Degchi recently won the UK Street Food Award for ‘Future Food Legend’, highlighting its potential to transform the street food scene. They serve only one dish, biryani, aiming to showcase authentic flavors rather than modifying their food to suit the crowd.
They are on a mission to encourage other street food stalls to specialize in just one dish, rather than offering long menus that cater to popular tastes. The founder, Omair, noticed that many stalls are changing traditional recipes, and he is trying to bring authentic Pakistani street food to London.
He shared: “Street food adapts to the audience, but the audience has to adapt to the authenticity of traditional food. We aim to change the industry by showing how biryani is traditionally served, not like in typical London takeaways – it’s not biryani.”
READ MORE: “I visited one of London’s most popular street markets for the first time – it’s now one of my favorite places”
They offer two delicious options: a chicken biryani and a vegan version with potatoes, cauliflower, carrots and green beans, both priced at £11. Biryani is cooked in a ‘dough’, a traditional pot with a narrow neck and round bottom, from which Degchi gets its name.
While the vegan option may deviate from tradition, both dishes are marinated in the same curry for over 24 hours, using a recipe from Omair’s mother. He said: “At the end of the day, it’s about carrying on what your mother taught you. I learned everything from my mother.”
Omair added that ultimately he wants to see customers smile and return. He said: “We put a lot of love and passion into our food, preparing biryani from scratch on site to deliver quality and taste.”
I tried both biryanis, and they were delicious – perfectly seasoned with just the right kick. A unique addition to the biryani experience was the salad and toppings, including fresh cilantro, yogurt sauce, crispy caramelized onions and a samosa pastry. The onions, which are made on site, were an absolute highlight for me.
I am now a fan of street food stalls that focus on a single dish to perfect their recipe. This biryani was exceptional; you could taste the freshness and high quality spices, unlike any other I’ve tried before.
Omair said: “We are focusing on mastering this dish rather than offering a takeaway menu with over 50 dishes, where everything tastes the same and lacks authenticity.” Degchi’s dedication to perfecting Biryani is evident, and I can’t wait to return!
Keep up to date with London’s most exciting events, the latest restaurants and the latest deals with our What’s On, Going Out newsletter. You can register HERE.
You can sign up to get the most exciting events for the new bars and restaurants in London sent directly to your WhatsApp from the team.
To sign up, you must already have WhatsApp. All you have to do is click on this link and select “join the community”.
No one will be able to see who is registered and no one can send messages except for the team.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and advertisements from us and our partners.
If you don’t like our community, you can check out whenever you want. To leave our community click on the name at the top of the screen and select “leave group”.
If you are curious, you can read our privacy notice.
Click here to sign up for alerts.
