DUBAI: As we walked through the doors to Nassau, reception seemed somewhat frosty. Swiftly ushered to our dining area with not so much as a greeting, we hadn’t even taken our seats when the menus were plopped in the middle of our table — no explanation of the concept, or what was on offer — and the hostess just walked away. Surprising for a restaurant that describes itself as “your home away from home” on its website.
Thankfully, things took a turn for the better once other team members got involved, expertly taking us through the full menu, including specials, as well as offering a full rundown on the restaurant itself.
Nassau is one of the latest ventures by Silvena Rowe, the Turkish-Bulgarian chef, food writer, television personality, and restaurateur who has really made a name for herself in the GCC over the past few years.
Despite the name, the restaurant is not related to the Bahamas in any shape or form. Instead, it promises a “culinary tour of the Mediterranean” with nods to Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Turkey and more. Curiously, sushi is also on offer — but we’ll get to that later.
Beginning our journey, the selection of starters looked delightful. We were recommended the Vegan Greek Salad — vegan “feta cheese” with crunchy heritage tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, red onions, black olives, black sesame, parsley, and roasted garlic vinaigrette — apparently one of Nassau’s top sellers. We also opted for the Black Truffle Labneh and the Tuna Tartare.
With a standalone menu, Nassau caters well to those on a vegan or dairy-free diet, and the Vegan Greek Salad was an interesting intro. The combination of vegetables with dressing definitely works; however, the faux-cheese was a little underwhelming, tasting more like hummus or cashew cream than a strong, creamy feta. The dish might actually work better with a coconut-based vegan cheese.
What that dish lacked, however, the next more than made up for. Beautifully presented, the Black Truffle Labneh seemed almost too picture-perfect to destroy, but, wow, it was worth it. Fragrant but not overpowering, the black truffle worked very well here.
Another perfect presentation was the Tuna Tartare, with fresh yellow-fin tuna and wasabi-scented avocado. The smooth, firm texture of the fish played off the avocado base and radish cream faultlessly, arousing a refreshing revival of the tastebuds.
The starters set the benchmark for what was still to come, and it was going to be difficult to match. That being said, the team hit a homerun by recommending the Grilled Jumbo Shawarma-Style Marinated King Prawns. Drizzled with green harissa, the prawns were cooked to perfection — their sweet, meaty texture pairing well with a burst of North African flavour.
Our final dish was the only one we regretted ordering. Attempting to sample as wide a variety of cuisines as possible, we opted for the Dragon Maki (another recommendation from the team); a teriyaki-flavoured roll with grilled prawns, wrapped with avocado, tuna, and unagi. As someone who prefers bite-sized Japanese portions to the supersized Western-style ones, this one was just too difficult to eat. Each piece was more than a mouthful, thus had to be cut in half, resulting in it falling apart. With sushi, less is always more, we say.
The dessert menu was diverse and delicious-looking, but we ended our experience on a light note with some refreshing coconut sorbet.
Given its location in Jumeirah Golf Estates, Nassau isn’t an easy find, but it’s worth the trek for some colourfully creative dishes and picturesque outdoor views. Just don’t forget to order the Black Truffle Labneh.
