Restaurant: Paradise Biryani Pointe
5711 Hillcroft Avenue, Houston, Texas 77036
Buffet or a-la-carte? A-la-carte
Date of Visit: 10/12/13
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| Photo Credit (http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/03/0e/57/b3/paradise-biryani-pointe.jpg) |
UPDATE 10/6/14: Place has closed down. There is a "For Lease" sign where it was.
Salam/hello everyone! Today I will be reviewing Paradise Biryani Pointe. Paradise Biryani Pointe is a chain of biryani-centered restaurants that are located all over the United States. There are locations in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. It even plans on opening up a location in Singapore in the future. As usual, this reviews the Houston location. The exponential growth of Biryani-centered restaurants have taken shape here in the United States, with the bulk of it here in Houston. Within a 5 mile distance, there are three restaurants that compete for customers that specialize in biryani. Many people have regarded that Paradise Biryani Pointe is the best out of all 3 due to its success all over the country. They even advertise it as "The Best Biryani in the USA". They also claim to have the authentic Hyderabadi Dum Biryani, exactly like the ones made in India. Being a biryani lover since age 2, I always wanted to try a Biryani specialty restaurant. The best time came after my Engineering exam. Lab was cancelled thankfully, so I was able to go early. After driving through the pouring rain, I arrived at the restaurant.
Let's The Experience Begin!
Paradise Biryani Pointe is located on the 2nd floor of the two story mall opposite Busy Boy. When coming in, a wall with many Indian-American related events greeted me. A little walk to the right and there was a lady who greeted me. She then asked "dine-in or take out", and also how many people were with me. I was handed the menu and I skimmed through the menu. After a while, I placed my order.
Let's Eat!
I ordered their Signature goat biryani. Since the company claims to have "authentic Hyderabadi biryani", I decided to give it a try. Along with the biryani came raita (yogurt and cucumber condiment) and mirchi ka salan (curried chili peppers). To drink, I had a can of Pepsi. The menu actually said that the waiting time would be 20-25 minutes. However, The biryani came out in only 11 minutes and 32 seconds. The problem was one of the things I hate most about restaurants: MICROWAVED FOOD! Seriously, WHAT'S THE BIG PROBLEM IF YOU MAKE IT FRESH???? I RATHER WOULD HAVE NICE FRESH FOOD THAN HEATED UP CRAP. I could tell because I heard the microwave in the kitchen beeping when it was done. Then a few seconds later, my food came out. Oh and one more thing, if you want to have a CAN of soda, expect to pay $2.00. Ridiculous. Why make it so expensive? If it was a fountain drink, then I would understand, but a can, that's too much. You do, however, get free water. All together, I paid $14.06 (tax included), which is rather expensive for biryani and a soda.
Menu: Before I could actually take pics of the menu, the lady nearly snatched it out of my hands just after I ordered. The website itself doesn't list the prices on the website. This is because the prices vary by location. Why not make the prices the same for every single location? I mean, many chain restaurants list prices on their websites don't they? Also, there is a chance that all the menu items would not be available. Why must this happen? As far as I can remember, chicken biryani was $9.99, vegetable and egg biryanis were both $8.99, goat biryani was $10.99, and shrimp biryani was $11.99. All the items that may or may not be available may be found here ---> http://www.paradisebiryanipointe.com/menu.php
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| Initial Setup |
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| Goat Dum Biryani |
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| All Done! |
So is it the best Hyderabadi biryani? An absolute no. Honestly, this is mediocrity at its finest. Parts of the goat was burned, and the biryani itself wasn't spicy enough. The mirchi ka salan also needed to be more spicy. I really don't get what the hype behind this place is. Then again, what do you expect when the food is heated up in a microwave and then given to you like last time at Shawarma King. Another thing that made me angry was when I was paying the bill. As the lady was swiping my credit card and was printing out the receipt, a man came in saying that he needed food to go. Instead of telling him to wait or getting someone else to help, she stopped giving the bill back to me and proceeded to help me. Hello, I was first! It's common courtesy. Every other restaurant that I have been to, if I was being helped by a waiter/waitress, he/she would tell the other person "I will be with you shortly" and that person would wait patiently. It's like you are going to an exam and your significant other calls you and is still talking to you while the exam had started. Overall, one thumb sideways for the food and one thumb down for the service.
Conclusion:
Let's get it straight. Paradise Biryani Pointe is not the "Best Biryani in the USA". The hype is just not worth it. There are many places in Houston that serve better biryani. Sure it looks like my mom's cooking, but the taste completely lacks. I mean, just look at the review I did of Royal Restaurant, and you will see the difference. They also need to improve on service. They need to take notes from other restaurants on how NOT to serve food by reheating, and also charge less for small things like soda. If you are looking for a nice place for biryani, then I would suggest you find somewhere else.
Grading:
Service: 4/10 (Overpriced soda, microwaved food, being ignored in favor of another customer)
Food: 5.5/10 (Mediocre)
Waiting Time: 10/10
Total: 19.5/30 = 65% (D) (Only the 2nd D given in this blog)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$
Restaurant Information:
Paradise Biryani Pointe
5711 Hillcroft Avenue, Houston, Texas 77036
Phone: (832) 460-0128
Website: http://www.paradisebiryanipointe.com/index.php
Facebook: None (Available for other locations)
Twitter: None (Available for other locations)
Timings: Mon & Wed-Thu: 11 AM - 11 PM; Fri-Sun: 11 AM - 11:30 PM; Closed Tue.
Caters: Yes
Feel free to comment below!
Cheers!
Zain Mohammed
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