Maybe it’s the weather, but lately Gothamist has been craving Indian food. Rather than go to one of the numerous steam-table joints in Jackson Heights, we decided to give Hyderabadi, a new restaurant in Woodside down the street from the much-acclaimed Spicy Mina’s a try. The scuttlebutt on Chowhound was that this spot serves cuisine from the South Indian city of Hyderabad, renowned for its myriad biryanis and the mysterious Chicken 65, among other things.
After walking over from the 74 St. subway stop and crossing what seemed like six lanes of BQE traffic, there it was. The sign on the maroon awning read, "Deccan Hyderabadi." Further research revealed that Deccan refers not to the famed record label, but to the Deccan Plateau of southern India. Upon entering we were somewhat disappointed to see that Hyderabadi is yet another a steam-table spot. This disappointment soon faded when we noticed that the menu proudly proclaimed, “Introducing Fine Halal Hyderabadi Cuisine for the First Time in Tri State Area.”
After asking for some typical Hyderabadi fare here's what was served up. Sadly the goat biryani (above, left) had seen better days. The meat was either poorly cooked or reheated so many it times that it was tough. The basmati rice was flavorful enough, shot through with whole cardamom pods and black peppercorns. The golden-crusted luqmi, Hyderabad's slightly daintier answer to samosas, were quite tasty thanks to a savory minced meat filling.
The right hand photo shows clockwise baghare baingan (eggplant with tamarind), Chicken 65 and Hyderabadi daal. Each was filled with unique, bright tastes that we'd never experienced in Indian food, and sparked a frenzy of enthusiastic roti dipping at our table. Words fail. Let's just say, there was less curry and more of everything else. The baghare baingan had a rich roasted eggplant flavor and a sour kick from the tamarind, while the bright orange daal was a far cry from the standard-issue beige gruel found in most other Indian joints. It was wonderfully complex and packed a good deal of heat.
The tastiest item of all was the Chicken 65. The tiny reddish chunks of crispy chicken were tossed with curry leaves and coated with a goodly amount of black pepper and other spices, making for some piquant poultry. When asked where the name "Chicken 65" came from, the proprietor responded that it's made with 65 herbs and spices. In your face, Colonel Sanders! The chef, however, listed a mere seven ingredients: curry leaves, cilantro, coriander powder, turmeric, cumin, vinegar and soy sauce. Chicken 7, Chicken 65, who cares? Either way, it's delicious. There are numerous stories about this dish's name, ranging from the spices having to soak for 65 days to it having been item No. 65 on the menu of the restaurant that invented it.
Never mind where the craveable Chicken 65 gets its name, what Gothamist really wanted to know was, is Hyderabadi the real deal? So we called in a ringer, Floyd Cardoz, the executive chef of Tabla. Earlier this week he and his son joined us along with Tabla's general manager. They were en route to a Mets game clad in their finest team colors. We ordered luqmi, Chicken 65, baghare baingan, Hyderabadi daal and a biryani. This time around the biryani was much better. What was Chef Cardoz's opinion, you ask? With obvious disappointment he deemed the fare inauthentic, but conceded that most everything was still pretty tasty. The one let-down was the baghare baingan, which lacked the requisite peanut, sesame and coconut, and had a touch too much tamarind. Gothamist is adrool, imagining how wonderful it would taste if properly made.
Everybody loved the Chicken 65, even if didn't hew to the original recipe as Cardoz noted. His theory on the name is that the bird gets hacked into 65 pieces. There was also an off-menu black pepper goat dish that was exquisite, complete with chunky bones packed with slurpable marrow. Speaking of menus, the one annoying thing about Hyderabadi is that not every item on the extensive menu is available all the time. Lest we forget, we learned an important lesson about Indian food from Cardoz: Corn starch works wonders in preventing grease stains from setting. Here's hoping that your Mets' jersey is back to looking like new, Chef.
Hyderabadi, 64-02 35 Ave., Woodside, 718-989-7658
