Biryani Near Me on North Bridge Road: Zam Zam's Mutton Plate Since 1908

Mutton biryani at Singapore Zam Zam costs S$10, and the plate comes out of a two-storey shophouse at 697-699 North Bridge Road that has been feeding Kampong Gelam since 1908. The doors open at 7 am and stay open until 11 pm every day, so a biryani near me search from Bugis or Arab Street lands here at almost any hour. The restaurant faces the gold dome of Masjid Sultan across the road.

The biryani board on the official menu lists eight versions, and the cheapest four are all S$9: chicken, fish, beef and fried chicken. Mutton biryani sits one step up at S$10, prawn biryani at S$12, and two heavyweights close the list at S$22 each, the deer biryani and the lamb shank biryani. For a first visit the mutton is the plate to judge the kitchen by, since it is the house standard rather than a special.

Deer meat is the unusual name on that list, and it also turns up in the murtabak section, where a deer murtabak is S$13 for the smaller size. The lamb shank biryani is the order for a hungry pair who want one bone-in centrepiece to share. Our honest view is that the S$22 deer plate is a curiosity buy; the S$10 mutton tells you more about why regulars keep coming back.

Zam Zam is as famous for murtabak as for rice, and the official menu prices them by size. A chicken murtabak starts at S$7 and climbs to S$20 for the largest, while mutton murtabak runs up to S$23 at its biggest size. There is also a sardine murtabak from S$7, a tuna murtabak at S$10 for the smaller version and a vegetable murtabak at S$7, so a vegetarian at the table is not left with only rice.

The restaurant says it was established in 1908 and calls itself one of the most popular Indian-Muslim restaurants in Singapore. According to the national encyclopaedia entry on wiki.sg, Haji Mahmud set up Zam Zam after travelling to Singapore from Kerala, and the business has since been passed down through generations of his family. That long line of ownership explains why the menu still reads like a working canteen rather than a curated tasting list.

The name on the signboard today dates from 1985. That year the neighbouring Singapore Restaurant and Zam Zam merged, and the combined business was renamed Singapore Zam Zam. Next door, Victory Restaurant was established in 1910 according to the National Heritage Board, and the two old shops side by side are part of why this short stretch is known as a murtabak and biryani street.

The official site describes the building as two floors with seating that is simple but cozy and warm. Downstairs is the open front with the griddle and the busiest tables, where you hear orders called across the room. Diners who want quieter air-conditioned seats should head upstairs, which reviewers on Google describe as the cooler room on the second floor, a useful tip on a humid afternoon.

Service is straightforward table service in an old shophouse, not a booking-led restaurant. Staff will steer first-timers toward the mutton plate and a murtabak if you look unsure, and the official site describes the team as friendly and happy to help. Plates are generous, so order one dish each before adding sides; a second round is easy to request once you see how much rice arrives.

Opening at 7 am makes Zam Zam one of the few places on this road where biryani is available before most offices start work, and a breakfast or mid-morning plate is the calmest way to eat here. The 11 pm close also suits a late meal after Bugis shopping. The busiest stretch is the lunch hour and the evening after prayers at the mosque opposite, when the downstairs tables fill with families.

If every table is taken and the upstairs room is full too, walk a few doors along North Bridge Road to Victory Restaurant, the 1910 neighbour that also serves murtabak and biryani, rather than standing on the pavement. Another option is to take a slow lap of the mosque grounds and come back in twenty minutes, since turnover is quick at a restaurant where most diners eat one plate and leave.

Step out of the restaurant and Masjid Sultan is directly across the road, its gold dome the landmark that every map of the district centres on. Muscat Street and Bussorah Street lead toward the mosque entrance, lined with carpet shops and textile sellers. Visitors are welcome outside prayer times, and a walk around the outside of the building is a gentle way to let a plate of biryani settle.

From the mosque, cut through to Arab Street for fabric and rattan stores, then on to Haji Lane, the narrow lane of murals, small boutiques and cafés that fills with photographers on weekend afternoons. The whole loop from Zam Zam to Haji Lane and back is under fifteen minutes on foot, and Bugis MRT is a short walk south when you are ready to leave the neighbourhood.

Address: 697-699 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198675. Hours: Monday to Sunday, 7 am to 11 pm, per the official contact page. Nearest MRT: Bugis, which the restaurant describes as mere minutes away on foot. Prices quoted here come from the official menu boards on zamzam.sg, and the menu carries a halal mark.

Ask the Karpo APP for a dessert stop on Haji Lane, a teh tarik spot nearby, or the fastest route from Bugis MRT to North Bridge Road before you set off. It can also suggest another Kampong Gelam biryani counter if you want to compare plates on a second visit.