A classic halal food cart in the FiDi and, honestly, one of the best chicken/lamb over rices I've ever had from the area.
With the popularity of multiple food carts in the vicinity of Khana Khazana, it's very easy to overlook this cart with a much shorter line during weekday lunch times. A majority of the lunch crowd either visit Indian King Biryani House and Biryani House and I don't blame them because they both make excellent biryani dishes and have extensive menus.
However, not to be outdone, what Khana Khazana lacks in variety, it more than makes up for in what it produces --- and that's one helluva a mean combo over rice. After overlooking and ignoring this cart for years, I decided to give it a shot based on the solid reviews it had on Yelp. One try. And was I rewarded for that chance I gave it.
First, yes, their menu isn't all that huge or impressive. They serve chicken/lamb over rice/salad, chicken/lamb biryani and veggie/chicken/lamb kati rolls. The rest of the menu, consisting of things like burgers and hot dogs, can pretty much be ignored. All of the good dishes are basically $6. I dropped in at around 1:15 on a weekday and there were just a handful of people on the line, while the lines for the Biryani House carts were 20-25 people deep. There were 3 guys working in the cart and the cashier in the group couldn't be any more friendly. Within a minute my order of a combo over rice with white, barbecue and green sauce was ready and I was on my way.
The first thing I observed with the rice dish was how large the order was. Not only did the tin foil container look bigger, but the box was PACKED. There was a lot of rice and a lot of chicken and lamb and very little lettuce, which was perfect for me. Flavor-wise, it was delicious. The chicken was fresh, the lamb was fresh and all of the sauces were mixed in perfectly. Best of all, I had plenty of it to eat.
To recap, for anyone who works or is passing by the FiDi, a quick word of advice. Yes, the biryani dishes at both Biryani House carts are excellent, but if you're just looking for chicken or lamb over rice, go with Khana Khazana. Not only will you get the best bang for your buck from Khana, but the flavors are awesome and you'll thoroughly enjoy the classic New York halal combo over rice and be stuffed afterwards. read more