Hyderabadi

It's squirreled away on a side street, across from a gas station, which hints at the sadly low level of foot traffic.

Nearby Spicy Mina is also on the awkward side of the BQE, but at least it's catty-corner from a subway station; to find Hyderabadi, head downhill from Mina's, go a block west on Broadway, and hang a right.

This simple eatery prepares halal cuisine from Hyderabad, capital of the southeast Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Late in the day, the steam table can be less than magnificent, especially compared with the multipage menu that lists many occasional and seasonal items, but by sheer luck, I arrived just as a large catering ordering was being filled. (Given its location, catering must make up the bulk of Hyderabadi's business.)

Chicken biryani, the mainstay of the order, was being ladled from a deep, double-handled cauldron that could bathe a large child or a small immodest adult; I was able to secure a plate ($5) for myself. The basmati rice, stippled with black pepper, also played host to whole cardamom pods, and unlike biryanis that have settled in under heat lamps, the meat in this freshly made version was unusually moist. Every few bites, a small side salad of lettuce, cucumber, and raw onion helped ping my palate.

If you'd rather not leave the menu so much to luck, the counterman suggested that lunchtime, especially on a weekend, would be a more fruitful hour to visit.

Hyderabadi
64-02 35th Ave. (Broadway-35th Ave.), Woodside, Queens
718-989-7658
www.HyderabadiCuisine.com

Comments

[Joey Deckle]

Glad to see this place getting some more ink..the Chicken 65 was pretty damn good last time I went..though like you mention not every item on the vast menu is available 24/7