Bangalore's very own Birdie delights

Barbequed, fried or swimming in gravy—no matter how you choose to have your chicken, it never fails to overwhelm your taste buds. If butter chicken is the signature dish of sadi Dilli, fried chicken drumsticks rule the roost in namma Bengaluru. And whetting the appetite of the city’s chicken-crazy junta are innumerable eateries, from push-cart vendors dishing out minimalist fare to the fine-dining restaurants going the whole hog to transform the innocuous bird into a gourmet delight. But if you are looking for a lip-smacking bill of fare at incredible rates, a visit to the legendary Siddique Kebab Centre or the popular Al Bek Chicken Eatery is a must.

Come evening and Siddique Kebab Centre starts bristling with activity. Young and old alike flock to this cramped eatery to catch all the action—cast, crew, et al. The ground floor is the centre of all the hoopla. One gets to see ovens churning out golden-brown grilled chicken, sizzling kebabs and hot American chops. Amidst all the chaos, one finds the waiters deftly manoeuvring plates full of steaming biriyani and rice dishes, butter chicken, chicken Mughlai, lemon chicken, tandoori chicken, kalmi kebab, reshmi kebab and many more with the cheerful calm of a laughing Buddha. However, if you wish to have a relaxed family meal, opt for the eating area on third floor with the attached terrace garden.

Siddique Kebab Centre has a branch at Wheeler Road and another one is to open shortly at St John’s Road (quite near to the existing one). Mr Iqbal the manager proclaims, “This will be bigger and will also feature mutton and fish on the menu. And it will have two floors of dining area and a terrace garden restaurant.” He is quick to add the reason behind the eateries’ success, “People come here because they get good value for money and we have maintained good quality.”

Another popular restaurant that has managed to draw a steady stream of clientele with their delicious chicken dishes is Al Bek. All its three branches excel in tandoori fare. Their grilled chicken with salad, succulent American chops and melt-in-the-mouth kebabs find the maximum takers. For a more wholesome fare there are the chicken tikka masala, butter chicken and methi chicken. All these can be polished off with roomali rotis and various rice dishes. The words of MM Delvi, the owner of Al Bek, aptly sums up the ethos of this restaurant, “Everything served in Al Bek is made with loads of love and this can be seen in the fineness of our cuisine.”

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