Monday, April 07, 2008

Dusha @ Changkat Bukit Bintang

Some soulful Russian and Uzbek food in the Changkat Bukit Bintang area....

[ BEGIN EDIT ]
(Nov 2009)

Sorry but Dusha has closed down...
A new Japanese restaurant/ bar called Daikanyama has taken over this location - I haven't tried the food there yet but will try to soon and update on it here.
(So far, I've heard that it's good)

:)

Hugs,
J

[ END EDIT ]

I suspect this is one of the reviews where I will feel a bit guilty for being brutally honest....
(The owner and the wait staff at the restaurant are really friendly....)
:(
... but oh well, I gotta tell the truth.

Anyway, we had decided to be adventurous that week and try out a Russian restaurant called Dusha that had opened recently in the bustling Changkat Bukit Bintang area.

The Dinner

Dusha (which means "soul" in Russian, by the way) looks fairly inviting from the outside with its cheerful green signage:
Dusha's exterior....

Inside, it is simple but modern, with a small bar area by the side:
The Interior of Dusha....

We all sat down comfortably and scanned the extensive menu, with the super friendly waitress explaining and recommending some of the Russian (and Uzbekhistan) dishes available.

For our starters, we chose the Sate (RM 22++), the Borsht (RM 14++) and the Russian Dumplings (RM 22++):

Clockwise from top: The Sate, Borsht and Russian Dumplings....

The Sate tasted normal - it was basically some diced tomatoes with garlic and herbs, wrapped with grilled eggplant.
(Nothing wrong with it really... Just nothing special, especially for that price)

The Borsht was also just ok - light, clear vegetable soup that had a strong undertone of beetroot and a really bright purple-red colour.

As for the Russian dumplings in clear broth, they were moderately tasty but tasted too similar to its Chinese brethren, the "sui kow" (except that the "sui kow" is more to savoury where else this has a slightly sour taste)....
(Oh, btw the dumplings were supposed to be a main but we ordered it to share)

Moving on to the mains, we had the Beef Stroganoff (RM 38++), Genghis Khan Beef (RM 38++), Chef's Special Lamb (RM 48++) and Tzar Beef (RM 38++):

Clockwise from top left: The Beef Stroganoff, Genghis Khan Beef, Chef's Special Lamb and Tzar Beef....

Hmmmm....
How do I put this tactfully?
Well, I suspect that the beef was purchased from a farmer who owned (and was trying to get rid of) a very old, very underfed and very overworked cow (or maybe even a kerbau).
*sigh*
It was a waste actually, because the sauce for the Stroganoff and the Genghis Khan was quite nice. Anyway, these 2 dishes come with an option for chicken and I would advice you try that instead.

As for the Tzar Beef, errrrrr - Let's just say it was a cultural experience on its own. The minced beef had a strong taste of beetroot and topped with a pungeant cheese (which was almost like a mild blue cheese).

The one nice dish that night (that I would recommend) is the Chef's Special Lamb - tender and tasty, you could tell that it had been well marinated and lovingly cooked over a slow fire.

Lastly, for dessert we tried the Apple Pie with ice cream (RM 15++) as well as 2 other Russian desserts that I have forgotten the names (sorry!):


Clockwise from top left: The 2 Russian Desserts and the Apple Pie with Ice Cream....

Overall, all 3 desserts were fairly nice. Again, nothing spectacular but a nice simple way to cap off your meal without feeling too guilty.
(I liked the Apple Pie best)

What can I say?
It's still worth a try if you want to experience Russian or Uzbek food....
(I don't think there are any other restaurants in KL serving Russian as far as I know)
... just please avoid the beef at all costs.
(Unless you feel like giving your jaw muscles a good work out)

So, it's: Russian food in a simple but stylish setting, wide range of food and really friendly service BUT dangerous menu (do NOT order the beef if you can help it, chicken would probably be a MUCH better choice) and a bit pricey considering the serving size.

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:
Dusha @ Changkat Bukit Bintang, KL
(Near the main Tengkat Tong Shin area, almost opposite Frangipani)


Taste: 5
Ambience : 6
Service : 7
Price** : RM70++ per person
Parking: Painful (unless you jockey or park in slightly dodgy parking lots)

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-2144 9990
Opening Hours: 12noon till late

NO PORK SERVED



OTHER REVIEWS:
- A review at Trip Advisor.com (Sorry but this was the only other review* I could find)
* That is not from a newspaper or magazine


TAGS: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

16 comments:

  1. "very old, very underfed and very overworked cow (or maybe even a kerbau)" ... uh, YOU SAID IT ALL NOW! Eeeeeeeeeeeep!! :-(

    ReplyDelete
  2. hey babes....the pic you posted as the "chef's special lamb" is actually the "eastern beef" which i had leh.

    mebbe people should also be warned not to be misled by the descriptions in the menu....

    like "tenderloin".

    bleh*

    like i said before - there was no "tender" in the "tenderloin"!!!!

    but yup! kerbau definitely suffices!!

    =D

    ReplyDelete
  3. ahhaha nxt time i will ask them what cow they use b4 i attempt the beef..

    is genghis khan anywayz russian??

    ReplyDelete
  4. to julian si:
    Haha...
    Well, I don't mean to be negative but the beef was really stringy that night...

    to jo-lyn:
    *squints at photo*
    Oh man... That'll teach me to write reviews after a long day at work! - I didn't even notice the photo was wrong...
    (Or maybe my eyes are failing?)

    Thanks for spotting it though - I'll fix it soon.
    (I think I forgot to upload the lamb photo... Or maybe I forgot to take a photo of the only nice dish that night?? Uh oh... )

    to "joe" who is constantly craving:
    Well, better if you do that or risk chewing the meat till your jaw aches!
    :P

    (Hmmmm... He's definately not Russian, but I think he had conquered parts of it in his lifetime)

    ReplyDelete
  5. *crazy french historian jumps in*

    Monsieur Khan conquered pretty much all of modern Russia - he made it as far as Vienna, Austria, after all. :)

    The sauce for that dish, by the way, was fantastic - but the beef, as joa said, was quite bad... however it does come with a chicken option which i think would make it worthwhile.

    Joa: Shirt fits! Will wear next time (maybe not for the Muah restaurant)

    ReplyDelete
  6. to burn666:
    Merci beaucoup, Professeur Pincon!
    :P

    Anyway - Good to hear the shirt fits!
    (And that's a good idea. We wouldn't want you to get sambal stains on your new white shirt now, would we?)
    (Oh, and if you didn't already know, that was your early birthday present so you're not getting anything from me in October)
    :P

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lol! No more pressies? Dang...

    Thanks all the same though - think almost half the shirts in my closet were given by you now! *hugz* ;)

    ReplyDelete
  8. to burn666:
    *hugz back*
    No worries Froggy!
    (What are friends for, right? Besides, you know that you're like the irritating brother I never had)
    ;P

    ReplyDelete
  9. You should try these:

    My Elephant (Happy mansion, Sec 17,PJ [where the 6-10 Grill used to be])- Thai

    Bora Asmara (Kg Sg Penchala)- Asian with Balinese decors

    Bonzen (KLCC, diagonally opp Madam Kwan's) - Vietnamese

    Gue Yue Tien (Chulan Square, Bkt Bintang) - Chinese, Fine-dining

    PRIME (Le Meridien, KL Sentral)- Western, Steaks

    SOHO (1U, next to Johnny's Steamboat)

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  11. you may want to try these:

    Bora Asmara - Asian, Balinese - Kg Sg Penchala

    My Elephant - Thai - Happy Mansion, Sec 17, PJ (where 6-10 Grill used to be)

    PRIME - Steaks - Le Meridien KL Sentral

    Bonzen - Vietnamese - KLCC

    SOHO - HK - 1 U (next to Johnny's Steamboat)

    Bibi Chik - Nyonya - SS2 (the behind of the row of shops opposite Crimpers)

    Niji Sushi - Japanese - Medan Putra Business Centre, Menjalara ( (this is not high-end, ala carte, no kaiten belt)

    Izzi Pizza - Italian, Asian - Damansara Uptown (near HSBC)

    ReplyDelete
  12. to cee w-l:
    Thanks for the pointers.
    Looks like there's a few on your list that I haven't tried out... and a few that I have but never actually posted a review on.....
    (I'd better start looking through my comp to see where I saved those photos!)
    :)

    (BTW, sorry I deleted 1 of your 3 comments - I noticed the first 2 were exactly the same)

    ReplyDelete
  13. yes seems to b the only Russian restaurant in town. wanted to try but its closed everytime i passed by the last few weeks! mayb gone for good?

    ReplyDelete
  14. to thenomadGourmand:Awww... that's a pity. If they had one trump card it was that they were the one and only Russian restaurant in town.

    But if (it's not closed down and) you manage to review, I'll be really interested to see whether they have improved....
    (... because I haven't dared go back to risk it)

    ReplyDelete
  15. is there any other russian or uzbek restaurant in kl?

    ReplyDelete
  16. to Anonymous:
    As far as I know, there are none....

    The only other unusual European cuisine place I have heard of is a Croatian restaurant called Dubrovnik in Solaris, Mont Kiara, KL.

    If I do come across another Russian/ Uzbek restaurant though, I'll definitely post it up. :)
    (Sorry I couldn't be much help in this case)

    ReplyDelete

Appreciate your thoughts, opinions and feedback. :)