As a millennial, it is almost customary for me to snap at least a dozen photos when a picture-perfect plate of biryani is placed before me.
Yet, I fought every instinct in me not to do so as I gazed upon the tender yet meaty chicken leg, shyly shrouded by a layer of fluffy basmati rice with a blemish-free hard-boiled egg perched on top.
I was joined by my colleague as we reminded each other with not-so-subtle glances not to pick up our handphones, which we had intentionally placed face down onto the table we dined at. And we weren’t the only ones.
From Nov 1 to Dec 31, Mr Biryani, located at 11 Chander Road and known for its Hyderabad-style biryani since 2017, is running a promotional campaign with a social twist.
Titled the “No Phone Challenge”, dine-in customers who successfully complete their meal without once using their handphones will be rewarded with a 15 per cent discount on their total bill, with no minimum spend.
Founder of restaurant chain Mr Biryani, Mr Govinda Rajan, 56, came up with the concept after his wife had chided him for being too attached to his handphone.
“I get distracted easily with incoming text messages, when customers call me or send me their orders and reservation requests personally. When I go back home, the habit doesn’t stop, so my wife always tells me that I’m always on the phone,” Mr Govinda said.
His wife works in healthcare, and together they have four children.
“I thought about it and realised what I was doing was not right. I needed to initiate something, for myself and for others. This is a people-based business. We need to interact with people, so while customers do come for the discount, I hope it will help them as well,” Mr Govinda added.
Director of a logistics company and longtime customer, Mr Suresh Elangovan, 33, said: “The food tastes good and the customer service is good too. My family and I always come back, but I personally would not participate in the challenge because I’d be too distracted by my phone’s notifications.”
The rules are simple. First, inform the waiters that you’d like to participate in the challenge. Once you have placed your order, you may choose to switch off your handphone, or simply place it face down on the table and leave it untouched throughout your meal.
Upon successful completion, you will receive the promised 15 per cent discount on your total bill. My colleague and I shared one chicken dum biryani and two glasses of fresh lime juice, which came to S$32.40, but we only paid S$28.20 after the discount.
However, I have to admit that the challenge was easier said than done.
We dined for about an hour, but the first 15 minutes felt like forever. My hands felt fidgety as I helped myself to the spoonfuls of fragrant biryani rice. We have been so conditioned to multitask that when told to pare back, it feels a little wrong somehow.
Thankfully, my colleague took the lead in our conversation, and I was amazed at how much closer I felt towards her after our meal. I learnt more about her in one hour than I had in the past week.
“We’ve had customers who came over every day since the campaign started, and those who chose not to take it up as well, so it’s really up to them,” Mr Govinda said.
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20 Nov 2025 15:37
