When I first suggested dining at new Wakra restaurant Biriyani Hut, my dining partner expressed a slight concern: ‘It’s a little far, isn’t it?’ Well, it’s further than the places we would normally choose to eat, for sure, but the opening of a new bypass intended for future airport traffic does wonders for the estimated journey time, we discovered, and we were also encouraged by our taxi driver’s response when we told him where we wanted to go. ‘I hear a lot of people go to this place,’ he said. ‘It is very good.’ Not bad for somewhere barely open a couple of months.

The restaurant is located not far from Pearl roundabout in Al Wakra, on the same stretch as Dunkin’ Donuts and KFC. Walking inside, the instant reaction is that you have taken a wrong turn somewhere, as there is just a small waiting area with a desk and an entrance to the kitchens off to the side. ‘Restaurant?’ we asked, before being directed up a narrow stairway.

At the top we found a dining area with décor a little unusual for an Indian restaurant. Booths line one wall, with deep pink and yellow the prominent colours. A deep pink panel lines the opposite wall with yellow back-lighting, while looking around to the window reveals the neon of the restaurant sign outside. Instrumental versions of Whitney Houston and George Michael play over the top, and if there is one thing to take away from our visit here it is the understanding that you have never truly heard ‘Nothing’s Gonna Change my Love for You’ by one-hit wonder Glenn Medeiros until you have heard it on the pan-pipes.

We settled in and the friendly waiters handed us our menus. My dining partner was fascinated by the story of the biryani, printed on the paper table mats. The name of the dish is said to come from the Farsi word ‘birian’, which means ‘fried before’ – a description of what is done to the rice first to burn off the outside starch layer and give it a slightly nutty flavour before it is put into a pot called a handi, with rice, spices and so on, which is then sealed and cooked surrounded by hot coals. Different regions of India each have their own variations, not just in terms of ingredients, but in how the heat is applied – and these variations are reflected in the menu, with page after page of biryani dishes, each description accompanied by a photo to let you see what you are getting.

There are also a number of grilled meat dishes, and more familiar curry dishes with a sauce, and the waiting staff demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of each, quickly making suggestions should you find yourself confused. Slightly concerned by the apparent size of the dishes in the photos, my dining partner decided to skip on a starter, tucking in to the basket of warm poppadom chips with lime pickle and mint-yoghurt dip instead.

I, on the other hand, ordered the Oriental chicken soup as an appetiser, which arrived promptly and turned out to be a piping hot bowl of chicken, vegetables, garlic and herbs. The dish had a lot of coriander, which some may find a little overpowering on the palate, but altogether it served as perfect comfort food and was quickly devoured.

Next up were the mains. My dining partner went for the Hyderbadi biryani, Dhampuk style, which could feature either lamb or chicken, and which our waiter explained was cooked with half charcoal and then half steam. On arrival, the waiter took the lid off the handi pot and dished the rice and meat onto the plate, also placing down a choice of sauces – one yoghurt based and one a curry sauce. The steam from the rice and meat was very fragrant, with the chicken soft and falling off the bone with ease.

I had decided to order from the grill menu, and had opted for the hammour tikka – plump morsels of soft white fish marinated in cream, yoghurt and lemon, and then grilled on the tandoor. It proved to be an excellent choice, as the fish was lightly golden and charred on the outside, soft and milky on the inside. The fish has such a creamy texture from its marinade (we wondered how long it must had been in there) and simply melted in the mouth.

My dining partner looked pleasantly satisfied as he polished off the last of the biryani, but even with the soup and my grill behind me, I still found I had room for dessert and was curious about the carrot halwa, one of the few options on the menu. The dish consists of grated carrot, cooked in milk and sugar, and flavoured with cardamon, nuts and raisins. It was very pleasant, the carrot somehow having adopted a treacle-like taste. A nice surprise to finish.

The bill was also not as much as you might expect from similar restaurants around town. Biriyani Hut also makes deliveries, but when asked if they would take food to central Doha, we were told this was too far. Staff recommended trying the Garden Restaurant on Al Kahraba Street instead for similar dishes, as this is run by the same company. Well, it’s not too much of a trek, especially with the new road, so maybe we will be among those, according to our taxi driver, who are willing to make the journey to Biriyani Hut once again.

The bill (for two)
1x Sparkling water QR8
1x Oriental chicken soup QR16
1x Hammour tikka QR43
1x Hyderbadi chicken biryani QR25
1x Carrot halwa QR12
Total (incl charges) QR104