CALICUT STORIES RESTAURANT- AL QUSAIS

Name: CALICUT STORIES RESTAURANT- AL QUSAIS
Address: 17 Al Doha St, Al Qusais, Dubai, AE
Telephone: +97143553579

Al Qusais

Restaurant Closed 04 355 3579

Calicut Stories Restaurant in Al Qusais is a Kerala restaurant built around Malabar flavours, with traditional meals served on a banana leaf and charcoal chicken among the dishes customers return for. It has indoor and outdoor seating, making it suited to family meals as well as casual dining.

Reputation Score

4.3

★★★★☆

2,002 ratings

Call Website Directions

The Good Stuff

Showing 2 of 6

Kerala Meals

Naadan meals come on a banana leaf with a generous spread of traditional sides, including aviyal, thoran, pachadi and payasam.

Charcoal Chicken

The juicy charcoal chicken is praised for being tender, well-marinated and cooked to retain its juiciness.

Let's go!

What to Eat at CALICUT STORIES RESTAURANT- AL QUSAIS

Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of CALICUT STORIES RESTAURANT- AL QUSAIS, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.

Food 5

Turkish charcoal chicken Net +3

“The Turkish Charcoal Chicken was a standout dish—perfectly juicy, tender, and packed with delicious flavor. It was grilled to perfection, leaving a smoky essence that elevated the experience.”
Butter nan Net +2

“We had Butter chicken with Butter Nan and it was absolutely delicious.”
Juicy charcoal chicken Net +2

“The food is absolutely excellent and has never disappointed us. The juicy charcoal chicken is probably the best I have had in the UAE — cooked to perfection, incredibly tender, and marinated beautifully.”
Kerala poratta Net +2

“The Poratta and Roti were also noteworthy—soft, fresh, and a great accompaniment to the curries.”
Pacha kurumulak tawa-seabass(kalaanji) Net +2

“The Pacha Kurumulak Tawa-Seabass(kalaanji) was really good and packed with flavor. The fish was fresh, perfectly cooked, and beautifully seasoned, allowing its natural taste to stand out without being overpowered by spices.”

Honorable mentions (29)

Adipoli thread-like porotta Net +1

“The real star was the adipoli, thread-like porotta 🫓—soft, flaky, and absolutely satisfying—paired with a rich gravy 🍛 that made every bite special.”
American chopsuey Net +1

“The chilly beef 🌶️🥩 was flavourful with the perfect spice kick, and the American chopsuey 🍜 was comforting and well balanced.”
Beef paal porotta Net +1

“I tried their beef paal porotta (ബീഫ് പാൽ പൊറോട്ട), and it was really nice and delicious. I loved it.”
Beetroot pachadi Net +1

“* The Traditional Sides: You'll find a vibrant beetroot pachadi, tangy mango pickle, and the essential Puli Inchi (ginger-lime chutney) that adds a sweet-savory kick.”
Butter chicken with appam Net +1

“The Food was delicious and my family's favorite was butter chicken with appam so I would really recommend it to butter chicken lovers, like me!”
Chicken biriyani Net +1

“Later, we also tried the Kerala Meals and Chicken Biriyani, which were again really good and always hit the spot.”
Chicken starter honey glazed Net +1

“We placed chicken starter, honey glazed (it was delicious), tawa fish, green chilli.”
Chilli chicken Net +1

“Their super buttery, flaky porottas paired with the chilli chicken and butter chicken are simply superb.”
Chilly beef Net +1

“The chilly beef 🌶️🥩 was flavourful with the perfect spice kick, and the American chopsuey 🍜 was comforting and well balanced.”
Fish tawa platter Net +1

“The food here was sooo goood their fish tawa platter and juicy chicken mandhi is a must try ..the portion was huge was as well more than enough for 8 people.”
Ghee rice Net +1

“Ghee rice awesome”
Hearty sambar Net +1

“* The Hearty Sambar: A staple done to perfection. It is thick, aromatic, and packed with the goodness of slow-cooked lentils and garden-fresh vegetables, providing the perfect savory anchor to the rice.”
Horlicks Net +1

“Walked into Calicut Stories, Qusais purely out of hunger 🍽️ and was pleasantly surprised ❤️ The experience started with a heart-filling glass of Horlicks 🥛 that instantly felt homely.”
Juicy chicken mandhi Net +1

“The food here was sooo goood their fish tawa platter and juicy chicken mandhi is a must try ..the portion was huge was as well more than enough for 8 people.”
Mandi Net +1

“Had a really great experience at Calicut Stories. The mandi was absolutely delicious 😋—perfectly cooked rice, flavorful meat, and generous portions 🍖🍚.”
Mutton roghan gosh Net +1

“Another highlight was the Mutton Roghan Gosh, which impressed us with its rich, authentic North Indian flavor. The spices were well-balanced, and the mutton was cooked just right, making it a dish to remember.”
Neypattal Net +1

“We ordered chicken lollipop for starters, neypattal with beef roast and prawns tawa. Firstly the starter took 25+ minutes for serving. Average if I'm being kind. The neypattal was good, crispy and fresh.”
Paal kappa Net +1

“We were 3 people and ordered Full Juicy Chicken Charcoal, Paal Kappa, and Beef — everything was delicious, full of authentic Malabar flavour. ❤️”
Pappadam Net +1

“* Texture & Crunch: Every leaf comes with a perfectly fried, airy Pappadam and a side of Thoran (coconut vegetable stir-fry), adding that necessary crunch to the steaming hot rice.”
Prawns curry Net +1

“We also ordered their prawns tawa fry and only had the fish curry which is the prawns curry and we ain't went for sambar. Both tawa fry and prawns curry were flavorful and well prepared but the head of the prawns in both felt weird and that taste taste was somewhat weird!”
Prawns tawa fry Net +1

“We also ordered their prawns tawa fry and only had the fish curry which is the prawns curry and we ain't went for sambar. Both tawa fry and prawns curry were flavorful and well prepared but the head of the prawns in both felt weird and that taste taste was somewhat weird!”
Pulisseri Net +1

“Every item was flavorful and well-prepared, but a special mention goes to the pulisseri its taste was outstanding and easily the highlight of the meal.”
Roti Net +1

“The Poratta and Roti were also noteworthy—soft, fresh, and a great accompaniment to the curries.”
Sadhya Net +1

“The Food: A Sadhya Masterpiece The meal served on a traditional banana leaf is a visual and culinary feast. Everything is laid out with precision, offering a perfect balance of flavors:”
Shawai mandi rice Net +1

“One of the best food One of the most underrated place so far Shawai Mandi rice 5/5 Shwai 5/5 Mandi rice 5/5 ✌️♥️ Must try rice and shawai”
Signature chemmeen mango curry Net +1

“* The Signature Chemmeen Mango Curry: This is the absolute star of the side table. The unfailing taste of the succulent prawns combined with the sharp tang of raw mango creates a flavor profile that is both nostalgic and addictive. It is a bold, soul-warming dish that lingers; the taste literally lasts for hours on your tongue.”
Super buttery, flaky porottas Net +1

“Their super buttery, flaky porottas paired with the chilli chicken and butter chicken are simply superb.”
Thoran (coconut vegetable stir-fry) Net +1

“* Texture & Crunch: Every leaf comes with a perfectly fried, airy Pappadam and a side of Thoran (coconut vegetable stir-fry), adding that necessary crunch to the steaming hot rice.”
Payasam Net 0

Mixed feedback

“The experience was perfectly rounded off with their payasam, a sweet and satisfying finish.”

Drinks 1

Traditional ayurvedic pink water Net +1

“* The Finishing Touch: To wash it all down, they serve traditional Ayurvedic pink water, which is refreshing and aids digestion.”

What to Avoid (6)

Food 6

Appam Net −1

“Appam - being a disaster ❌”
Beef roast Net −1

“We ordered chicken lollipop for starters, neypattal with beef roast and prawns tawa. Firstly the starter took 25+ minutes for serving. Average if I'm being kind. The neypattal was good, crispy and fresh. But the beef roast was without salt, well below average too.”
Chikken chuttarachath Net −1

“Chikken Chuttarachath - ❌too much oily”
Kadathanadan chicken fry Net −1

“We ordered a Kadathanadan Chicken Fry, 3 Chapatis. The restaurant is located directly opposite our building, yet the delivery took around 45 minutes. When we called to check, we were informed that the order had already left the restaurant, so we continued waiting while hungry. The bigger disappointment was the food itself. We paid AED 40 for the order, and while we don't mind paying if the food quality is good, the taste and overall quality were far below expectations. The food was not enjoyable at all and did not justify the price.”
Pathiri Net −1

“Even a simple pathiri was charged 1.5 AED, and the quality did not match the amount.”
Prawns kallil chuttat Net −1

“The prawns kallil chuttat was oily, masala seemed to be added not proper and this caused prawns to be flavorless, again below average.”

Tips for a Better Visit

Showing 2 of 4

Arrive Early. For Saturday or Sunday lunch, arrive before 1 PM; reviews warn that the restaurant gets busy and waits can grow.

Check Availability. Before joining the queue, ask which meal sides are still available, especially during busy lunch periods.

Plan the visit

Practical details

17 Al Doha St

Al Qusais - Al Qusais 1, Dubai

04 355 3579

Mon	11:30 AM – 2:00 AM
Tue	11:30 AM – 2:00 AM
Wed	11:30 AM – 2:00 AM
Thu	11:30 AM – 2:00 AM
Fri	11:30 AM – 2:00 AM
Sat	11:30 AM – 2:00 AM
Sun	11:30 AM – 2:00 AM

Get directions

Common Concerns

Showing 2 of 5

Long Queues

Weekend and Ramadan visits can involve substantial waits; one lunch party waited from 1:15 PM until 2:05 PM.

Dish Availability

During a busy lunch, guests found that prawns curry and other sides were unavailable only after being seated.

Customer-reported prices

These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.

10 aed

Naadan kerala meals

“Naadan kerala meals (10 aed) ,with fish fry”

Google review · March 2025

DXB
LOCAL

The Bottom Line

Calicut Stories in Al Qusais is a Kerala-focused restaurant for Malabar-style food, from banana-leaf Naadan meals and fish fry to charcoal chicken, biryani and mandi. The Kerala meals are a strong reason to visit: reviews describe a generous spread of aviyal, thoran, pachadi, papadam and payasam, while the Pacha Kurumulak Tawa-Seabass stands out for fresh fish and balanced green-pepper seasoning. The charcoal chicken also gets unusually specific praise for being juicy, tender and well marinated.

Portions can be generous too; one group said the fish tawa platter and chicken mandi fed eight people. Indoor and outdoor seating, a comfortable family atmosphere and reported ample parking make it practical for group dining. Timing matters.

Weekend lunch can mean a 20-minute wait or, in one case, nearly 50 minutes before seating. During busy periods, popular sides may sell out without being clearly communicated, so ask what is available before joining the queue. Delivery has also been criticised for taking around 45 minutes nearby.

Prices are often described as reasonable, and one review lists Naadan Kerala meals at 10 aed with fish fry. Still, dish quality has not been perfectly consistent: some visitors found beef roast under-salted, prawns oily or fish biryani bitter. It is a promising choice for Kerala meals and charcoal dishes, with a little planning advised.