Shiraz, Circus Avenue, Park Street, Kolkata

"What is your favourite food?", "What is your favourite restaurant?", two potentially tricky questions for foodies - after all we love most types of foods and adore most restaurants. For me, however, one of the two answers are relatively straightforward. My favourite cuisine is South East Asian, if the choice come down to a particular dish, it is undoubtedly the Biriyani, the Kolkata Biriyani.
My favourite restaurant however is undoubtedly Shiraz. Why Shiraz? Quite simply, it is because the restaurant began my love affair with food. Shiraz, the Golden Restaurant will always hold a special place in my heart. Shiraz in my mind, heart and tongue serves the best Calcutta style Biriyani and that is that. To me that statement is final and completely non - negotiable.

Shiraz has recently moved from one side of Park Street to the other and has opened a fine dining section along with the regular Non AC section of the restaurant. The fine dining section is the one I visited the last time I was in Kolkata. They have done a pretty decent job of retaining the essential slightly rustic feel of Shiraz, and making the place far more comfortable and amenable to a family outing than what it used to be. The service is very prompt without being overtly polite. If there are space constraints however, I noticed that they are still open to sharing tables with other ravenous eaters.

What to order in Shiraz, quite a lot actually. The essential dishes are the Mutton Biriyani and the Chicken Chaap. Go for the standard and not the special Biriyani, the egg in the special Biriyani, according to me is a pointless addition and does not add to any flavor whatsoever. The Mutton in the mutton biriyani will be the softest and most flavoured you will have tasted. The Chicken Chaap is the ideal foil to the Biriyani. If you are lucky, you will get a breast piece - I think the amount of chicken is far far more than a leg piece. The chaap is cooked in a slightly reddish masala and is very tasty. The highlight is the gravy. The dish is relatively dry, there isn't too much gravy, but every oily morsel of the gravy goes incredibly well with the Biriyani rice. You are obviously not supposed to think of Choleseterol and fat. You are having Biriyani! You are in Kolkata!

That would pretty much be a complete meal but I will ask you for two more add-ons, you may need to over eat but the add-ons are a must to round off the Shiraz experience. If you do not want to over eat please go in a group and taste everything I am talking about. Order the mutton rezala, not so much for the meat, but for the gravy. Ensure that you are generous with the gravy on the portion of rice you are having with it. The portion of gravy in the morsel should not be less than 35%. Sorry for the specifications and detail but it is Shiraz, it is my favorite restaurant, and if you follow my instructions, you will bless me while you are having one of the tastiest morsels of food in your life.

The 2nd add on would be the Mutton Shammi Kebab, it may not be in the menu, but order it all the same. You get mutton mince, mutton fat served in a delightfully oily kebab formation. The kebab breaks quite easily and it goes excellently with Biriyani rice or Rumali Roti.

Of course no meal is complete without dessert and what better than the Firni to round off the meal of a lifetime! Shiraz, the Golden Restaurant does not have a special place in my heart for nothing!

A meal for two at Shiraz without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 350/-.

How to get there: Shiraz is on Park Street at the Circus Avenue crossing. If you are going towards Park Circus, the new place falls on your left. Previously till just two years back it used to fall on your right. Do not get a shock and think like I did for some time that the restaurant has closed down. It is alive and well on the other side of the road. Any taxi driver/ Kolkata citizen worth his salt will know where Shiraz is.