We heard about how good the biryani was at Sultan’s Dine from multiple sources and just had to try it. We were eagerly waiting for the right opportunity to make it to the nearest establishment at a time when the biryani lovers rush would be the lowest. But I was naïve to think there would be such a time when the demand for this aromatic concoction of rice, meat and spices would be low.

We chose the Sultan’s Dine Dhanmondi location as it was closest to us. We decided to visit the restaurant for a very late lunch and eagerly sped up the stairs to the first floor. To our horror, it was packed with a long line of people waiting for their turn of the blissful moment. We were directed to climb up a few more flight of stairs to a different floor to look for potential seating arrangements. We immediately made a beeline for the stairs and with a short burst of energy we were already up the stairs and waiting at the front door of the restaurant. It too was packed and we were given the option to wait or be seated on a shared table. We chose the latter as we were very hungry and the aromatic fragrance of biryani pushed us on the verge of making decisions where we were willing to make any compromise.

We ordered the kacchi platter for three people and this included mutton kacchi made with basmati rice. In addition, it also included chicken roast, jali kabab, beef rezala, borhani, salad, some chutney, and firni. The first item to arrive was the borhani. It was thick and had a pleasant taste relative to some of the borhanis that I tried at other establishments recently. It had the right balance of sweetness, saltiness, and spiciness and was satisfying to drink. I just wish it would come in a bigger glass so that I did not need to be stingy with every sip. Salad and chutney were also provided while I was busy with the borhani but I paid little to no attention on those items. I was waiting for the main attraction of this experience. And it finally arrived in a large platter the sight of which immediately made me salivate incessantly. My eyes were fixated on the large platter of colorful basmati rice with meat piled on top.

Without waiting to be served or serve others, I sprang into action and started filling up my plate for my long-awaited moment of bliss. As I was doing that, I could sense some minimization on the fragrance of kacchi biryani. I was fortunate to try “real” kacchi biryani with its full flavor potential and this particular biryani felt like it had one fourth of that aroma. This could possibly be due to cost cutting with spices or perhaps the process of cooking the biryani itself or a combination of both. Nevertheless, I hastily proceeded to let my taste buds indulge in the biryani. It was good but disappointing at the same time.

I expected something really amazing given all the rave about this biryani. The taste was milder than my expectation. The meat was tough and did not have the right mix and balance of spices. Given how the meat is layered at the bottom and the biryani is baked during the cooking process, the meat should have been very soft and tender. The color of the meat also did not meet the expectations of kacchi biryani.

It is possible that some coloring was used on the meat but I cannot attest to that. Also, the quantity of meat was not at an acceptable level for three people since many of the pieces had too much bone or fat or other non-meat parts. Although the kacchi biryani was the star of the show, the other items in the platter also merits some discussion.

The jali kabab was possibly made from chicken. I have always had the ones made from beef. It was the first time for me to have chicken jali kabab and I found it quite flavorful and tasty. It had the right combination of texture and taste, and I would not mind having more of these. The chutney was good too. The beef rezala had the right flavor but it lacked in intensity. Sultan’s Dine managed to get the correct combination of spices but the smell and taste was mild. The chicken roast was not the best I have had. The flavor and taste were acceptable but the color in the chicken roast was possibly from coloring agents. The remaining item was the dessert which was the firni. It came in a small plastic cup and was well maintained at a low temperature. The consistency of the firni was thick and creamy, and the taste was good. It complemented well with all the items and was a good way to close this dining experience.

Overall, I thought the environment of the restaurant was good and catered well to the needs of the customer. The longer waiting time was understandable given the high demand. In my opinion, the kacchi biryani was good but certainly not the best biryani in Dhaka. Taste is subjective and will vary from person to person and many find this biryani to be exceptional. I just happen to be on the other end of the spectrum. It’s just ok for me in terms of taste and I might simply have to continue on my biryani hunt to find the best biryani restaurant in Dhaka.