Oye Lucky Oye- Biryani

 If you lived / worked at a certain time in Bandra Khar Juhu in the late 90s to 2010 … for a Biryani your go to place was Lucky Biryani.

It still is quite and institution even today with my contemporary food writers and presenters Kalyan Karmakar, Kunal Vijaykar and few dozen food appreciators you wouldn’t have heard of…

The toss up was between Lucky, Candy or if on a tight budget Rajasthan Restaurant which had nothing to do with Rajasthani food but more about Paya Kabab Biryani and Kofta and even Kaliya but really cheap…

Origins and History 

Lucky Restaurant in Bandra, Mumbai, is a legendary food destination established in 1938, renowned for its Irani-influenced biryani and extensive menu. The restaurant is a staple of Mumbai's culinary scene, with a history tied to Iranian settlers who moved from Pune

Establishment: The restaurant was originally opened as "Bombay Restaurant" on Bazar Road in 1930.

Renaming: It became known as "Lucky Restaurant" on September 9, 1938.

Founder: Founded by Sayed Ali Akbarul Huseini.

Location History: The current, iconic location in Bandra was previously a British car showroom.

Evolution: The restaurant started with a limited menu of four or five dishes but has since expanded to offer over 200 items. 

Biryani Style and Features

Style: Lucky Biryani is a popular Mumbai-style biryani, known for being flavorful and rich.

Distinct Elements: Unlike the classic Kolkata style, Lucky's biryani contains small pieces of potato, but not the large, whole potatoes found in Kolkata, often featuring a distinct, thick gravy-like masala paste (jhol) integrated into the rice.

Specialists: Many of the cooks at the restaurant are from Uttar Pradesh.

Celebrity Patronage: Due to its location in Bandra and its long history, it is a well-known hangout for Bollywood celebrities. 

Legacy

Today, the restaurant is managed by the sons and grandchildren of the founder and remains a 24-hour spot known for its biryani, non-vegetarian food, and Indian-Mughlai cuisine. 

Now, today I had to replicate Lucky  Chicken Biryani…at home at New Delhi about 1200 km as the crow flies…

Humble effort in the kitchen huge step for Biryanidom was able to bring about a similar taste smell look aroma with a memory of the Channel [V] Star days and nights spen in Khar Juhu Bandra Pali Hill Union Park and Santa Cruz ….remembering all the people Mohit,  Debu Ranvir Shorey Gaurav Kapoor, Mandar Thakur Shaji Mathews, Sanjay Das,Vivek Arora,Suresh Bala, Mahesh Murthy, Shashank Ghosh , Arnab Choudhary, Jignesh Shah.  Albeit Vegetarian, Vivek Paul , Rahul Merchant and a million more

Which is your favourite Biryani..