When we step inside the tiny room on the mezzanine floor of Biryani Hazir Ho, a new delivery kitchen in Andheri, chef and founder, Mujeeb Rehman Ur is in the midst of an animated conversation with a colleague. "We were just talking about how biryani is served in the city," he says, letting us into the discussion. It's a contentious topic with polarising opinions. In Rehman's view, Mumbaikars usually like it spicy and soggy. The version may not necessarily fit his ideal of how the fragrant rice dish was designed to be eaten. "While it's true that food get reinvented when it moves into a new territory, it's good to be in the know of the original taste," he tell us. Mujeeb, who hails from the royal Qureshi family of Lucknow, but prefers not to wear it on his sleeve, is here to do that with his latest
hospitality endeavour.

At the kitchen, Rehman and his team of chefs are rustling up delicious Awadhi fare, with their signature offering being the Lucknowi biryani. But it's not biryani as we know it. It's dry, and toes a fine balance between spice and fragrance. To compensate for those who like it moist, Burhani raita is served on the side. "That way, you can make it as soggy as you want," he says. For Rehman, the most interesting feature about the dish is that it's difficult to trace what goes into it.