Cafe Mariam - 116 Changi Rd

My “go to” place for excellent dum biryani/mandi (Arabic style biryani). You have a choice of mutton or chicken and biryani or mandi style rice. Mutton Biryani Biryani rice was perfection. Rich, with a good balance of spices and infused with saffron. The mutton was outstanding too. Large bone and a good amount of fats to release spectacular flavours into the overall meal. The accompanying dhall curry was ok and actually unnecessary. There is also a side of pickled sour plum and lime too. The pickles really do hit the spot. Chicken Mandi I believe it’s a yoghurt spiced chicken that’s finished by charring the top layer with a butane burner. The char is a brilliant novelty. The tinge of smoke and bitterness adds complexity to the piece of chicken. The mandi rice has rich good quality ghee flavours infused throughout. Yoghurt (Raita) and some green salsa as accompaniments. Very tasty. Great pedigree to the chef too. I believe his grandfather was the founder of Singapore’s Islamic Restaurant (Singapore’s famous biryani place founded in the 1920s). Do be patient, especially on weekends. The food is delicious and offered at a price that’s incredibly good value. Hence long queues can be expected. @whiskydev

Hassan must be really proud of his creations here. Mariam cafe has the best briyani! I am not an avid briyani critic but the meat falling off the bones and the fragrance and fluffiness in the rice simply takes you to a wonderful place. Not many seats here but if you wait you will be treated to a delicious well valued meal. I'd be back!

First time here…Amazing briyani! Will definitely come again. All the mutton and chicken are tasty and so tender. It’s not your usual briyani flavour. This is arabic style. The boss is a very courteous and nice chap. We had a wonderful experience eating from the dulang ??☺️

My daughter & I tried "Nasi Mandi", a middle east recipe (a portion chicken + 1 mutton) at lunch today. Interestingly, it came in a tray (Dulang in malay) consisting 2 portions of rice, lined with 1 whole chicken leg, generous chunks of lamb (back bone but meaty), chopped veggie (raw purple cabbage + cut olives&cherry tomatoes), a spicy sauce & a sweet yogurt. This is our first taste on this combination. And we enjoyed it. Was perfectly prepared & cooked by the chef with pride. Great food & Excellent job.

Biryani (SGD $8.50) @ Cafe Mariam. . Perhaps some of the appeal of this delicious biryani lies in how rare and challenging it is to get. . This humble, hole-in-the-wall joint is owned by Chef Hassan Abdul Majeed, whose grandfather founded the legendary Islamic Restaurant at North Bridge Road, a place reowned for their biryani. . Chef makes nearly everything from scratch, and his labour-intensive 3-stage cooking process means each dish is top notch, though it also limits his menu to only 5 items; all a variation of either biryani or mandi rice. . His belief that saffron is key, means the dish is generously and luxuriously flavoured, and along with other spices, impart a rich grainy spice sweet savoury flavour to the loose and fluffy basmati rice. . The large and generous mutton is fall-apart tender, with meaty savoury spice flavour, complimenting the rice. Was so large that chef handed me an additional empty plate for portioning it out. . Completed with an intensely sour spicy pickles, and a side of curry (although the biryani is good enough on its own). . Chef only opens for a mere 4-hours for lunch each day, and often sells out before closing. This, along with the limited 12 - 14 seats at the stall, means careful advance planning is needed to dine. . Still, this biryani is the gold medal standard for me.

Excellent mandi rice filled with flavour of the meat. The meat is tender and cooked with great care. Thanks to the chef, he even asked me to sample some of the Biryani to show me how different his nasi biryani is and how different it is from the rest around. I went on a Sunday at noon and the place was packed. And packed with discerning fans of all races who seem to be returning guests. The place is a must for Arabic Mandi. Will go back to try the Biryani next.

Delicious and generously portioned chicken and rice meals! The meal is creatively served on a big platter, perfect for sharing. There are a variety, but we had the Mendi and Biryani chicken, which were tasty and filling. Friendly staff, and a chill area to dine in. The portions are huge, so it's highly recommended for those super hungry times! :)

First time trying the mandi rice. Ordered a 2 person portion with chicken and mutton. The rice was pleasantly fragrant and paired well with the yogurt and salsa sauce. The meat was tender and had a hint of smoky flavour. Absolutely delicious! Make sure you are there with an empty stomach because the portion was huge.