Simplistic. Modern. Fresh.
The highly-talked about Gustoso restaurant has Italian expats gesticulating with joy, as a taste of home has arrived to The Sultanate. To trial the new talk-of-the-town we took a Brit, an Afghani and an Italian (quite the mix!) to sample the menu. With its white walls, modern seating and bright red table cloths, it’s clean, bright and inviting.
We started with a selection of appetizers; the classic caprese, a vegetable souffle and bruschetta with tomatoes. Now, as far as tomatoes go, we know the taste won’t be as sweet, juicy and succulent as those freshly picked from Italian nurseries, however when combined with Gustoso’s milky-soft mozzarella, you can quickly forget any faults.
With homemade pastas, sauces, sweets and more, Gustoso’s kitchen showcases the best of Italia with their all-Italian line up of Chefs and produce.
For the main course, we each decided to try a different dish.
The Italian’s Chosen Dish: Farfalle Courgette & Gambaretti Beautifully light, fresh and flavourful. The small prawns delivered serious flavour, whilst the light creamy sauce provided a nice base for the diced courgettes. The farfalle (bow-shaped pasta) was cooked Al Dente, as it should be, and was overall a delicious lunch option; great flavour but not too heavy.
The Afghani’s Chosen Dish: Salmon Fettucine Perhaps we have seen this dish all-too-often served in more commercial manners. We were envisgaring a creamy sauce and chunks of salmon fillet dotted amongst the fettuccine. However, this sauce actually is made up of shredded salmon pieces, almost woven into the sauce. Flavour wise? Very smooth and moreish.
The Brits Chosen Dish: Ravioli Porcini Rich, dense parcels of deliciousness. Gracefully placed in a shallow serving dish, with just a thin layer of sauce.
For dessert, we shared the Torta Della Nonna, translated as ‘Grandma’s tart’, and what a delicious tart it was. Soft, flavourful, notes of almond, custard and crème; it was the perfect ending to a delicious lunch. And of course, no trip to Italy can be complete without a coffee of sorts. And so, a quick shot of espresso and a fond, resounding farewell from the owners.
Gustoso is sure to please both soul and stomach. We will be back again soon!
Gustoso Restaurant
Way 2237
Qurum Gardens Complex
Muscat
+968 9739 7871
