring to the popular layered rice dish. “This is soul food, Punjabi food; people from India and Pakistan will recognize it. People who are new to the cuisine will take away an understanding of the region as well.”
Everything is made from scratch by Hameed's mother, known as "Mama Hameed" to customers.
“She blends the spices herself; she makes the ghee herself,” he says. “It’s the most authentic, homestyle food you’re going to have. The people that grew up in Pakistan and India are going to find a lot of comfort in the food.”
He explains Punjabi cuisine is a blend of both Indian and Pakistani flavors. Punjab refers to the region straddling eastern Pakistan and India’s northwestern border, according to Hameed.
“The state and culture of Punjab existed way before there was a Pakistan and India,” he says. “Pakistan, India and Bangladesh were all part of the British empire for a period of time, but before the British were there, there was Punjab. The culture of Punjab is the same because it was there before the border even existed.
“That’s why we chose to put ‘soul food from the heart of Punjab,’ as our slogan — because that’s really what this food is,” he adds. “It’s not Pakistani or Indian food; it’s older than that.”
Hameed explains that Punjab’s geography makes the cuisine different from Nepali-style food.
“The geography of Punjab is kind of like Hawaiʻi in the summer — it’s hot, it feels tropical,” he says. “The other Indian food on the island is mostly Nepali-style, so you’re going to find more creamy dishes, it’s a little heavier. It’s good for the mountain type of climate — the air’s a little thin, it gets cold for a long time.
“Sometimes the spices can be more bold (in Punjabi-style) because it’s hot,” he adds. “People who love spicy food know that the closer you get to the Equator, the spicier things get, the bolder the flavors get.”
Customers can opt for one- or two-choice plates to try a variety of dishes. During the week, the daily menu features options like meat biryani, butter chicken, oxtail, vegetable biryani, chana masala and more. A typical daily plate costs $14.99 for vegetarian options; $16.99 for a mixed plate and $19.99 for meat plates, according to Hameed.
Nihari is a slow-cooked meat stew that’s known for its gravy, according Hameed.
“This is super, slow-cooked beef; it’s got that rich gravy,” he says. “The chana masala always has cumin and onion. Lamb nihari is made in the same way as the beef nihari; it’s super savory.
“We put butter chicken on the daily menu because everybody recognizes butter chicken,” he adds. “We are hoping butter chicken will bring people in and introduce them to some other types of food that are also interesting.”
There’s also a chef special, which rotates every Friday. According to Hameed, previously featured specials include lamb korma (tender lamb in a fragrant sauce infused with cinnamon and cardamom), daal gosht (a hearty lentil and meat stew), aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes sauteed with coriander and cumin) and chicken pulao, a classic rice dish featuring chicken cooked with aromatic spices.
The eatery also offers a Sunday brunch menu with different entrée choices. It’s available in the same cafeteria-style format, but with dishes like samosas, chana chaat, pakora and more, according to Hameed. At the end of the counter are a variety of garnishes, chutneys and raita. The green chutney will be the most familiar to customers, according to Hameed, who says it’s made with mint, fresh cilantro and garlic. Garnishes comprise cilantro, limes and peppers.
“Pakora are a kind of snack; they are fritters made with onions, chickpea flour and spices,” he says. “Samosas — which have a veggie filling — and pakora are for people who are looking for something a little bit lighter, but want something crispy. Chana chaat is like a chickpea salad.”
“Our brunch, as far as we know, is the first and only Punjabi-style breakfast on the island,” adds Nikki Hameed, Zishan’s wife. “We started doing it because we had so many people in our Desi community — Indian and Pakistani people — asking for this kind of food. We basically have the classics that any Desi family is going to have for breakfast.”
She explains that many customers ask about the eatery’s featured curries, which they call “handi.”
“We use the term handi because that (the dish) is named after the big pot that it’s cooked in,” she says. “Curry is a dish that has curry leaves in it. Lamb and beef nihari are some of our handis; they have a specific spice blend and a specific way that they’re slow cooked.”
During brunch, each plate comes with a base of halwa — which is like a pudding made with grains, brown sugar, white sugar, coconut and raisins cooked in ghee, according to Hameed — and puri ($3.99 each), which is airy, deep-fried flatbread.
“My favorite for brunch is lamb nihari with halwa and puri,” Hameed says. “It’s sweet and savory, and then you get the puri. Halwa is a staple of Punjabi cuisine.”
The eatery has a tandoor (a cylindrical oven) in its kitchen, which is used to make naan and tandoori roti.
“The tandoor is the heart of our restaurant experience,” Hameed says. “When you go to eat Pakistani or Indian food, in order to get the naan and tandoori roti to taste the way they do, they have to come from a tandoor.”
He explains the big gas burner heats the walls of the clay, and dough balls are patted onto the walls.
“The wall is so hot that, as soon as the dough slaps (onto it), it sticks on there, but the air is passing over the outside of the naan or roti,” he says. “As it cooks the outside, it makes it bubble. It’s a pretty cool technique.”
Hameed says his family is excited for the community to try his mom’s cooking, which features recipes she grew up with and learned to make from her mother.
“We feel so lucky to be here; the people of Hawaii are so supportive,” Hameed says. “My mom is living out her dream. If you want to come and eat food from someone who uses food as a means of art to express themselves, this is the place to be.”
CONTACT
Biryani King
704 Sheridan St., Honolulu
Instagram: @biryanikingoahu
Open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays to Sundays
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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
