Ali Nachia Briyani Dam from the railway station

I have heard so much about this famous Briyani Dam at the railway station from online people. So one of the weekdays, I met up with a friend for lunch there. Technically, I went Malaysia for this.  Well, we know that the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station belongs to Malaysia. I also wanted to check out the railway station for the last time, since it is going to disappear real soon.

The Indian money changer pointed me to Ali Nachia Briyani Dam stall inside the food centre, when I asked him which stall sells the famous Briyani. It was around noon and the stall was already busy with orders. The guy before me ordered take-away of at least 9 packets of the Briyani.

Here is the boss himself, Cik Ali, who asked me in perfect English, what will I be having. This photo of the man is taken from ieatishootipost. The selection for Briyani is  Mutton or Chicken or Fish.  If you prefer fish briyani, you have to pre-order.  It seems the Mutton Briyani is the more popular one and I could imagine how tender the aromatic mutton will be. However, I am trying to cut down on intake of mutton these days, so I decided to order the Chicken Briyani instead. Read Dr Leslie's review on the Mutton Briyani.

They were quite prompt in serving, as basically the dish and sides were already cooked. The ingredients include basmati rice, chicken, yoghurt, onions, spices, lemon, and saffron. The Chicken Briyani is accompanied with Achar,  a salad and a vegetarian curry cooked with roasted eggplant. Each set costs $6.

The crunchy Achar which was tangy sour and appetising.

The salad includes onions, carrots, cucumber and lemon wedges. Another appetising side to go with the spicy chicken.

You wonder where is the chicken? Well, it is hidden underneath the hot Basmati rice. Such wonderful colours.

I could not resist taking a shot at this angle, with the railway track in the background, for memory's sake. Look at the big heap of the delicious looking rice.

The chicken unearthed!  Below the fluffy Basmati rice, was this big chunk of chicken very tender and well done. Actually the rice looked like a huge portion, but because it was fluffy, it was not as filling as our usual Thai fragrant rice grains, hence I did not feel too bloated.

I believe the chicken was marinated with plain yogurt, tumeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, ginger paste, garlic paste and cumin powder. Mmmm, the chicken is the crucial item of this Briyani dish of course.

Personally Chicken Briyani has got to be accompanied by a hot cup of Teh Tarik. I could not resist taking a shot of my teh tarik with the tracks as the background again. Watch out for my upcoming post of a tour of this nostalgic railway station soon!

Slightly after 2pm, as I walked past the stall, they have already sold out.  You notice the accolades and reviews by the media pasted all around the stall. They do catering for buffets and parties as well. Give it a try if you are nearby, before they disappear.

Ali Nachia Briyani Dam

30 Keppel Road Tanjong Pagar 

The Railway Station Singapore.

Tel: +65 9389 2615