Zam Zam Foods

For years, this family-run Pakistani eatery has cooked up delicious portions of halal food, including a standout Karachi-style chicken biryani, ultra-fiery chandan kebabs and a decadent Delhi-style nihari (beef stew). Originally based in Culver City, you can now find Zam Zam Foods in Hawthorne, where a new set of owners has maintained the consistency and quality that has made the restaurant’s fiery chicken biryani beloved across the Southland. On the weekends, be sure to order the halwa puri platter with sweet, carrot-based halwa (a type of crumbly, sugary confection), chickpea curry and a deep-fried, handrolled puri. Other menu highlights include the milder, fragrant lamb pulao and the milky-sweet, steaming hot cups of chai.