Here’s a sight you’ve likely never clapped eyes on in a hawker centre: a hawker clad in crisp chef’s whites — complete with a double-breasted jacket and puffy chef’s toque. The smartly attired fellow is Muhammad Rizwan, 39, who whips up Pakistani-style biryani at Pakistani Dum Biryani SG, which opened on 25 January 2024 at Maxwell Food Centre. 

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Never mind that Rizwan, who was born in Lahore, Pakistan, has never worked as a professional chef before. His Singaporean wife, Yusnita Yusuff (who also dons chef’s whites sans the cap), 48, tells 8days.sg that he “wears the chef’s hat daily to give a clean, professional and authentic impression”. Rizwan is proud of his fancy outfit, and “feels good when he dresses up that way to serve customers”. That’s dedication — it must be stuffy dressed like that in a humid hawker centre setting. Both Yusnita and Rizwan cook at the stall daily, and they say that their outfits help attract people, especially tourists, to their stall.

Rizwan is currently a long-term visit pass holder in Singapore, which allows him to work here while still being a Pakistani citizen. The couple met through Facebook.

They claim to be the “the one and only and first” to sell Pakistani biryani in Singapore. What’s the difference between Pakistani biryani and Indian biryani, which we’re more familiar with locally? According to Yusnita, customers often say their version “has more flavour and is spicier compared to other types of biryani”, with the main difference being the type of spices used, plus the addition of tomatoes. 

From running hijab biz to selling biryani 

Rizwan and Yusnita previously sold their food online through a home-based biz which they started in March 2020. Prior to that, the couple sold clothes like hijabs for Muslim women. 

“We were selling clothing for five to six years until the pandemic hit, so we switched to this food business”, Yusnita says, sharing that “the idea came from [her] late mum, who knows [her] husband loves to cook”. 

While they were initially skeptical about making the switch, Yusnita says their food business took off rather quickly, thanks to biz from their clothing shop clients. 

Yusnita says she wanted to set up a physical stall as “[setting up at] Maxwell was suggested by my late mum”. “Her last words before she passed away have been marked in my mind, so I’ve been waiting for this place for almost two years, and we got it last year”, she shares. 

Authentic Pakistani biryani adapted from his mum’s recipe

Pakistani Dum Biryani has a six-item menu featuring biryani and pulao, the latter a lighter-tasting, milder spiced rice dish typically cooked in broth. They serve both dishes plain for $5, or $8 with chicken or mutton. 

The signature biryani here is cooked dum-style. Dum cooking means the partially cooked meat, basmati rice and spices are layered in a pot and further slow-cooked over low heat — in this case for three hours.

While they’ve declined to reveal the specific ingredients used, Yusnita shares that Pakistani biryani is made with a lot more “spices and lots of tomatoes”. Rizwan uses spices from Pakistan. 

Rizwan’s biryani recipe is adapted from his mother’s. Yusnita says Rizwan “watched his mum in the kitchen. Also, during Hari Raya - which is a big thing in Pakistan - his uncles would all come down to his house and help to cook. So he captured it all in his memory”.

Despite the stall being open for only two weeks, Yusnita says “business has been good, with overwhelming response from many people working in the area”.

Pakistani Dum Biryani SG is located at #01-69 Maxwell Food Center, 1 Kadayanallur St, S069184. Open daily except Sun. Mon - Sat 10am - 8pm. Tel: 8812 3844. More info via Facebook.

Photos: Pakistani Dum Biryani SG

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