Deli by day, grape bar by night, and a whole lot more in between--that basically sums up what Dusty's is all about. Dusty’s is a homegrown concept that portrays a mixture of different traditions and cultures into the design, ambience, and food. Named after the owner himself, Dusty Tourani, and inspired by his journeys from all over the world, this gastro-bar offers an all new and unique experience around home-cooked food concept.
I only knew about Dusty's when people started raving about it on social media when it opened a few months back. Walking into the gastro-bar finally made me understand what the raves were all about. I immediately fell in love with the place. The design has been inspired from various aspects around the globe, with a wide industrial space that has been acquired and given a rustic makeover. The industrial interior is warm and inviting with funky murals lining the walls and hip accents such as this cool lamp. The place also exudes a casual and rustic vibe with a smattering of high tables and comfy sofas.
Only a few tables were occupied considering it was a Friday night, but people started to flock deep into the night.
The menu was straight forward, but I still had a hard time on what to get as everything was inviting. Good thing Lucresia, the server who take care of us during the night, was well-versed with Dusty's offerings. The ones that we had were mostly her recommendations.
Rock Shrimp Tempura, Lobster Tacos, and Crispy Duck Salad
We started the night with some cold and hot starters and salad. We had Rock Shrimp Tempura, Lobster Tacos, and Crispy Duck Salad.
The Crispy Duck Salad was a total revelation. Saying that it was gastronomic is definitely an understatement. The mixed greens, pomegranate dressing, and crispy duck slices looked unassuming until we dug into its goodness. Layers of flavors from the nutty rockets, spinach, greens; the savory crispy duck slices; and the hint of sweetness and tang from the pomegranate play in my palates in every bite. Mark and I agreed that this is the star of our appetizers!
Crispy Duck Salad - AED 80
Three crispy taco shells filled with chunks of lobster, mangoes, avocado, and coriander was what our cold starter dish, Lobster Tacos, consisted of. The the chunky lobster and crispy taco shells added a contrast in texture from the velvety avocados and sweet mangoes. I love how the mildly salty tacos deviated from the sweetness of the filling. The chopped coriander also added that distinct herb taste.
Lobster Tacos - AED 80
Rock Shrimp Tempura for our hot starters was the least impressive, well, compared to the first two appetizers that we had that night. It wasn't actually bad, it's just that we were still not over with how good the salad was. :p I even loved how generous the serving was. It wasn't oily at all, the supple shrimps tasted sweet and really fresh, and the tempura coating was crunchy and well seasoned. It was good as is but gets even better when dipped with the chili mayo. I just found it a little too spicy for my palates to handle especially because I accidentally ate some of the chili slices topping. :p
Rock Shrimp Tempura - AED 70
A sip of Dusty’s cocktails definitely hyped up our feast. Mark went for the Chateau Dusty Grand Cru, a very flavorful, fruity, and potent muddle of scotch, red wine, and crème de cassis. A hint of black pepper and a bite of dark chocolate on the side makes this drink such a fun one with it's unique blend of spiciness and sweetness.
Chateau Dusty Grand Cru - AED 50
I tried Dusty’s Tubble & Bubble and immediately fell in love with it. I love sweet alcoholic drinks so it wasn't really hard falling in love with this fruity blend of strawberries, raspberries, Prosecco, and gin, add the fact that it came in a pretty girly vibrant pink! :D
Tubble & Bubble - AED 55
Fresh Watermelon and Vodka Shot
The blaring music was rather loud when we came, but Mark and I found ourselves lured into the whole lively vibe after a few drinks. :p
Following the yummy starters where the even more delectable mains--Grilled Lobster, Black Cod, and Dusty's Red Chicken. We immediately dug into the lobsters the moment it was served, well, after I took a photo of it of course. :p
I'm a sucker for shrimps and crabs, so this lobster, being somewhat a mixture of both, made me all giddy. The lobster was grilled to perfection making the meat firm yet tender to the bite. The acidity and saltiness from the soy and yuzu butter complemented the naturally sweet lobster meat. I wouldn't have minded getting my hands dirty and wiping out everything from the lobster and cracking those feet and claws, but I just had to control myself. Haha! :p
We only planned of getting lobster plus either a beef or chicken dish, but Lucresia insisted that we try their Black Cod and reiterated that we won't regret it. And well yes, she was definitely right! I am not so much into fish dishes, but I enjoyed eating this one.
You'll know that the fish was perfectly cooked since it maintained its moisture as it flakes out with the touch of a fork. It is coated with a mildly sweet and salty dark sauce which my palates suggest as soy-based with some Indian spices. It also came with a with a mango salsa with green chili which I enjoyed eating with the fish.
Grilled Lobster - AED 195
I'm a sucker for shrimps and crabs, so this lobster, being somewhat a mixture of both, made me all giddy. The lobster was grilled to perfection making the meat firm yet tender to the bite. The acidity and saltiness from the soy and yuzu butter complemented the naturally sweet lobster meat. I wouldn't have minded getting my hands dirty and wiping out everything from the lobster and cracking those feet and claws, but I just had to control myself. Haha! :p
Black Cod - AED 145
Another recommendation by Lucresia and one of Dusty's specialties is Dusty's Red Chicken. The chicken arrived with a side of Truffle Fries with Parmesan.
Dusty's Red Chicken - AED 125
Served as a half char-grilled baby chicken, it was cooked perfectly making the meat fork tender. Doused in a delectable Indian butter chicken sauce with a drizzle of yogurt which added a hint of sourness, Dusty's Red Chicken is another must-try! Mark isn't accustomed to Indian dishes yet and didn't quite enjoy it as much as I did, but I didn't mind as I got the dish all to myself! Yay! :D
While Mark almost left the chicken untouched, he was munching on the the fries non-stop!
Truffle Fries with Parmesan - AED 30
Mark has lower alcohol tolerance than me, so he begged off for another glass. I obliged when Lucresia suggested a glass of Hashtagme #. I found this one a little milder than the Tubble & Bubble. A sweet concoction of kahlua, baileys, Frangelico coconut puree, chocolate bitters, and cream felt like I was drinking melted ice cream. Not that I'm complaining! #yummy! :D
Hashtagme # - AED 55
Cheers and jives went with the lively music as the night went deeper. Mark and I can't help but party the night away! :D
We were preparing to leave as we already had more than enough food and drinks, when Lucresia handed us the desert menu. I was literally begging off but she insisted that we get some desserts. I can't quite choose what to have so when she asked, "Would you like to choose from the menu or do you want me to surprise you?", of course I chose the latter.
And by surprise, she really meant surprise! Lucresia suddenly came with not just one but three desserts!
Chocolate Fondant, Trio of Brûlée, and Candy Station
It was very timely that Mark is celebrating his 31st birthday two days after. So we had a little celebration! :D
Now on to the desserts. :D Mark and I felt like little kids as we dig into the Candy Station. It has chocolate fondue, marshmallows, meringues, strawberries, macarons, donut holes, fruit jellies, churros, cake pops, and M&M's. The caramel macaron, strawberries, and fruit jellies were my favorites!
Candy Station - AED 70
Another chocolate-y dessert served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream with cookies, I found the Chocolate Fondant quite mediocre. Not sure if it was just because of the cold weather, the chocolate filling didn't really ooze out as I would like it to. Mark enjoyed this one though and wiped the plate clean in no time.
Chocolate Fondant - AED 60
The Trio of Brûlée is crème brûlée which come in three flavors: coffee, mango, and coconut. The mango flavor is my favorite!
Trio of Brûlée - AED 60
Aside from dinner, Dusty's also has breakfast and lunch offerings. They also have a wide selection of wines and spirits. All of which you can enjoy in the gastro-bar or in their alfresco dining area, Dusty's open terrace, DIFC's largest open terrace, if I may add. Perfect while the weather in Dubai is still favorable.
Besides the serving time being quite slow, especially when guests started to flock in, our overall experience at Dusty's was superb. It is a perfect hangout after work or place for chilling on weekends and even a better venue for some gastronomic treat.
Photo from www.dubainight.com
Opening Hours
Sunday to Thursday
Kitchen: 7.30am – 11pm
Bar: 7.30am – 12am
Friday
7pm to 11pm
You can also checkout the revival of 'Fabulous Fridays' or simply F Fridays at Dusty's. This unique music concept comprises of a crazy mash up of tunes ranging from Disco, 80s, 90s, and rock to Soul and Funk. This fun, funky and fabulous night will be made even groovier with the tunes from DJ Cyril and DJ Gaby (8 years resident DJ at i2). Customers can also enjoy a two course set menu with two glasses of grape at just AED 150.
Dusty’s F Friday’s
When: Every Friday
Time: From 7pm till 2am
No table bookings, just walk in for a Fun, Funky and Fabulous night.
For updates about Dusty's you can visit and like them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Dustys.Dubai, or follow them on Twitter: @DustysDubai or Instagram: @dustysdubai. You can also visit their website at www.dustysdubai.com.
DUSTY'S
Level 1, Al Fattan Currency House
DIFC, Dubai
United Arab Emirates
+971 4 354 5435
Reservations: info@dustysdubai.com
We were guests at Dusty's and our meal was complimentary, but as always, this post is sincerely written and all views and opinions are my own.
sweetnothings.kriskamarie
@kriskamarie
@kriskamarie
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