Hyderabad House for dinner last night! Hyderabad House is an authentic Indian restaurant located in the “Centre at Riverchase” shopping center, directly across from the Hoover Library (1694 Montgomery Highway, 35216). Indian restaurants can sometimes make assumptions about the knowledge base of the typical Alabama diner. Most of us (yes, me included) know a few basic menu items, know our favorite curry, have a love affair with naan, and that spice level is important. Navigating a menu the size of Hyderabad House COULD be a difficult task, but it isn’t! The menu has some brief, but informative descriptions of each item. Even better, the service staff at Hyderabad actually enjoys fielding your questions and describing dishes so that you have the best possible experience. I always ask a few questions to see if the servers know their stuff - but more importantly- are they willing to share that knowledge with diners? They were! If you are new to Indian cuisine or a seasoned Masala Maven, you will feel at home at Hyderabad House!
First, let’s talk atmosphere. Y’all, this restaurant is beautiful inside. Date night gold, even! Lovely floral decor throughout the place with garden wallpaper, make it feel pleasant and comfortable. That is hard to do in a strip mall and not every place can pull it off.
We started off with water but be aware that the beverage options are endless. Boba selections are plentiful. They even have Boba Cocktails - perhaps the first in the state to offer these! I had my typical soda, but tried the Almond Milk. I am in love! This is not your typical almond milk! This is a rich and creamy beverage with tiny pieces of almond! If I had to describe the flavor, I would say it tasted a little like a cold,melted Butter Pecan Shake. (In the best possible way).
The appetizer selection was a bit confusing for me but my sweet server guided me to the Monagadu Kodi Vepudu - spicy, boneless fried chicken pieces. This was enough for the three of us to share! Nashville Hot Chicken? You have nothing on this spicy fried chicken! All dishes are rated by spice level with chili pepper icons. This was a 2-chili offering and was as spicy as I would personally probably go. Nice heat without losing any flavor! We also had an order of Samosas (pastry pockets filled with savory onion and veg). Other items that were suggested to us for apps were the Chicken Lollipops and the “Chicken 65”. I actually have tasted the Chicken 65 and second that recommendation.
The entree selections include both vegetarian and non-vegetarian items. They have a varied selection of Biryanis, which are rice dishes with different protein options. I decided to go with the “Gongura Shrimp Biryani”, I ordered “moderate spice” and it might have been a touch spicy for my taste but not uncomfortably so. If you are new to the cuisine, it might be wise to go with “mild” spice to see what you think! This dish was SO flavorful. When it arrived, I thought they had made a mistake and sent me beef, because the shrimp were so thoroughly seasoned, they looked like pieces of steak. Over-seasoned though? NO! This may be my favorite shrimp preparation that i have had in a long time. Biryanis come in three sizes in case you want to share at the table. I got the smallest (regular) size and I can comfortably say that at least TWO people could enjoy this dish with a bit left over! I was very happy to take a box home with me! At $17, I was very pleased with the size!
One of my party got the old reliable Butter Chicken. She really enjoyed it and I hope to urge her to branch out a bit more. She said she shouldn’t have to if she likes it! (Fair Play, friend!) The other in my party got Chicken Korma and said it was some of the best he had had. He knows Indian cuisine much better than I do so I trust his palate. I tasted his and it was lovely.
I have included pics of the menu because there are just so many choices that I couldn’t possibly even name the categories. I look forward to trying many more in the future!
Two large appetizers, three drinks, two large-portioned entrees and one REALLY large Biryanis, cost 102.00 with tax! Since we could have shared one app and at least one of our entrees could feed two, I found this place affordable enough to visit often. They do have some interesting dessert options. We were just stuffed.
I highly recommend Hyderabad House. If you have always wanted to try Indian food but were a little intimidated by the cuisine, this is a great place to start! Just tell them you are new and watch their eyes light up! They can’t wait to show you their world! (Oh- and get the almond milk! 😉)
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