After the players of the Brazilian national team, the Brazilians fill the Golden Steak – 06/12/2022

Nasr-It Restaurant in Doha, which is famous for selling gold-coated meat, waited about half an hour yesterday before the match between Brazil and Korea, and its tables were crowded with Brazilians. “I love Brazilians and Brazilians love me more,” said Chef Nusret Gökçe, pacing from one table to the next. “Everyone is enjoying it. It’s a great time.”

Separating the kitchen from the living room, the display case displays an assortment of vegetables on one side, and on the other, chunks of raw meat, including tomahawk steaks (a generous slice) already covered in gold leaf. “The meat is very good, and the environment is cold as hell,” said a Brazilian who identified himself as Wilson. “I came because I wanted to eat some meat and you don’t find it everywhere here in Qatar.” He said he never had a golden steak, but said the simpler version he tried lived up to expectations. “I think it was silver,” he joked.

In addition to the Brazilians, identified by the chosen uniform, many Mexicans occupied the tables. Former defender Rafa Marquez, one of the greatest soccer players ever born in Mexico, was having lunch with his friends.

The Turkish restaurant chain has been internationally famous since at least 2017, when videos of Nusret Gökçe serving customers in a very special way went viral. Yesterday, he would walk around the tables and throw pinches of saltpeter on the meat, and sometimes he would take food with a knife directly into people’s mouths. The chain has branches in other cities, such as London, New York, Miami and Dubai.

On the menu, the 24-karat gold-plated “Golden Ottoman Steak” costs the equivalent of R$3,335. There are other, cheaper options for those who want a taste of gold in their mouth (although gold has no aftertaste, as the chef himself has already admitted): The Golden hamburger costs the equivalent of R$715 – it comes with fries.

Located outside a luxury hotel in Doha, Nusr-Et has become the scene of recent controversy for the Brazilian national team in Qatar. Last week, Vinicius Jr., Eder Militao and Gabriel Jesus, at the invitation of former player Ronaldo, were allowed to be photographed eating the main course on the menu. Critics saw the spectacle as ostentatious in bad taste given the economic situation of most of Brazil’s population.

“The players came and were very happy,” Chef Nosrat said of the Brazilians’ visit, perhaps also happy with the involuntary publicity of the athletes.