Sheesha, please

Middle Eastern eats and late night vibes at
Les Nuits du Sahara

by MATHILDE RABBAT

Until Feb. 7, the New York City-bound get to sample fine dining at a fraction of the price at eateries participating in the city’s Restaurant Week, a biyearly event that has spawned knock-offs across North America. There’s Winterlicious in Toronto, Dine Out in Vancouver and Montreal’s own, though considerably smaller, Happening Gourmand (on until Jan. 31), all of which are designed to draw in foodies on a budget.

Just outside of Gourmand’s Old Port boundaries, downtown eatery and sheesha spot Les Nuits du Sahara has put together a special of its own.

It’s a poetic name for sure, one that calls to mind images of serene sandy landscapes and rich ancient cultures replete with flavourful traditions. Pity that this Middle Eastern eatery, located a stone’s throw away from Chez Parée, in a basement on Stanley, hardly jives with that gratifying imagery. Unappealing would be a befitting way to describe the space itself, the service, as well as the quality of every dish sampled on this reviewer’s visit. A subterranean environment, sporting a series of TVs playing gyrating hip hop viddies, smoked mirrors and square pillars, along with a bunch of dated tables and chairs, flanked by brown leather sofas, sectionals and bulky round tables, sets the stage for a disappointing and lacklustre meal.

On my visit, there was absolutely no mention of the Restaurant Week Special I had seen on the net. Indication of the special was neither posted in the eatery nor on the menu, and our server didn’t mention it. Upon inquiry, I was told that it was up to the punter to ask for the special, which features two appetizers, the mixed Sahara main and two desserts, for $15 per person.

A pre-fab cheese stick appetizer and not much of a fattouch set the dire tone for the rest of the meal. A modest portion of fattouch ($4.99) featured crackly bits of pita, fried in what seemed to be old oil, strewn atop a flat pile of shredded pale romaine hearts, interspersed with sparse tomato wedges that were just as pale, and the occasional cucumber slice; in short, a poor excuse for a fattouch. The same can be said for four thin, lukewarm, nondescript, filo-wrapped cheese sticks with thick, somewhat pasty fillings ($3.99).

At a whopping $17.99 on the regular menu, surely things would improve with the mixed Sahara main, right? Comprised of a shish kafta (minced meat), a shish taouk (chicken), a shish kebab (lamb) and some shish shrimps, the platter was a bit of a let-down. Despite too much time on the grill and a loss of flavour thanks to the overcooking, the shish kebab is the only one that managed to hold its own, at least where tenderness is concerned.

The same cannot be said for the shish kafta, a minced meat concoction spiked with onion, salt and a heavy dose of cardamom. It is the skinniest kebab I’ve ever seen, and perhaps the driest—though it probably rivals the chicken for that title, which was overcooked and utterly tasteless. The seafood stick, six small peppered cocktail shrimp, were also overcooked and on the dry side and did not a satisfactory kebab make. Not only did three out of four kebabs gracing this platter display serious flaws, the bed of oily, and oddly hard in spots, refried rice was thoroughly unappetizing and off-putting, at best. The dish doesn’t end there however, nor do its shortcomings. A side salad with some sort of cheesy, terribly thick, mayo-based dressing also failed to impress. Battered fries, served with ketchup in a cup, comprising another side, are of the type you’d find in, say, a sports bar.

A choice of cheesecake or chocolate mousse were up for grabs for dessert as part of the special, both very closely resembling the sort you might purchase at bigger supermarket chains.

In short, till some changes take place in the kitchen, my advice would be to stick to the sheesha and the tea at this joint, which may be a good spot to chill prior to its 2 a.m. closing time, after an evening out on the town.