That pun makes no sense.<\/del><\/p>\n

My love of sushi is a deep one, and nary a week goes by that I don’t consume raw fish in some capacity.\u00a0 Thus, when a restaurant like 99 Sushi Bar<\/a><\/strong> announced it was opening its doors in Abu Dhabi, I immediately reached out for a review and was delighted to obtain an invitation.\u00a0 Although it seems to confuse some of the PR in the country, as I live in Dubai (not Abu Dhabi), I have to nearly constantly reorientate myself whenever visiting the Galleria.\u00a0 Passing the almost opened Le Petit Maison (!), with nary any signage to designate the direction I needed to follow (a problem that I find is persistent\u00a0for those who are not frequent visitors to Al Maryah island), I had to reach out to my friend to ask, ‘Where exactly am I supposed to go?’\u00a0 For those not aware, 99 Sushi Bar is above Loca<\/a>\u00a0(which depending on where you park, can be a bit strange to orient yourself towards).\u00a0 As I am married to someone who cares deeply about this sort of thing, I’d love for some additional marketing\/branding\u00a0effort to be made here to truly differentiate this space from the rest of the mall.\u00a0 I think the caliber of restaurants deserve it.<\/p>\n

Just me and Mr. Wright?\u00a0 Moving on then…<\/p>\n

The upstairs entrance of 99 Sushi Bar\u00a0is tucked in an almost medicinal hallway, but if you are facing it directly, is a bit of a showstopper.\u00a0 Gold, red, black and…flowing water, I only wish it occupied a better location to\u00a0complete the look.\u00a0 Fortunately, once inside, the interior is expertly fit out.\u00a0 High ceilings, dramatic metallics, plush seating, and a small lounge to sit for a drink…\u00a0 Plates and plating have also been given some extra attention.\u00a0 Honestly, it’s a hidden gem for those looking for an intimate date spot in the capital.\u00a0 Having seen photos of the venue at night, it appears to be even more dramatic.\u00a0 Outdoor space will be available\u00a0as we reach cooler evening temperatures.<\/p>\n

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And the menu?\u00a0 Nothing is being reinvented here, but I will admit there is a delicious selection of sushi — and being licensed\u00a0certainly improves my\u00a0mood.\u00a0 The restaurant is swank enough to have a clever built-in wine cellar which allows for one of the largest selections of wines I’ve seen outside a hotel.\u00a0 Overall, prices skew a bit higher than I think appropriate, but I’m confident are in line or just below nearby Zuma<\/a>.\u00a0 Dining out in the capital is never going to be a cheap endeavor, is it?<\/p>\n

Service is a bit on the nose (I expect that had to do with my guest ‘Mr. David<\/a>‘ and the specific nature of our visit), and the music was either lacking or so unmemorable that I’ve forgotten it a week later.\u00a0 A calmer staff and better tunes (again, the timing of my daytime visit could’ve added to this) would help push the ambiance up a notch.<\/p>\n

Worth noting?\u00a0 The Golden Bricks, AED159<\/em>.\u00a0 Trends always on point in the UAE?\u00a0 Put some gold on it.\u00a0 While the photo is certainly Instagram worthy, I’m not entirely sure I would order it again.\u00a0 I did like the texture, but could’ve used a bit more protein overall.<\/p>\n

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It don\u2019t mean a thing if it ain\u2019t got that bling… \ud83c\udf63<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by Courtney Brandt (@atozaatar) on Oct 21, 2017 at 6:21am PDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n