Biryani is an emotion for many, and this writer is almost emotionless when it comes to biryani. Almost because there are those days when you have biryani and you feel like you've eaten the best thing on earth right there. And that is what this writer has felt since the first time he had Ponram's biryani and then subsequently thereafter. It's restaurants like these that make you question your choices.
Ponram is a 50-plus-year-old brand from Dindigul, a town in Tamil Nadu steeped in history, and its first foray into Bangalore is with its 160-seater restaurant in Koramangala. The first time we were here, the team had put together a feast that had us in a food coma. Not because they served us a lot of food, but because they served us food that consistently hit the spot. The Mutton Kola Urundai, which is minced mutton meatballs that are deep-fried for a crispy texture, is something you need to start your meal with. While you are waiting for the urundais to come, you'll notice your table mat has information about how Ponram goes about sourcing their meat to their ingredients.
We are told that to keep the flavour as close to their OG outlet in Begampur, Dindigul, Ponram gets all their core ingredients from select farms and vendors. For instance, their pepper comes from Thandikudi while their green chillies are from Dindigul. Most of the biryani spices come from regions such as Bodi, Ayyampalayam, and Poombarai.
The next order should be the Mutton Nenju Chops Varuval, which is our favourite mutton dish from the menu after the biryani. Here, soft, almost buttery mutton ribs are tawa-roasted with the in-house spices for a smash dish. You might want to order a portion for yourself. If you have space before the biryani, then the Mutton Egg Varuval has to be ordered. It's one of their signature dishes, where eggs and mutton are scrambled together. We can't describe how good this is, except that you will thank us later. And also, that's Ponram for you. They make sure that every usable part of the mutton is made into a dish worth trying out. If you are adventurous, then you need to try the Mutton Suvarotty, which is a tawa-roasted mutton spleen.
Once you are done with all that, it's time to hit the main. And that's their boneless mutton biryani. It's one of the best biryanis we've had in ages, and honestly, this perfectly spiced biryani is something that doesn't make you bloated. In fact, you'll probably wonder, did you finish an entire portion all by yourself? We are told that they make a fresh batch of biryani every four hours so that at any given time during the day, you are having the freshest of the batch.
You can finish off your meal with their in-house ice cream and halwa, or let the flavour of all the mutton you had linger for a while. Sometimes, you don't need to wash down all that flavour.
Must-Try: Mutton Nenju Chops, Mutton Varuval, Mutton Koli Urundai, Naatukozhi Soup, Chicken Thokku, Mutton Kari Dosa
Cost For Two: INR 1,000
Timings: 11 AM to 11 PM
Rating: 4.6/5 on Google
