TL;DR: Coming right from the backstreets, not too far from the hospital is yet one more unlikely gem of a find. Everything is all systems go, down to the finest detail - they cater persistently, every bite of their meal is an intense display of quality and flavour, and it is an exciting menu that will entice any fan of Indian cooking. Put this in the travel guide, since this needs to be tried to be believed.
What we got here is a contrast on many levels. Under-rated or more overlooked, both those terms can easily grasp how Hyderabad Flavours brings its money to the table. Where it is overlooked, it is in the surprisingly rich hub near the PA Hospital which has housed a few surprises over the years. Even if this was the best place in all of Brisbane, it is unlikely to come to mind when discussing getting a good bite to eat, That is also the contribution to why Hyderabad is such an under-rated gem; it uses a strange place (plus the delivery apps) to entice anyone that has a keen nose for something a bit different. And to that, it is thoroughly recommended.
It was right into the one of the biggest weekends for wrestling fans - Survivor Series at that, and going right into it I was unaware about how much of a good few days it was going to be. That included both the programming, and the food that was paired along with it. The first order of business was able to get live-streamed, and what came after that was some delivery. What was open around lunch on a Sunday in this area? That was the question - what it ended up being was some reliable Indian. Instead of reliable Indian, it was some of the tastiest and possibly most fiery Indian that I have had in a long time.
The process was a pretty easy one. Even more so in doing it a few days beforehand. It was all a matter on getting onto UberEats, scrolling through what was available on that day and at the right time, then arranging the order. When that was all set and done, I just needed to sit back and relax.
While the timing between the actual show and eating the meal was somewhat off, that can't be attributed to anyone. Daylight saving times in this part has everything with an hour's difference, in which the show was an hour earlier than normal. The food arrived after the show, yet from the registering the order all the way to it coming to the door, there was practically no need to fret so much. It got to the door pipping hot, and plentiful. Once the Uber driver gets on the road around this part of town, they are practically in the express lane. A perfect hand off happened at the end, which led to one delicious meal.
Just a little gander at the menu, and it is clear to see that it is not like many - or perhaps even any - Indian restaurant in the whole of Brisbane. What stands out the most is a few of the items being ideal for around half a dozen people, perhaps even more. They got their mind well set on catering: it is apparent with the biriyanis, the goat dishes, and some of their spicier chicken bites. That sets in motion the character of Hyderabad Flavours, which is pretty unique as far as this town goes.
With the rest of their menu, you aren't going to see the general range of butter chickens and whatnot at this place. This is like stamping your passport at the airport, jumping on a plane right to Hyderabad itself and wandering the streets to see what offerings they have. In fact, none of the curries are able to get customised to the desired heat - for me, that is an enticing plus. It is a big and extensive menu, right from the get go.
They have a big range of entrees, which includes a huge range of tandoor delights, lots of bites for chicken lovers, as well as vegetarians being well catered for, and even a bit of seafood thrown in for good measure. These entrees range from the finger food bites, to ones that are practically meals in themselves. After that is their specialty: biriyani. Likewise, they have several vegetarian options, along with several meat-based ones. These can be gotten in both jumbo and family sized packs, and if they are made from scratch all the more credit to them.
Next up is their curries, in which overall there is a generous amount. In each one, it looks fairly modest. They got some daal, several vegetarian ones which includes all the paneers, There are plenty of options for the meat lovers, the main one being chicken with several lamb ones with a couple of goat options thrown in for good measure. After that comes the accompaniments - all those naans, several varieties of fried rice, noodles, and egg-based sides dishes.
Finishing that off is everything sweet, with a few small desserts to just hit the spot right, and they also have their decent selection of drinks for any point. Most of it right from the fridge, along with the signature lassi that certainly goes with the curries when they are as hot as this.
I can envision that even some of the biggest fans of Indian food will saunter on in and be wondering what the heck half of the stuff on the menu is. When something is that authentic, you know you are in for a real treat. Like I have already mentioned previously, this Hyderabad-based beauty might well be among the best Indian Brisbane has got going, and it will be flying directly under the radar.
As per usual when it comes to starting off these meals, I christen it with a couple of starters. It almost goes without saying that an onion bhaji has become quintessential in an Indian banquet; that was one of the choices made. The other one was from the starter-curry mix, crispy chicken 65. Both of these were delicious. Goodness knows how much onion pakora they served up; all that is needs to be known is there is bang for the buck with it. The sweetness of the onion is present, which goes well when mixed in with whatever spicy marsala they use. It is simply delicious each time.
The other starter was the infallible chicken 65. With no qualms, it being deep fried is going to be an enticing plus in my book and when that is combined with a deliciously thick and spicy sauce it simply makes it all the better. There was nary a bone to be found here, with a generous amount that would do well at a small get together. The batter was the perfect temperature, and the perfect consistency. The chicken meat was tender and went down a treat.
I selected two curries from the menu, opting to get one each of chicken and lamb. The first one was a simple Hyderabad style chicken curry, and the second one was a chilly lamb. Both of these curries were fairly simple. The lamb was in a simple sauce, that had more chilli than average, which was thick and nutty. They put plenty of meat into the mixture, and the lamb meat must have been cooked for such a long time on a low heat - there is a flavour that can't be mistaken. With the chicken curry, it was also simple and straightforward - a mere rich curry, plenty of spices and heaps of tender chicken. This went down a treat, with them opting for thigh meat.
To be honest, if I had to choose between having the naan bread and having the rice, I will always be tempted towards getting the bread - particularly when they got a good range of fillings folded into the mix. Between all the Indian places I try out, I attempt to rotate them around a bit and don't shy away from the simplicity which works so much of the time - this was one of those occasions. The combination of cheese and garlic is an impossible one to pass up. The consistency of the bread was spot on - soft and spongy enough to pull apart with your hands, robust enough to wrap around a big chunk of meat or dip in the sauce without disintegrating. In it, the cheese melted beautifully plus you didn't need a microscope to see the chunks of garlic spread over the bread. They had a real big one cut into at least quarters, so more points for their generosity.
Plus, what kind of host would I be getting Indian and excluding the classical lassi beverage? The answer would be an abhorrent one, hence I manage not to miss that beat. It was two mango lassis right here. I might have on gripe with them, and it was that they were a tad on the small side. It is a bit like when you are getting into a good milkshake from a milk bar, with it being cold and creamy along with the full-on flavour. Mango is one of my favourite flavours when it comes to milk-based drinks, hence that made it even better. These are some fairly fiery curries you will have on hand, which as much as the lassi acts as an effective ceasefire you will need plenty of milk on hand. That is being said from an accustomed palate to spicy food.
Every once in a blue moon, I come across some Indian that manages to stand tall above the competition. When that happens, it is often from it being different to the countless offerings that have come before it in conjunction with high quality fare. This is where Hyderabad comes into play, where every single component was just as good as the last. It was also among the spiciest food that I have eaten, yet still with the flavours in tact. Even if you get a lassi with these curries, certainly have a good amount of milk in the fridge - you might need it.
In retrospect, I was kicking myself for not going through and getting some gulab jamun or something to finish it all off, because this might well be as good as it gets. While it may sneak under the radar, I am that guy who will seek them out and inform everybody if it is worth the venture - if somewhere is good enough to have an official Indian city in its name, then that is enough information to know that you are in for a treat. While this is being kept at a 4.0 for now, it will be an honourary 5.0 from just how good everything was.
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