The story
Chicken 65 is credited to the Buhari Hotel in Chennai, then called Madras, a restaurant founded by A. M. Buhari. It says its cooks created the fiery, deep-fried chicken bites, marinated with chilli, ginger and garlic and tossed with curry leaves, in 1965, and the year became part of the name. Plenty of other explanations circulate, tying the number to army rations from that year, 65 chillies, 65-day-old chickens or 65 pieces per batch, but the Buhari story is the most widely accepted. The dish spread across south India, picked up local twists in Hyderabad, and inspired vegetarian spin-offs such as Gobi 65 and Paneer 65.
Rival claims
Other stories tie the '65' to army rations, 65 chillies or 65-day-old chickens, but the Buhari Hotel claim is the accepted one.
Also known as chicken sixty-five.
On the Meridish menu
Chicken 65 was the starter course on menu No. 26 on October 26, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
Fiery red, deep-fried chicken bites with curry leaves and chilli. A restaurant in this southern port city created it in 1965, and the year stuck as its name.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
