Dum Durrust — Restaurant in Bengaluru

My review is based primarily on the Calcutta style Mutton Biryani that I had ordered.

The pros: The packaging is great although it's not a new concept of serving Biryani in an earther pot. The note from the Chef adds and element of a personal touch to the engagement and the plant seeds shared for using the earthen pot is a nice concept towards recycling. The sms to report the status of the meal on the day of delivery was also a welcome approach.

The cons: The headline which is the food misses the plot by a long shot and is nowhere near a Kolkata style Mughlai Biryani. Please note I am from Kolkata and I have tasted biryani off the streets in Dalhousie to the biryani served at the Grand Hotel and everything in between, I know what a Kolkata Biryani must taste like, here in Bangalore something 60% close to the original is good enough for me.

Adding aloo doesn't make a biryani Kolkata style as the flavors of the original was missing by a mile. I can't even call it a good biryani because it was completely off point on the 3-4 major things that constitute a good one, in spite of being in a earthen pot the food was received stone cold, I had to re-heat. The rice was sticky which is a sin in the art of biryani, the mutton were small pieces which had almost disintegrated and felt like overboiled meat, a Kolkata biryani's meat always packs a bite.

I paid almost one grand for this Biryani which is almost double the amount if bought elsewhere. I expected something that lived up to that premium, you can't deliver a cold biryani come-on! Would I order again? not chance in the world, because I know at least 3 restaurants in Bangalore and 1 pot delivery cloud kitchen that serves great Kolkata Biryani...all I can say that your packaging and marketing are fabulous, but if you can't get your act together on the food then its never going to be...

I am a big supporter of honest, small businesses. Hence, this review.

As I savoured Dum Durrust biryani, I couldn't help smiling from ear to ear, as I knew I had finally found my kinda biryani! The aroma that wafted across the room as the order was delivered pulled us all together to the dining table.

Although I had made up my mind to take pictures first, I totally missed that when I saw the spread before me! What excited me most about the food was:

1. The biryanis were light, yet very flavourful. I didn't feel like I ate 10,000 calories at once and didn't see oil/vanaspati dripping from the vessel and on my hands. Honestly, I'm yet to find a place where the chef could attain this balance of lightness and flavour.

2. We ordered Awadhi, Hyderabadi and Bengali chicken biryanis, and all three had distinct flavours. My fav were the Awadhi and Hyderabadi biryanis. But I will definitely try their other varieties in the next order.

3. The meat was tender and well cooked. We had also ordered 2 types of chicken kabab and they were really nice as well.

I thought all the biryanis were mildly spiced and liked that. My husband, however, felt that the spice level could be amped up in the chicken tikka. I assume this is something you can request for while placing your order, as I saw they had a provision for special instructions to the chef.

Overall, we had a great experience. The earthy packaging, personalised note and unexpected gift of seeds to plant were a refreshing change from the plastic packaging we are used to. Dum Durrust, how do you manage to tick all the right boxes?!

Update on 24th Sept - We have enjoyed Dum Durrust biryani many times now. Their desserts are also very homely and nice. Adding a picture of the beautiful phirni here. We also tried the Nalli Nihari and it...

Hi Dum Durrust,

We placed an order under my spouse’s name and number for Nellore Biryani, Butter Masala Chicken, rotis, haleem, and some sweets. As Andhra people settled in Karnataka, our surname reflects our passion for food. We are true enthusiasts when it comes to biryani; it’s our ultimate comfort food.

Nellore Biryani - “I’ve visited Nellore many times and enjoyed biryani at its famous restaurants. With that in mind, we ordered your Nellore Biryani, but unfortunately, the flavor wasn’t appealing. Not all dum biryanis can be considered true Nellore biryani.

Rotis - Its good, we like it.

Butter Masala Chicken - The flavor is not appealing; my kids find it quite unpalatable.

Haleem - It's a Middle Eastern dish that we love, especially Pista Haleem. However, we were very disappointed when we ordered it, as it turned out to be just a boneless mutton curry. I’m not sure if you really know how to cook haleem and its ingredients, as we make it at home, as shown in the attached photo.

Sweets - Its good, we like it.

I wanted to share my experience with your restaurant, I have been reading your reviews and great things about it, which is why I decided to order, but unfortunately, my experience was not up to the expectations.

This is not a bogus review; it’s genuine feedback I want to share. Please ensure better quality in regional dishes and understand their ingredients, as in Nellore, Guntur, Ambur, or Hyderabadi cuisine—each dum biryani is unique. We appreciate the traditional packaging, but please improve your dishes, like the Chicken Butter Masala, as it doesn’t meet our expectations

I hope this feedback is taken constructively, as I would still love to give your restaurant another chance in the future. I hope to see improvements...