Nezesaussi Grill
My hunk of Australian CAAB steak with fruity monkey-gland sauce was gushing, butter-soft and as rare as tartan paint 12 Reviews
The wind whisked through the scaffolding, swirling brisk eddies of building sand into half-constructed nooks and soon-to-be-completed crannies. The murmur of the taxi grew quieter as it crept towards a speed bump in the twilight, and all around us there was silence, apart from the rushing wind, which leapt about the site beneath the unfinished, twinkling Burj Dubai. Around here somewhere was the new Al Manzil Hotel, and its sports bar-cum-restaurant, whose name might be whispered on the cool evening breeze: Nezesaussi.
The name may be utterly unpronounceable, and it may be in the middle of a building site, but Nezesaussi was buzzing with animated punters. The curved bar was generously populated by sports fans watching the cricket on flat screens tucked tastefully among the rugby memorabilia; and the dining tables were filling up with devotees of favourite dishes from New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. The Antipodean sports theme continued through the menus, which split dishes into confused categories like ‘kick off’ and ‘first half’. But the endearingly friendly waiter was on hand to explain the rules, and we limbered up with some fine crusty bread, soft butter and olive oil with balsamic vinegar.
Like many a rugger match, we had to wait a while before there was any significant action. Yet when my friend’s Monte Cristo sandwich arrived, the adrenaline certainly started pumping. The golden egg-battered bread was surprisingly light and crammed with delicate ham and Emmental cheese. The accompanying potato wedges were crispy and fluffy, and the guacamole and salsa dips were astringently fresh. However, my seafood chowder had developed a skin as thick as a tight-head prop’s ears, but once penetrated it yielded a succulent mussel and several plump prawns in a creamy broth.
The restart was signalled by the wafting aroma of the ‘Ref’s Advocate’ trio of kebabs, which offered three giant skewers stacked with amazingly tender beef, juicy chicken and richly flavoured lamb. My hunk of Australian CAAB steak with fruity monkey-gland sauce was gushing, butter-soft and as rare as tartan paint. And both main courses were bolstered by side orders of comforting mashed potato and creamed corn with cheese. We were very close to being converted.
As we counted down to full time, we demolished our desserts: a satisfying kiwi cheesecake and a tub of More chocolate ice cream, which came with a little plastic spatula, like something you’d pick up at the multiplex. Nevertheless, Nezesaussi had won us over with its buzzing atmosphere, friendly service and good food. Who cares if the name sounds like an inebriated Glaswegian’s sneeze, or that it’s smack bang in the middle of a building site? Get your hard hat on and check the place out.
The bill (for two)
Mineral water Dhs18
2x non alcoholic beer Dhs40
North Harbour seafood chowder Dhs25
Monte Cristo sandwich Dhs38
Australian CAAB steak Dhs149
Ref’s Advocate trio of kebabs Dhs99
Kiwi cheesecake Dhs22
Ice cream Dhs12
Total (including service) Dhs403
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