Hyderabad Inn, 551 Barkly St, West Footscray. Phone: 9689 0998

As detailed in our Top 10 list for 2012, western suburbs Indian eateries played a big part of our foodiness pleasure last year.

Inevitably, keeping up with newcomers meant some old faves went unvisited.

Indeed, our earlier review of Hyderabad Inn is almost two years’ old – so it’s high time for a revisit.

The room seems unchanged – clean, spacious and a little on the clinical side.

The prices have crept up – the average curry price seems to clock in about the $13 to $14 mark.

But Hyderabad Inn has heaps going for it.

The menu is long and with many bases covered – you can go the whole bang-up meal routine here with curries galore, or choose to go the snack or street food route.

The place even has a separate menu for dosas and the like, including a plethora of combo deals.

But I’ve dropped in today to pursue my interest in my current favourite thing – biryani.

Will the Hyderabad Inn rendition compare favourably with the dynamite dish recently enjoyed to extremes at Vanakkam?

The answer is yes.

My chicken biryani is in the higher realms price-wise at $12.95 and the advertised fried onions really are garnish rather than a flavouring addition.

Those small quibbles aside, all is good.

The accompanying pots of raita and gravy are much larger than is the norm elsewhere.

The raita is thicker than usual and laced with long strands of carrot and cucumber.

The gravy is quite creamy and seems to a have peanut flavour to it.

I later am told that is indeed the case

The mix is made specifically for biryani duty and contains peanuts, coconut, tamarind, white sesame seeds, tomatoes and chilli.

The chilli is a tad redundant, as the rice itself is plenty hot – kid-friendly food this is not.

I discover, too, that the black herb scattered throughout the rice is actually mint that has changed colour in the cooking process.

The chicken content generously amounts to a drumstick and a bone-in thigh, both tender and tasty.

This is my kind of biryani – I need all the bells and whistles for this dish to work for me.

A plate of spicy rice isn’t enough.

As I arrived, there was only one other table hosting customers.

As I leave, there are four more busy doing the biz for family groupings.