Review: One Reason Why I Don’t Like Dampa Seafood Grill In Dubai
Let’s Try To Make This Straight And Short
The one reason why I don’t like Dampa Seafood Grill in Dubai is this; IT IS ALWAYS FULL with throng of people especially during weekends! That’s just one, and the rest, are the reasons why I like this restaurant. 🙂
Since its opening; this may sound embarrassing but last Tuesday was the night for my brood, where we tried this Filipino restaurant in Port Saeed, Deira, for the first time. Yup, you’ve read it right and don’t make me repeat it please.
I remember how I was enticed reading the positive blog review of boydubai.com then, that on the next weekend, we went to the place but only to our dismay. And this happened not just once but several times that I lost count already.
Fortunately, neighboring restos were always there to rescue. Not that they’re our second choice as they’ve got great food selections as well, it’s just that we were hooked by the hype created by Dampa Seafood Grill.
So last Tuesday, after work, after picking up my wife from her office and my kiddos from their day care Nanny, we went straight to Deira. We left Al Satwa at around 7:05 pm and right before approaching the tunnel heading towards Maktoum Bridge, the road was flooded with slow-moving red tail lights.
Braving the traffic, we reached the place at around 7:35 pm. Secured a table for my brood hassle-free. I’d now say, the best time to come to Dampa? Weekdays, sans the traffic.
We ordered:
Chef’s Special
Cajun Shrimp (spicy, sweet and buttery) – Dh35/-
Crispy Salt and Pepper Grilled Squid – Dh32/-
Baked Salmon Fillet – Dh38/- (not in the pix below)
Unlimited Rice – FOC
Fish Bowl Mocktails
Amaretto Sunset 1 ltr. – Dh10/- (not in the pix below)
Bluer than Blue 1 ltr. – Dh10/-
Water – Dh3/-
Total = Dh159/-
My brood
Crispy Salt and Pepper Squid
Cajun Shrimp
Grilled Squid
Bluer than Blue Mocktail
To the uninitiated, Dampa Seafood Grill is a Casual Dining resto as categorized by zomato. If you eat pizza with fork and knife, then this is not for you.
Although my wife was not totally sold with Dampa. Sssshhh.. To me, the crispness of the salt and pepper squid with the condiments, was just right. The grilled squid was tender and tasty. Though the Cajun shrimp was a bit off. I think it was a little overcooked that we were having difficulty removing the shells. But still it tasted good. The salmon?! Everything salmon for me is nomnom. The mocktails were good too. And the rice was from a good variant. Cooked perfectly and served smokingly hot.
One thing I noticed too is how fast their service was. All their food were pre-cooked few hours before their opening, I reckon. But got no issues with that, as I can attest to the freshness of the seafood they served.
The ambience was not really at its best. The place is too tight as they have lots of tables. Hence, there’s not enough room for hyper kids to roam around after eating. And because they’re always flooded with hungry munchers (because of their good food obviously), I think they’ve kinda neglected to upkeep the place. They don’t have to be that Dampa literally.
But overall experience, it was worth it. A revisit soon. I think, the hype is justified. And just to clarify the title of this blog, MYSELF AND KIDS LIKE IT THERE. To rate Dampa Seafood Grill, it’s 8.5 out of 10.
More tips and info:
- Dampa means a house that is small (barungbarong) or a small cube hut (kubo)
- Rice is unlimited
- Weekends are always full house
- Best to visit the place with family or friends
- Walking distance from Deira City Centre Metro Station
- Accepts cash and major cards
- You eat by hand (boodle style) and with plastic gloves as option
- They have FB page 🙂
Please support sounds funny and the not so funny by making online purchase of Fish & Shellfish: The Cook’s Indispensable Companion on amazon.
This is not a sponsored post and is of author’s own and honest opinion.
