Al-hamadulillah Hotel, Nampally, Hyderabad

Al-hamadulillah Hotel in Hyderabad is an Hyderabad institution in authentic Hyderabadi cuisine and has been one of the preferred haunts of the "hard core" Hyderabadi foodie for quite some time. The words "hard core" have been mentioned in inverted commas and intentionally so, for Al-hamadulillah is not for those for whom cleanliness, presentation and hygiene is as important as food. That is not saying that the food is bad as the patrons of the restaurants are loyalists but the quality and the quantity of food at Al-hamadulillah take clear precedence over the presentation. When you walk into Al-hamadulillah, you pretty much know what you are getting into. You will see Haleem smoking in a couple of pots by the entrance, Paayas (cattle hoofs) let out to dry in marinade and the unmistakable smell of Biriyani pervading your senses. The seating is rustic, plastic chairs and tables seating four each. A couple of bowls, one of saalan and one of raita looking like they have been there for a good deal before you even decided to come to the restaurant. The food however is exceptional and I was treated to one of my better culinary experiences. We started with Tala Gosh and rumali, tala gosh is the signature dish of the restaurant and is basically small pieces of beef cooked in a red masala, the pieces are tender, well cooked and half melt in the mouth. The portion served to you is also generously sprinkled with mint leaves which add great flavour to the preparation. After the Tala Gosh we moved on to sample some Haleem and the Biriyani. I love haleem and I was not disappointed in the least, the restaurant is one of the few places which serve haleem all year round and the taste was very close to what you get all around Hyderabad during Ramadan, which is very very good. We polished off the meal with a bit of the Biriyani which was slightly spicier than the regular Hyderabadi Biriyani and had a lot more mutton. Overall a big thumbs up although the place I guess could do with some improvements in presentation. Its not a place where you should take your loved one for a romantic dinner, but there should be some places where its just about you and your food. A meal for two at Al-hamadulillah without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 250/- How to get there: Al-hamdulillah is at Nampally, Hyderabad. Its a bit difficult to locate for the Non Hyderabadi so you will need to depend on the local auto driver. They invariably know the place.