Ustad Hotel

Name: Ustad Hotel
Address: Grand Service Station building - near Al Nahda Centre, Al Qusais, Dubai, AE
Telephone: +97142390662

Al Qusais

Indian restaurant Closed 04 239 0662

Ustad Hotel is an Indian restaurant in Al Qusais centred on Kerala and Malabar-style food. Customers come for dishes such as the seafood bucket with ghee rice or porotta, while the party hall is used for family gatherings and celebrations.

Reputation Score

3.8

★★★★☆

2,357 ratings

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The Good Stuff

Showing 2 of 6

Seafood Bucket

The seafood bucket combines crab, prawns, mussels, squid and kingfish, with a portion described as enough for four.

Malabar Dishes

Reviewers specifically praise the beef chatti choru, pallichoru and chemmeen chattichor for their traditional Kerala flavours.

Let's go!

What to Eat at Ustad Hotel

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

Food 7

Pallichoru Net +4

“Pallichoru also was really worth the try.”
Chatti chor Net +2

“We tried Chatti Choru (AED 18) , which consist of items lesser than the ones provided for the same dish in similar restaurants”
Beef fry Net +2

“The Beef Fry was crispy and very spicy (very very spicy).”
Chemmeen chatti chor Net +2

“We ordered chemmeen chattichor with kallummakaya fry! Reminded me of my Umma’s food.”
Janga jaga jaga chakara Net +2

“On my recent visit to their Qusais branch (near Grand Service Station), I tried the intriguingly named “Janga Jaga Jaga Chakara” – a seafood fusion dish – along with a refreshing drink that seemed to be a blend of coconut water and Sprite. Both were absolutely fantastic in flavor and presentation.”
Neypathal Net +2

“Limited seating capacity, No family space, open kitchen only for Kerala style snacks, Live Keralite Appam, Neypathal can be recommendable (we eaten).”
Puttu Net +2

“Puttu - We can order as one piece or one portion. Nice with beef curry.”

Honorable mentions (38)

Beef biriyani Net +1

“If you are a ‘chatti chor’ fan , no second thought get going to this restaurant!! Really worth for its price, but the customer service is on poorer side, that’s what i insisting me to rate3/5, beef biriyani also more than expected level, often i go and dine in, but the cashier looks reluctant if you pay using zomato pro and all those stuffs, apart from that everything is super fine”
Beef gravy Net +1

“The dishes are tasteful, especially the Beef Gravy which I believe will go very well with Ghee Rice.”
Beef peratt Net +1

“Order will take little long to serve but the wait will not disappoint. Beef peratt too good. Also they have a small counter for chai pedia to serve tasty samavar..”
Beef ribs Net +1

“Food was delicious, must say the beef ribs were outstanding. Authentic taste of Kerala food.”
Biryani Net +1

“The restaurant is newly opened, and my office is near by so I decided to try today and I ordered the biryani . The food service is very nice the staff very positive behavior, and the presentation of food was excellent Now comes to taste it’s finger licking good ,”
Butter chicken Net +1

“We were three families and had a great time there.. Food was too good. We had chemmeen chatti chor, wheat paraotta, parotta, butter chicken.”
Chatti perak Net +1

“A small kerala restaurant which serves very good dum biriyani and lot of local malayali delicacies....must try are their - chatti perak, palli chor, chemeen cutti chor etc....also their cool drink options are also refreshing like - kulukki sarbat....”
Chattichor Net +1

“One of the best option in Al Nahda for kerala dishes. I like their Chattichor and fish curry dishes.”
Cheenachattiyil Net +1

“Uruliyil and Cheenachattiyil are quite a twist to the usual norms in practice of how rice and the sides are served. The curry, the sides and everything else comes in a single pot (or whatever it is) and the portions are generous for an average person. The dishes are tasteful, especially the Beef Gravy which I believe will go very well with Ghee Rice.”
Chemeen cutti chor Net +1

“A small kerala restaurant which serves very good dum biriyani and lot of local malayali delicacies....must try are their - chatti perak, palli chor, chemeen cutti chor etc....also their cool drink options are also refreshing like - kulukki sarbat....”
Chicken chattichor Net +1

“Amazing food. Their prawns and chicken chattichor are to die for.”
Chicken urumath Net +1

“We tried the Chicken Urumath and Neypathal at Usthad Hotel, and both were absolutely delicious — full of flavour and perfectly prepared.”
Dum biriyani Net +1

“A small kerala restaurant which serves very good dum biriyani and lot of local malayali delicacies....must try are their - chatti perak, palli chor, chemeen cutti chor etc....also their cool drink options are also refreshing like - kulukki sarbat....”
Fish bucket Net +1

“We had ordered for fish bucket , which includes porotta and ghee rice combo ,but ghee rice got over , so we ordered for porotta and chapati, it was delicious but spicy too..food was well cooked.”
Fish curry Net +1

“There were not much items in the meals but the served fish curry, sambar and mango pulissery was awesome .”
Ghee rice Net +1

“Palli choru: ghee rice, beef curry, chicken fry, raita, papad, lady's finger sambar. Ghee rice was made with the Malabari variety khaima rice which was perfectly cooked and had a superb aroma and flavour.”
Ghee rice & beef varalu combo Net +1

“Ghee rice & Beef varalu combo:- Served with Pickle, curd salad Nice combo. Beef varalu must try”
Indian thali Net +1

“My new location for Indian Thali and Chicken Biryani. Suuuppperrr!!!”
Kadala curry Net +1

“We ordered puttu with chicken curry, kadala curry, and fresh milk tea. Everything tasted excellent & the preparation was fresh and done very nicely. The flavors were spot on and truly satisfying.”
Kerala fish curry meals Net +1

“This time we ordered kerala fish curry meals and pallichor . Meal was served in banana leaf. There were not much items in the meals but the served fish curry, sambar and mango pulissery was awesome .”
Kulukki sarbat Net +1

“A small kerala restaurant which serves very good dum biriyani and lot of local malayali delicacies....must try are their - chatti perak, palli chor, chemeen cutti chor etc....also their cool drink options are also refreshing like - kulukki sarbat....”
Kuttichira beef varattu Net +1

“Kuttichira beef varattu - Delicious. Beef was so soft and the curry was so tasty.”
Mota set Net +1

“Ustad Hotel in Al Nahda offers a delightful South Indian dining experience. The chicken biryani and mota set were both delicious, showcasing the authentic flavors of the region. The atmosphere was pleasant, adding to the overall dining experience. While the drink was just average, the standout food and inviting ambiance make Ustad Hotel a great choice for South Indian cuisine enthusiasts.”
Naadan beef curry Net +1

“We ordered Qalbinte Tawayil which had a bowl of rice with chicken, beef, squid rolls, fish and prawns. It's worth the money and specially squid rolls were too good. The pathiri and Putt were soft. It went well with lip smacking naadan beef curry. The chicken curry what waiter suggested did not go that well.”
Nellikka fish curry Net +1

“Nellikka Fish curry needs a special mentin”
Paal unnakkai Net +1

“Paal Unnakkai was new to me and was yumm”
Payyoli kozhi porichathu Net +1

“Payyoli Kozhi Porichathu:- It is a fried item. Tasty. Not too spicy.”
Puttu with chicken curry Net +1

“We ordered puttu with chicken curry, kadala curry, and fresh milk tea. Everything tasted excellent & the preparation was fresh and done very nicely. The flavors were spot on and truly satisfying.”
Qalbinte tawayil Net +1

“We ordered Qalbinte Tawayil which had a bowl of rice with chicken, beef, squid rolls, fish and prawns. It's worth the money and specially squid rolls were too good. The pathiri and Putt were soft. It went well with lip smacking naadan beef curry. The chicken curry what waiter suggested did not go that well.”
Seafud special chattiperattu Net +1

“The best biriyani in town , their seafud special chattiperattu also something really nice to try .. Good service Very nice ambience”
Squid Net +1

“Crab 🦀, Prawns 🦐 , Mussels , Squid 🦑 and Kingfish are hero’s in the seafood bucket.”
Squid rolls Net +1

“We ordered Qalbinte Tawayil which had a bowl of rice with chicken, beef, squid rolls, fish and prawns. It's worth the money and specially squid rolls were too good. The pathiri and Putt were soft. It went well with lip smacking naadan beef curry. The chicken curry what waiter suggested did not go that well.”
Tiramisu Net +1

“Our waiter Das was especially helpful and recommended the Tiramisu, which turned out to be an amazing dessert — light, creamy, and the perfect end to the meal.”
Uruliyil Net +1

“Uruliyil and Cheenachattiyil are quite a twist to the usual norms in practice of how rice and the sides are served. The curry, the sides and everything else comes in a single pot (or whatever it is) and the portions are generous for an average person. The dishes are tasteful, especially the Beef Gravy which I believe will go very well with Ghee Rice.”
Veg meal Net +1

“The food the good in taste, the server were also well dressed, having a knowledge of what you are serving was cherry on top of that, I have taken a veg meal and food was simple yet very delicious.”
Chicken biriyani Net 0

Mixed feedback

“Ustad Hotel in Al Nahda offers a delightful South Indian dining experience. The chicken biryani and mota set were both delicious, showcasing the authentic flavors of the region. The atmosphere was pleasant, adding to the overall dining experience. While the drink was just average, the standout food and inviting ambiance make Ustad Hotel a great choice for South Indian cuisine enthusiasts.”
Appam Net 0

Mixed feedback

“Limited seating capacity, No family space, open kitchen only for Kerala style snacks, Live Keralite Appam, Neypathal can be recommendable (we eaten).”
Fish biriyani Net 0

Only neutral feedback

“We ordered chicken biriyani, fish biriyani and pallichoor. Chicken biriyani was plain. Fish biriyani was okay, the size of the fish has to be bigger, also the amount of rice is very less. Pallichoor was the best of the 3.”

Drinks 3

Samovar chai Net +2

“Samovar Chai - Good one.”
Fresh milk tea Net +1

“We ordered puttu with chicken curry, kadala curry, and fresh milk tea. Everything tasted excellent & the preparation was fresh and done very nicely. The flavors were spot on and truly satisfying.”
Lime soda Net +1

“We also ordered lime soda which was cool and refreshing.”

What to Avoid (6)

Food 5

Beef chatti choru Net −1

“Ordered beef chatti choru and it was an average one. Only beef fry, beef curry and one thoran and little curd was there.”
Chicken curry Net −1

“We ordered Qalbinte Tawayil which had a bowl of rice with chicken, beef, squid rolls, fish and prawns. It's worth the money and specially squid rolls were too good. The pathiri and Putt were soft. It went well with lip smacking naadan beef curry. The chicken curry what waiter suggested did not go that well.”
Egg curry Net −1

“- Ordered Egg curry and paneer gravy. Not so good, so you can avoid these dishes.”
Eri pori chicken Net −1

“Ordered Eri pori chicken, all pieces of chicken are made tiny and every piece is with bone, children were so uncomfortable, unbelievable such dishes are made from ustad hotel.please remove this dish from menu”
Paneer gravy Net −1

“- Ordered Egg curry and paneer gravy. Not so good, so you can avoid these dishes.”

Drinks 1

Tea Net −1

“Not sure if it’s because the other Suhoor we tried was exceptional, but the food here was just average or below. Even the tea, which is usually a highlight, wasn’t good.”

Tips for a Better Visit

Showing 2 of 6

Choose Combo. For the seafood bucket, ask whether you want ghee rice or porotta; both combinations were mentioned, and porotta worked well with the spicy curry.

Check Price. Ask the price of Chatty Choru before ordering, since one diner said the chef’s special price was not clearly shown on the menu.

Plan the visit

Practical details

Grand Service Station building - near Al Nahda Centre

Al Qusais - Al Qusais 1, Dubai

04 239 0662

Mon	7:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Tue	7:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Wed	7:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Thu	7:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Fri	7:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Sat	7:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Sun	7:00 AM – 11:30 PM

Get directions

Common Concerns

Showing 2 of 5

Inconsistent Quality

Recent reviews report bland food, improperly prepared orders and a decline from earlier visits.

Value Concerns

Some diners felt portions and sides did not justify the price, especially for biryani and special dishes.

Customer-reported prices

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

AED 18

Chatti Choru

“We tried Chatti Choru (AED 18) , which consist of items lesser than the ones provided for the same dish in similar restaurants”

Google review · December 2024

10-15 AED

Uruliyil and Cheenachatiyil

“Menu is reasonable, with the Cheenachatiyil and Uruliyil costing between 10-15 AED”

Google review · January 2019

DXB
LOCAL

The Bottom Line

Ustad Hotel is a Kerala-focused Indian restaurant in Al Qusais, with a menu that leans towards Malabar comfort food and seafood. The dishes people return for include seafood bucket, beef chatti choru, pallichoru and chemmeen chattichor. The seafood bucket can come with ghee rice or porotta; one diner said the AED 66 portion was more than enough for four.

The setting is generally described as clean, spacious and calm, with low-volume background music mentioned on one visit. The party hall is a genuine draw for family gatherings and celebrations, where reviewers praised the organisation, food selection and attentive service. Paid parking is available, and RTA parking across the restaurant was also reported.

Expect some variation. Recent diners described bland or poorly prepared food, frozen-tasting porotta and disappointing chicken biryani, while other visits praised fresh, flavourful meals and excellent service. Prices and quantities also divide opinion: some call them reasonable, while others found the sides too small for the bill.

If you choose a buffet, confirm children’s pricing and dessert availability, since desserts reportedly ran out. For a first visit, asking about the seafood combination and checking Chatty Choru’s price before ordering should help avoid surprises.