We’ve heard so much about Kozhikode’s famous Paragon biryani that we were actually quite scared to try it at the brand new outlet in town. We all know how outlets in new cities can absolutely mess with original recipes and biryanis in particular have a way of being very underwhelming when they leave their original restaurants. The multitude of average Dindigul, Ambur and Hyderabad biryanis in Bengaluru stand testimony to this sad reality. It is therefore with a wary heart that we walked into Paragon for a tasting on a weekday evening — the only time waiting lists don’t go into hours at this popular Malabar/Moplah cuisine restaurant.
Needless to say, we didn’t even bother perusing the menu and instead ordered for two mini biryanis, perfectly sized to feed just one person — one chicken and one mutton. The biryanis arrived in no time, paired perfectly with raita, pickle and pappadam — a truly Malabari indulgence. The biryanis were everything they are touted to be and the rich flavours with subtle spicing elevate the biryani experience in a city that often pass-off spicy meaty ‘military’ pulaos as varities of biryani.
The biryani is the hero dish and tastes divine as is, but paired with pickle or alternatively with the raita and pappadam creates a marriage of flavours in your mouth that is pretty incomparable to anything else. That, and of course, the perfectly cooked mutton and chicken, only add to this gourmet experience that is priced for the masses.
We then ended our meal with servings of the Elaneer Pudding, which wasn’t much to talk about and the absolutely stunning Chatta Mary Pudding — a traditional favourite that we’d totally recommend. We also recommend the Mutton Varattiyathu, the Vegetable Mango Curry and the Spicy Raw Mango Salad if you’re expecting some treats beyond the biryani.
Meal for two: INR 1,500 onwards. At Sobha Mall, St Mark’s Road.
Email: romal@newindianexpress.com
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