NSK Biryani, T. Nagar and Ambattur

In 1999, Mohammed Asique and his friend stepped into the food business in Melapalayam, Tirunelveli. Within weeks, they launched Nanbargal Samayal Kuzhu (NSK), and their biryani quickly became a sensation. Soon, weddings across the region were booking them.

NSK offers wedding catering services in Chennai
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Kaja Mydeen, Mohammed’s brother, explains that the family of five brothers runs NSK together, each handling a specific responsibility. “We were trained by our late father, and for 25 years we’ve worked hard to make our mark in large-scale wedding catering,” he says. NSK has now teamed up with Karthik Surendran, a Chennai-based entrepreneur, to bring their famed Tirunelveli-style biryani to Chennai. Earlier, their biryani was available only at weddings; today, thanks to this partnership, it is retailed fresh every day. At their central kitchen in Ambattur, massive cauldrons of biryani simmer from the early hours before being sent to the T Nagar outlet.

“This is a traditional Tirunelveli Muslim preparation,” says Karthik. “Their perfected method and spice mix give the biryani its unique character.” Kaja adds that meticulous attention to detail goes into every batch, including a secret ingredient that, he says, aids digestion. Alongside their signature chicken and mutton biryanis, the NSK brothers are celebrated for their aromatic ghee rice —something rarely found in the city. Their party-order menu features an array of dishes such as Majestic Chicken, Madurai Enna Mutton Curry, Chicken Kaatu Curry, prawn thokku, Kozhi Kulambu and Green Chicken. Vegetarian diners can choose from ghee rice, vegetable biryani, gobi 65 and paneer 65.

NSK’s retail outlet is located in T Nagar, and is open from 11am to 11pm. To pre-order, call 9500795009.

Yousuf’s Kitchen, Royapettah

Mohammed Yousuf Khan was barely 20 when he began working with McRennett in Nungambakkam. In 1996, Alliance Française of Chennai invited the brand to run a cafeteria on their campus, and Yousuf was put in charge of the small space. “Those days, I served freshly made lemon tea, donuts, cutlets and chocolate cake. The crowd was mostly elite, and later, as French MNCs came into the city, more students joined the institute to learn French,” recalls Yousuf, now 50.

At Yusuf’s kitchen one can order a range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes for home party
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When the institute shut during the pandemic, Yousuf launched his home-based catering service, Yousuf’s Kitchen, from Royapettah, eventually winding up the cafeteria altogether. His large network of former students helped him establish the business, and soon steady orders began flowing in. A year ago, he expanded further by introducing wedding catering services.

“I take pre-orders for chicken, mutton and vegetable biryani, jeera rice and ghee rice. Orders start from one kilo, and I offer a selection of vegetarian gravies and starters,” says Yousuf. Beyond biryani, he is known for his birthday cakes, mutton and chicken cutlets, parottas (both maida and wheat), and mutton or chicken samosas. “As a passionate cook, I have developed the recipe for my home-style dum biryani. I work only on pre-orders — small orders are cooked on a gas stove, but for bulk quantities I use woodfire,” he adds.

All orders are home delivered all over Chennai. For party orders, call 9840082252.

The Bhai Friend Biryani, Perambur

Ashwanth Kumar is a young entrepreneur who has been running a vegetarian catering service, Pankajam Catering, since 2019 —named in memory of his grandmother. Soon after, he expanded into biryani with The Bhai Friend Biryani, and his clientele has been growing steadily ever since.

To build the brand, Ashwanth brought in master cooks specialising in Ambur-style wedding biryani. He says the rice-to-meat ratio is what makes their biryani stand out. “For every kilo of rice, we use 1.5 kilos of meat to ensure rich flavour. We cook the biryani on woodfire and also customise the preparation to suit customer preferences,” he explains.

Ambur wedding-style biryani by That Bhai Friend Biryani
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Their signature is the Ambur wedding biryani (also known as Vadi biryani or Tamil Muslim biryani), lightly tweaked to appeal to a wider palate. This style uses dry red chillies paste, and the rice and meat are cooked separately before being layered and placed on dum for slow cooking. While traditional Ambur biryani uses seeraga samba rice, Ashwanth opts for basmati to suit Chennai tastes.

Beyond biryani, the brand is known for dishes such as kara mura chicken, karuvepelai prawns, chicken 65, hariyali chicken and fish 65. They offer biryani in buckets on a pre-order basis, with home delivery from their central kitchen in Perambur.

All orders are home delivered all over Chennai. To pre-order, call 9080462428.

SHB Biryani, Triplicane

The proprietor, Syed Fazal Basha, and his brother, Syed Sadhik Basha, work round the clock, along with their team of 10 staff, preparing quality biryani for weddings and small gatherings. Known for customising their dishes to suit client preferences — whether it’s seeraga samba or basmati rice, low spice or high — it is the flavour and consistency of their preparation that keeps customers coming back. “My grandfather and father were biryani masters, and we are the third generation in this business,” says Syed Fazal. “We make Chennai-style basmati dum biryani, and whether it’s a small party of 10 or a wedding feast for 2,000, we take orders. We also run a small retail outlet in Triplicane where we sell biryani every day.”

SHB Biryani specialises in a range of desserts apart from customised biryanis
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A bucket of mutton biryani is priced at ₹2,200 (chicken at ₹1,400). “We have a dedicated meat supplier from Pulianthope, and each order is prepared separately. We don’t cook in bulk and pack — if the order is just one kilogram, we still prepare it separately, ensuring all customisation requests are met,” he explains. A highlight here is the range of desserts; far beyond the usual bread halwa. Syed’s Boat Ka Halwa, made with almonds, cashews, khoa, sugar, saffron and ghee, is a rarity in the city and a top seller. He also offers Muttanjan (a Persian-origin basmati rice sweet flavoured with sugar, saffron and nuts), Ande ka meetha, and Meetha Khana, a Hyderabad-style dessert featuring basmati rice and pineapple.

Vegetarian diners aren’t left out either: the menu includes vegetable biryani, ghee rice, and a selection of starters and sides. His green chicken, fish fingers and mutton/chicken samosas and rolls also come highly recommended.

All orders are home delivered all over Chennai. To pre-book, call 9840027868.