There isn’t really much available in this part of the island, so when Melita was transformed from a small local bar and unobtrusive hotel of sorts, several years ago, into the multifunctional venue that it is today, it instantly filled in a rather necessary niche in mid-island wining and dining.

It therefore gained instant fame and popularity with many, who use its various facilities for lunches, any-time-of-day snacks, dinners, drinks, wine bar, as well as group functions upstairs.

Over the years I have had many an occasion to visit, and if my memory serves me right, I have had the occasion to avail myself of all of the above alternatives, so I know the place well. A couple of days ago we were again inclined to pop in for a light snack, being just up the road and hungry.

We were in fact at Casa Antonia in Balzan. And before any wiseass says it, NO we were not about to be admitted into what I must say is a truly lovely residential home, at least not YET, capitals very much intended.

In fact, without any further dissimulation or pretense, I will admit that this is more of a tribute to the worthy and illustrious Peter Howitt, of international blockbuster movie set decorator fame, than a true preview of the said establishment. Peter Howitt is a dear friend who now resides at Casa Antonia, after having acquired huge international acclaim for his most valid lifetime contribution to the world of cinematography. Peter also has his own Wikipedia page! Need I even continue… as if there were any other better mark of lifetime achievement than that!

As may be expected with most such rare geniuses, Peter also masters a few thousand additional talents, because limiting yourself to one or two is never enough for such brilliant individuals. He is therefore also an excellent and renowned artist and on this particular evening had held the opening of his new art exhibition in Casa Antonio. An event which I must say was splendidly organised by Gino Camilleri and Marie Claire Galea.

So right after the event, a few of the naughtier ones there who never have enough, decided to stumble down the road to Melita. This includedAlexander Spiteri, Joseph Gauci, Robert Scicluna, Emma Loftus, Edwige Sapienza and Frank Sapienza and of course us. We did have to rush a bit, as we were informed that last orders must be taken by latest 22:30.

In virtually identical manner to nearly all other such informal eateries in Malta, the menu offers your run-of-the-mill starters, salads, burgers, pastas, pizzas, steak and chicken, sort of routine. But admittedly, I suppose that what such menus sorely lack in originality, they amply make up for by offering most people’s favourites, in a simply cannot-go-wrong fashion.

So we had our expected mix of roughly one of each of the above, seemingly just to be difficult and to end off the kitchen with the typical nightmarish order, got hold of a few Gavi di Gavis and sat back in the pleasant garden, enjoying the company and the evening breeze.

The discussion varied between the usual social delightful nonsense, to the lovely Howitt paintings which had earlier feasted our eyes and in the cases of some at least, also emptied their pockets.

The dishes arrived in timely fashion. All was satisfactory and pleasant and of a more than acceptable standard. Presentation was fine, portions were large and prices were reasonable, The service too was fine and executed in good order. What else could one expect I suppose. This establishment carries no pretence, so provided that you are happy with the mundane then you will be fine.

So yes, Melita Gardens are not only relatively unavoidable when in that immediate area and feeling hungry or thirsty, but also a decent choice for a very casual meal.

This is a relatively recent transformation of one of the previous eateries that line the main Bugibba square. It has a relatively stylish and avant garde look, and stands out when compared to the other rather expected and sometimes tired, tourist looking joints around. So naturally this is the one my wife pointed at and with absolutely no hesitation I followed her instructions and proceeded to pick one of the many available tables outside.

This was an impromptu affair, as we often like to do on our way home, when we simply glance at each other, give a quick nod and turn the car towards the closest restaurant around, in the form of an unexpected treat. In this particular case we were accompanied by our daughter, it was at the unlikely hour of 16:30, but who on earth cares! That’s what days are for, to rearrange them exactly how you feel like there and then and to fit in a bit of well deserved self indulgence.

So as we were already in Bugibba, we just walked down to the square and into Bistroteca. We were only after something quick and uncomplicated anyway, so this seemed like a very likely place.

As we always have our priorities right, we started immediately with the wine and asked for a first one which was out of stock, as was our second choice too. This seems to be happening more and more in recent times and is quite disappointing. With good beverage stock management this should never happen and if for some very remote reason a restaurant is caught out, then this should be indicated even temporarily on the wine list, or at least advised verbally when handing over the list. We did in the end settle for a 35 South sauvignon blanc, which is always a good choice, but particularly this new 2014 vintage I find has turned out truly excellent and considerably superior to the previous few recent vintages.

So as we happily sipped our wine and eventually gave our order to an extremely friendly and helpful server, if rather unpolished. This is often the case in Malta, although I must admit that being slapped across the back simply cause I’m a nice guy, does not happen to me that often. Still, he was extremely helpful and attentive, which is more important to me than his very apparent need for a good Swiss finishing school.

The menu was quite extensive, interesting and well presented. I also liked their special steak feature on the menu, whereby for a small supplement you could choose any two of a wide choice of sides and extras. Although the steaks themselves seemed slightly on the pricey side, I really cannot judge, as I went for the fish and chips instead. This was lovely and crispy on the outside and filled with tasty succulent fish, which I very much enjoyed. The accompanying chips were also faultless.

We also had a lemon and pepper crusted grilled chicken breast salad, which was copious, well presented and very tasty. And a pan roasted duck breast which was also of a very good standard and cooked exactly as requested. So all three dishes were very satisfactory and certainly commendable.

Based on the quality of their mains, we were thinking of trying out a couple of their desserts, however our table simply took ages to be cleared. My newly made buddy had somehow vanished, until I caught a glimpse of him chatting at the bar in civvies and by then visibly off duty. He was replaced by another seemingly johnny-head-in-air colleague, who was busy buzzing around the empty tables chasing flies or imaginary customers I presume. After what seemed like ages I had had enough and decided to get up and chase him around the empty establishment, at which point he suddenly seemed to realise his great oversight, did admittedly apologise and finally cleared our table.

By that time however we were put off waiting any longer, and as may be expected, had become restless and wanted to go. So we settled the bill, went to the gelateria next door and did it Italian style, strolling and licking our way along the lungomare.

If this place manages to slightly up its service and also clean their toilets, after what visibly must have been a busy and wet lunch, it can make for a very agreeable venue, with its more than decent and varied choice of food and of course its central location.

After several long and painful weeks of forced separation due to mutual travels, we finally met up again with our dearest of friends Jeremy Copeand Michael Owen MBE. As they very much share our passions of eating, drinking and writing, we really have a lot in common and revel at the thought of meeting up for yet another meal together.

So we agreed to meet for lunch and what better setting for an outdoor luncheon than the magnificent gardens of Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar. These magical gardens have the eminent label of Grandi Giardini Italiani which sets them at an exalted level insofar as gardens are concerned. And although I must say that I have seen them in a slightly better state of upkeep, this was most marginal and took nothing away from the splendour of the surroundings.

Similarly pleasing to the eye are the stylish canopies and other sheltering structures, the table setups and the servers’ uniforms in elegant, flowing, most Summery, loose fitting and totally white cotton attire. The only one clashing item in this relative opulence were the extremely thin, lowest grade style paper napkins. I really don’t mind paper, however surely a slightly better grade would have been much more inkeeping with the overall ambiance of the establishment. Another unfortunate and very annoying occurrence were the many flies which plagued us throughout the meal, which after a while can really get on your nerves.

We were handed menus and wine list along with a lovely added touch in the form of a complimentary welcome Pimms, which was as good as it was unexpected and thoroughly appreciated. We were also given a nice mixed basket of home made breads. The menu which is predominantly Italian, is rather imbalanced insofar as it features a great number of starters and very few main courses, to a vastly disproportionate level. Also immediately noticeable was the overly high pricing of the starters, while mains were fairly reasonably. As for the wine list this offered virtually only Italian wines with very little other option. Wines too in my opinion were overpriced and could do with a handy downward revision of at least 10% to 15%.

Following a tasty truffle and mushroom risotto amuse bouche, we started with two chilled cucumber soups which were delightfully refreshing and very well prepared. A mixed tempura which was unexpectedly massive and rather chunky and although not perfectly light and fluffy, was still rather pleasant. Also a salade nicoise which was excellent and only lacked one of its countless essential ingredients – anchovy.

For mains we had a mixed smoked fish plate which was lovely, tasty, delicate and light. Homemade cheese ravioli with a tomato based sauce which were also well enjoyed and cooked just right. There was a lovely seared tuna which was perfectly served pink and had excellent smoky flavours and was served over a well prepared mixed salad. Lastly a veal dish which to be perfectly honest I cannot totally remember much detail about. As I have already mentioned elsewhere, before eating out, I check whether the restaurant has an online menu and when they do I very obviously and naturally assume that this menu is kept up to date, hence its very existence. I do not therefore expect to waste my time and spoil part of my meal by writing endless descriptions of dishes and all I have to do is to remember which dishes we took and later refer to the online menu. However unfortunately this was not the case with the Luna, so certain details do now escape me. However I must admit that the veal was by far the poorest dish and the meat was on the tough and dryish side, alas.

The service was initially of a very high standard, if at times a bit too keen on the wine and water pouring. However towards the end of the meal, from a situation when we were treated to the full and constant attention of the staff, they all seemed to have disappeared and our final coffees and drinks took ages to order. And even more annoying was that as time went by tables and chairs all around us were being cleared, lifted and shifted across to the other side of the garden where a small army of personnel were hard at work visibly preparing for an evening function. So what started off as a rather idyllic setting with very attentive service ended up as a case of musical tables and chairs all around us and with no one to place our final orders. I must also mention that when using the toilet I was followed by what looked like a rather surly kitchen worker, who also used the patrons’ toilets, which is rather distasteful and which should be avoided due to the obligatory staff toilets in such an establishment.

We did however persist and find the patience to wait, until we finally managed to get our coffees and finishing drinks, in spite of their enormous price. I believe that € 8 per shot of standard spirit or liqueur is asking far too much and several drinks listed were not even in stock, which should not happen in this type of establishment.

We still had a great time at this restaurant and would still recommend it. I just encourage the management to reprice their beverages to more realistic levels and to co-ordinate service and setting up of evening functions to a better degree, so as not to infringe on the comfort of their lunch clientele.

In the end the main scope of the outing was to catch up on so much news and gossip with Jeremy and Michael and this we certainly achieved.

This brand new restaurant is the latest edition to restaurant mogul and chef extraordinaire Marvin Gauci‘s rapidly expanding empire. It is housed right above Caviar and Bull in the Corinthia San Gorg Complex in St Julians and unlike his other restaurants is firmly based on a very interesting mix of ethnic Far Eastern cuisines, cleverly fused with European styles and ingredients.

The place itself is very original as it is entirely made of glass and distinctly feels like being inside a glass dome which impressively dominates St Georges Bay. So it is definitely not devoid of splendid views of the sea and also full of dazzling lights from the surrounding areas.

After admiring the set up and intricate details in the form of novel tableware, menu and wine list presentation and other clear touches of chic, we moved onto more serious matters – to inspect foods and wines on offer. The menu proved to be an extraordinary eclectic mix of sushis and sashimis, oysters and caviar, tandooris and tempuras, meats and fish, often fused with European ingredients. It is very much that type of menu which puts you in an enormous fix as to what to go for, due to the endless choice of so many tempting dishes, making you want to order virtually everything on the menu.

The wine list on the other hand was not very extensive and certain wines lacked detail. However in spite of the European element being present in the menu, I suppose that with the focus being more centred on the Asian, wine might lose a bit of its importance. I am also seeing a local trend not to fuss so much over the wine list. An increasing number of establishments seem to be going against the very recent tendency to feature a wine list akin to an encyclopedia, which can at times border the presumptuous and the unnecessary. I do however very strongly hope that we will not go from one extreme to the other and I do believe that at least the basic descriptive details of the wines on offer should remain firmly established in local wine lists for a very long time to come.

So after much deliberation we decided to start with a selection of salmon and yellowtail sashimi, which we devoured in roughly 12 seconds flat. So when Marvin popped by and saw our desperately hungry faces he brought us a larger assortment consisting of octopus, prawn, tuna and eel. We are great fans of sashimi, but admittedly just having returned from a holiday in Japan, where we over-indulged in this delicacy, the experience can get quite repetitive. So we then decided to change tack and order some hot food to follow.

We had crab and foie gras wontons which although might sound like a rather weird combination, is anything but unheard of. It was a very interesting dish but which admittedly requires a rather acquired taste to fully appreciate the contrasting flavours.

We also had spicy chunks of wagyu beef in a truffle and mushroom sauce. Another interesting dish with a splendid sauce and where my only small remark would be that the meat would have improved slightly with just a little bit more cooking, to melt down the remaining stringy fat.

As for wine we went for Chablis, mainly because I found the lesser wines to be relatively pricey while the difference to upgrade to a Chablis relatively small. This incidentally also reminded us of Tokyo, where the same phenomenon is also the order of the day, but to the extreme. There if you decide to ‘invest’ in a bottle of wine, you either pay a very hefty price for a horribly basic bottle, or you pay just slightly more and get a good one. So for us it was either sake or pretty good wine most of the time.

We agreed with Marvin to return very soon to continue our exploration of this incredible menu and to delve deeper into intricate mysteries behind some of the more daring dishes he has combined.

This popular bistro and bar has been firmly established as a prime meeting place for many years now. Very conveniently and centrally located on the Gzira seafront, close to the Manoel Island bridge, it has a large and loyal following of drinkers, lunchers and diners and also generally serves as a meeting place throughout the day and evening. Its setting, style, easy but varied menu and continuous service throughout the day, ticks all the boxes for a large crown of people, who have long made it their favourite haunt.

I hadn’t visited Moscow for around eight to nine years, when I distinctly remember my marked disappointment with the restaurant scene there in general. After several meals there, I had found that the general fare was usually very average, menus, choice and availability of items and other such basics was poor, service was often abysmal and prices were astronomical.

I am not implying that there weren’t any decent restaurants at the time, but when abroad I always gauge the overall restaurant scene not by conducting endless research to find that one rare perfect gem, but by dining out in a variety of easily located restaurants, using a mix of recommendation and random, to form a more logical, down-to-earth opinion.

It was therefore with some apprehension that we approached our first and perhaps even our second restaurant there, before fully realising that things had visibly improved and by quite an impressive extent, since our last visit.

This goes hand in hand with the overall gradual transformation of this city, from what was still evidently in post-communist recovery stage during our last visit, to what basically feels like any other European city today. The changes could be seen and felt everywhere. An abundance of new business establishments and shops of all sorts, the upgrading of the previous existing ones, so many new cars on the road, previously absent signage and advertising everywhere, a new, modernised, refreshed feel and look to the place, at least when compared to so many years ago.

Last but definitely not least, in terms of improvement, was the much softer and less stern demeanour of the people, whom I had found shocking during my last visit, due to their totally inhospitable nature, which often had verged on the hostile. And although I would still not put up Moscow for any hospitality or customer care award, and not by a long shot, I did feel a real progression insofar as most people were usually acceptable in their approach towards us.

Luckily all these improvements have also greatly influenced the restaurant sector in a number of remarkable ways. The choice of restaurants is now rather extensive and infinitely more varied with entire new areas full of new establishments that have sprouted up in recent years and months. Whereas before eating out at a restaurant was more of a reserved activity for the elite, like everywhere else, it is fast become more of the norm for many other classes and at the reach of many. This on its own has ensured not only that a plethora of establishments of all types have been created, but also that the dining experience there is a much more relaxed affair with no false airs or pretentious expectations from either side. Like all other large multicultural cities, Moscow now offers literally any type of cuisine, starting form your ubiquitous pizza and pasta, to French, tapas, the full range of oriental, all the way back to the more local tastes and neighbouring satellite cuisines such as Georgian, Azerbaijani, Uzbek & co.

This also automatically denotes the availability and even the abundance of so many more food and beverage products, which were previously noticeable only by their absence. From a wines and spirits point of view, although a few last steps would still not go amiss, the choice offered in most establishments can now be considered close to adequate. Asking for say a gin and tonic, or a new world fruity shiraz, no longer raises KGB alerting alarm bells, due to the rare, peculiar and absurd nature of such a request and is usually doable in most circumstances.

Admittedly like in so many countries, there is a certain drawn-out process that has to be undergone with the finer tastes requiring a greater sense of acquisition, if you see what I mean. Many people there are still at the wine discovery stage and as is often the case, they start off at the dubious and rather unfortunate sweet phase, then slightly improve their palate to semi-sweet, before ultimately developing enough taste and knowledge to realise that dessert wines are thus called for a valid reason. I chuckled many a time reminiscing of my youth in Malta when amongst the most popular local wines were sacrilegiously labelled ‘Sauternes” and “Semi-Sweet”…

The service we encountered in our Moscow restaurants was on the whole acceptable, although sometimes rather devoid of that additional warmth and attention to detail that has become the expected norm everywhere else. The general feel of things is that people have started to make a good effort, however at the same time you still can’t push it too far without getting the look, reminiscent of previous times.

As for pricing I was very pleasantly surprised to see that overall both food and drink items were much more reasonable priced and no longer placed at astronomical levels. There is no way that eating out in Moscow may be considered inexpensive, however it is just about entering into the affordable bracket. Definitely all foreign wines and spirits are still very much overpriced and most wine lists feature very inexpensive wines at expensive prices, but with a lot of care and attention and smart selecting, you can just about manage to find something without entirely breaking the bank.

And all this is mainly compliments of Putin, who through his Crimean and Ukrainian antics has triggered off the considerable devaluation of the Ruble, which currently offers a very advantageous rate against the Euro. So I must say that all pricing was effectively brought down mainly due to this rate of exchange phenomenon.

It will be interesting to see how all this evolves in the forthcoming years and hopefully, if things continue to develop in the way they have been, Moscow might one day become a world class dining destination. They certainly have the size, the potential, the human resources and the cultural mix to achieve that. Now all that is required is the real political will.

Let’s start this one with a small game of tag. It was Andrei Bonello Permin, our son’s 28th or 14th birthday – depending on what you’re counting. So my wife Maria Bonello Permina and I decided to treat him for lunch, as in I pay and she graces us with his presence. Naturally upon the very mention of a free lunch, our daughter Yana Bonello‘s ears sprung to attention and being the very kind hearted person that I am, I could only concede to her rather ravenous request. But there’s still much more to our story.

As we had already agreed to have lunch with Nicki Stivala at Wejla in Smart City some time ago, here on this very page, I very loyally asked him to join us too. But much to our disappointment that restaurant is closed on a Tuesday. Where are all these restaurants when you need them most? So after much discussion and consideration between us all, I unilaterally decided to book at La Vela. And to continue our little story the day before we went, we got an unexpected phone call from our very dear friendsJeremy Cope and Michael Owen, who had just returned to Malta after having spent the Winter in one of their countless residences abroad. So our table kept growing and growing as did our expectations of this notable forthcoming lunch amongst family and friends.

In the end however we ended up Nicki-less, if you see what I mean… which is extremely surprising as he has never ever been known to miss an appointment… So much so that when Jeremy and Michael were added on to our table I actually only added one person to our table reservation – easy maths for everyone I imagine.

So six of us made it to La Vela. And for those who might not be familiar with this restaurant, it is the one in the small gardens in Pieta, on the other side of the creek from Mamma Mia, housed within what looks like a large kiosk. There is a pleasantly sober feel to the inside, while it also has a small al fresco section at the back literally on the water’s edge, offering lovely views of the marina. This is an Italian restaurant run by the very smart and outgoing Michelle Muscat and her Sicilian chef, offering a nice selection of typical and less typical Italian specialities.

For starters we had carrot and marrow soup drizzled with truffle oil, which was tasty, wholesome and full of natural flavours. Rather chunky grouper ravioli with whole unshelled prawns in a thick creamy and nutty sauce, which offered a nice pronounced fishy flavour. There were also zucchini filled with melted blue cheese and speck, an interesting combination presenting very distinct contrasting tastes. And finally lovely neonati fritters, which were perfectly prepared with a nice crispy exterior and a luscious, silky texture on the inside, proving to be my favourite starter of them all.

For mains we had a pleasant veal roulade with a creamy spinach and truffle sauce, which had sufficient truffle paste to amply provide for that delicious and distinctive taste. There was a tasty Angus rib eye steak, which although normally served plain, was provided to us along with the desired pepper sauce, with not as much as a sigh. The meat was of undisputed good quality and cooked perfectly to order. Besides an identical ravioli to the one taken as a started, the remaining three went for a lovely looking cipollazza, which was duly displayed to us before taken to the kitchen.

The only problem here turned out that the other mains were served a good ten minutes before the fish was ready, which resulted in one at our table having eaten his main course virtually in its entirety by the time the others were served, while the other two who decided to wait, against our repeated recommendations, ate theirs cold. We were duly informed by Michelle when the other mains were served, that the fish was found not to be fully cooked yet, and that it will require some more time. So at least we were warned about this, which did make the wait rather more acceptable. I grasped this opportunity to inform her that we would much rather have it slightly undercooked rather than over.

When the fish was finally served it did turn out to be a true delight, cooked exactly to our liking, still very moist and delicate, with the flesh very easily breakable with fork alone. It was steamed in foil with garlic, cherry tomatoes and herbs, giving it additional complimentary marked flovours, without overpowering the delicate fish. In fact I found the fish to be the best of the main courses selected. I would also like to mention the very well prepared side dishes, which in many restaurants often turn out to be rather unexciting. Here however both the thinly cut, very crunchy roast potatoes, as well as the mixed vegetables steamed in foil, really excelled both in flavour and in texture.

Only Yana our insatiable daughter had a dessert in the form of a pleasant pannacotta topped with forest fruits and peach segments.

The service – except for the unfortunate fish incident, was smart, brisk and friendly. As for wine we went for a very pleasant, fresh and floral Chilean Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc. The meal ended in a small new mini discovery, in the form of a truly distinctive Calabrian digestivo called Vecchio Amaro Del Capo, which admittedly I did not know of prior to this lunch. I would describe it as a relatively light, semi-sweet and very herbal amaro. A bit like a slightly stronger and more herbal Amaro Montenegro. I loved it to the extent of asking Michele if I could purchase a whole bottle to take home with us, which she very graciously agreed to and obliged.

To sum it all up it was an enjoyable luncheon in fine surroundings and good Italian food. The incident with the main courses is unfortunately something which can happen anywhere and provided that you don’t make a big deal about something like this, to yourself and in your own mind, it no longer remains something of significant importance. And the last mention must go to the fine company who DID make it to lunch with us. Namely Michael and Jeremy, the latter of whom amply amused us throughout the meal with many a story of their recent travels and more so with about as much gossip as anyone can possibly handle in one day. But then again this is why we love him.

We were planning to take our French friend Thierry, who was holidaying in Malta, for a walk in Mdina and grasped the occasion to combine this with dinner at The Fork and Cork in Rabat. This restaurant comes with a very strong recommendation by Francesca Farrugia and Julian Boffa who also posted a very well versed review of it in this same page quite recently.

And as I often do I will start off by commenting on the name, which is after all, the very first thing you hear about a restaurant. Now I might be mistaken or misjudging, but somehow for me such a name evokes a snack bar or a similar low key establishment and may therefore in certain ways be quite misleading, as this is anything but the case.

Upon entering you immediately notice the fine décor which cleverly combines old with new to offer a very pleasing interior. This culminates in an impressive custom-made chandelier which is more reminiscent of an artistic installation and is made up of a large metallic structure from which hang countless wine glasses and forks. All this lends itself to a slick and refined designed interior.

We were very warmly welcomed by chef patron Carl Zahra, shown to our table and immediately asked whether we would like any aperitifs. We decided to go straight to wine and upon viewing the wine list I spotted a Mont Redon which is one of my favourite Chateauneuf du Pape wines which is readily available in Malta and which I simply couldn’t resist. It’s always a bit tricky with wine, do you go for something you know, or do you try out something new? Well actually the system I personally follow is when I find a wine I really enjoy, a sort of cannot-go-wrong option, I will nearly always go for it. If on the other hand I find myself hesitating and unsure, I tend to select something I haven’t tried before. This however was definitely a case of homing in on a wine I simply adore which quickly resulted in my disregarding all other options offered in the more than adequate wine list.

While on the wine let us continue with this ever so important aspect of any meal. The Mont Redon was as expected truly sublime, presenting a rich, fascinating blend of flavours, all perfectly balanced to produce a truly magnificent wine. Chateauneuf du Pape wines are made by magically blending 13 different varieties of grape to produce a distinctive earthy, tannic and spicy wine.

Later on during the meal when requesting a second bottle of wine we unfortunately encountered a very obviously corked bottle, things that unfortunately do occur. What was even more unfortunate was that it was Carl’s last bottle and so we were unable to continue on this splendid wine. I therefore decided to heed Julian’s advice and go for the local Contrada ta’Fangu which he very much exalted. This is a 100% syrah produced in Zejtun and is a dark and pungent red as to be expected. Without hesitation however, I regret to say that it was a big disappointment. It was very overpowering, too aggressive and heavy, over tannic and imbalanced and worst of all it was also slightly oxidised which was nastily revealed by that distinctive and unpleasant vinegary taste.

I find that one of the hallmarks of a good wine is balance and harmony of flavours, no matter its type and style. This lack of crucial balance is an unfortunate but common weakness of many local wines and I am obviously not referring to the run-of-the mill categories here either. This particular wine was exceedingly unbalanced and being the only bottle I have ever tasted I am unable to judge whether these evident flaws were accentuated in this particular bottle or batch of wine or whether they are characteristic of this wine in general. However even if say the vinegary taste is not a common flaw I feel quite confident that many of the other unsavoury aspects emanate from the somewhat ambitious attempt of producing an unblended 100% syrah in such a hot and dry climate as ours.

Let us now move onto much more pleasant matters – the food! As from the word go we were regaled with a series of exquisite fare in the form of unexpected items of intrigue and delight. Although no amuse bouche was served, we were given a bowl of lovely hot bread buns accompanied by creamy butter, extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar and lovely Italian smoked salt bursting with flavour, which we all devoured in less time than it takes to say Fork and Cork.

For starters we opted for Ox Tongue with polenta and chive flowers, a copious, interesting and very well presented dish. Let me simply say that this was the best tongue I have ever tasted. It was exceptionally tender and tasty and as aptly explained by Carl the result of seven hours of slow cooking in a tasty bouillon. The accompanying polenta was also lovely as were the extra tasty chive flowers sprinkled over the tongue. There was a cauliflower soup with smoked duck pieces which was also a lovely and unexpected combination and although personally I would have preferred the soup ever so slightly thicker I thought that it was also a very enjoyable dish. We also had two goat’s cheese souffles which were delicious and served on lovely greens doused in a tasty dressing. Here again that added little touch came in the form of garlic flowers with the souffle which unlike other pretty but relatively tasteless edible flowers, were bursting with flavour.

For mains we had a lamb shank which was served on a potato puree and which was very enjoyable. There were two ribeye steaks of top quality and which were very well prepared. And also a boneless quail which was very well presented and had delightful flavourings making it an outstanding dish. These were accompanied by plain potatoes wedges and a medley of steamed vegetables. The latter were however served nicely firm.

Probably the least remarkable part of the meal were the desserts. We had a pannacotta and cardamon crumble and while the crumble was lovely and tasty the pannacotta itself was rather bland. A sticky toffee pudding which was fine but also perhaps a bit too light and lacking in flavour. And a lemon posset served with pistachio short bread, which was by far the tastiest and the best of the desserts we sampled.

Although admittedly I am a lover of intense tastes, I can also perfectly appreciate subtlety and delicate dishes, and desserts are certainly no exception in this regard. However powerful tastes must be replaced by finesse and distinctive flavours even when very mild and mellow. It makes the task even harder to impress with a delicate dish rather than one with very bold flavours.

But with the rest of the meal it was in fact these distinctive and ever present abundance of flavours which we most enjoyed. I do not habitually compare restaurants as this can lead to limitless confusion and complexity, so I always prefer assessing them on their own merit. However our friend Thierry who accompanied us to both this and the immediately preceding meal at Lovage Bistro in Qawra, was led to compare the two restaurants. His opinion was that although both meals were very enjoyable, the one at The Fork and Cork not only featured so many added small culinary discoveries, but it also offered much more in the form of remarkable and distinctive flavours and tastes, which in the end makes a big difference in one’s appreciation of a meal.

Not only do I fully concur with his analysis, but I would also like to add that there does seem to be a current trend whereby chefs are so concerned at producing subtle and delicate dishes, purposely distancing themselves from the previous often overpowering styles, that they often risk falling into the bland and virtually tasteless. I do not believe that this is the sign of an excellent kitchen but more one of an unsure and hesitant one.

Carl also personally greatly enhanced our evening by being very present at our table at many stages throughout our meal and proved to be not only a remarkable chef but also an outstanding host. This was yet again demonstrated by his kind offering of a round of limoncellos which came automatically with the bill. A bill which I must also point out was exceptionally reasonable at € 200 for four persons which also included € 70 in wines. So to top it all up The Fork and Cork also offers excellent value for money.

Lovage Bistro is anything but that. The word bistro usually evokes a quick and casual diner, rather than the commendable level of sophistication this full scale restaurant truly offers. Similarly, although I am more than aware that it is has now been considered somewhat cool for some time to give even a smart restaurant a nonsensical and meaningless name such as this, which refers to a variety of celery, frankly I am rather eager for this somewhat deficient trend to end.

Lovage is a modern, bright and airy establishment in a rather dull street in Qawra, which is evidently doing its very best to greatly enhance the average level of dining in the area. This is I suppose a good thing, although on the other hand one might reason that such a good restaurant deserves a better and more prestigious location.

Four of us were there for lunch and as there was plenty of space available they very kindly and smartly allowed us to choose any table we pleased. The instant we were seated we were asked if we desired any drinks and were handed menus and wine lists in a flash. This for me is without a doubt the way it should always be. As you are always accompanied to your table by a staff member, ideally that same staff member brings along menus and wine list with them and asks you for drinks immediately. This also avoids an additional unnecessary visit by the staff to your table and saves them time too. There are certain things such as this and asking for your bill which do not merit any waiting whatsoever.

I also found the menu very well composed, interesting and balanced and offering a very good and varied choice. The wine list, although not fantastic, is adequate, however I must admit that I made a rather poor choice going for the Cefiro Chardonnay Riserva. I am familiar with various Chilean chardonnay riserva wines which are usually fruity, floral and very pleasing to the palate, while this one unfortunately, was not.

Besides the relatively extensive menu there were also quite a number of specials which were handily written on a portable blackboard which was left at our table until we ordered. We were therefore more than pleased with all the initial proceedings and were also offered a tasty and very well presented fish croquette on a bed of marinated mushrooms as an amuse bouche.

For starters we had a vol au vent with fresh salmon, prawns, zucchini and cream which was very pleasing and combined a number of rich flavours. A chicken liver vol au vent drizzled with cream and asparagus, which was equaly enjoyable and well prepared. And champagne battered prawns served on marinated mushrooms and cherry tomatoes which was a fine and interesting dish, quite different from the usual and customary prawns which are only too often served.

For mains we had a steamed cippolaza which was prepared and served whole as requested. As we immensely prefer fish not to be even in the very slightest way overcooked or dryish, we are now actually indicating when placing our order that we would rather have it undercooked. Although this rarely fails to attract a few odd looks and even possibly a few equally awkward remarks, it makes a lot of sense and goes a long way in ensuring that it is cooked just right. As we all know good fresh fish is perfectly fine even if eaten raw, so I would much rather have it relatively underdone at the centre and perfect throughout the rest of its flesh.

In theory when perfectly prepared a fish is meant to be cooked in exactly the same manner and to the same extent throughout. However in practice I find that there is sometimes a visible difference between the level of cooking on the outside and that next to the backbone. For this reason I far prefer having a little bit of semi-sushi in the middle along with moist succulent flesh as the rest of the fish. In this case however, the fish was cooked simply to perfection throughout and wasn’t cooked one second too much, which is exactly how we like it. We are also more fond of this totally plain version, whereby all you have to do is to add a tiny trickle of olive oil and squeeze some lemon, if even that at all, than the Sicilian method of adding cherry tomatoes, white wine, garlic and herbs. And I must say that as far as cippolazza is concerned this was about as good as it gets.

We also had pesce san pietro or john dory, which was served with a beurre noisette. It was a nice change from the more common plain version and added taste and texture to the delicate fish. There was also a perfectly satisfactory rump steak which was thoroughly enjoyed by its proud devourer.

We decided to skip desserts and had a nice expresso and a couple of white ports instead, the last of which was very kindly offered by Matthew Schembri the chef patron.

It was overall a very well prepared and pleasant meal which combined good service and a high level of cuisine, and which merits yet another congratulatory mention on their excellent menu.

Don’t let the cowboy statue outside fool you, this bar-cum-eatery is no burger or steak joint but most definitely exclusively serves Thai cuisine, as its name rather confusingly attempts to indicate. And whatever it is doing it must be doing something right, as it was packed on a Tuesday evening, mainly by a younger crowd with whom it is obviously very popular.

We had to meet our friend Tyrone Ellul for a quick chat and he suggested that we also grab a bite to eat there, being somewhat of a regular himself. His quick story revealed that the place has been taken over by a German acquaintance of his, whose wife is Thai and who has made a very good name for herself in the area with her interesting and authentic food.

As already stated, this is more of a bar than anything else, which has converted one side of the establishment into a very informal dining area and as such everything about it is very informal and unceremonious, which is very much to be expected in such a case.

As we arrived a bit early we were in the mood for a nice glass of white wine while we waited for Tyrone to arrive. They stocked either a sauvignon, or a chenin blanc or a chardonnay, which is more than acceptable in this type of environment. So we went for the sauvignon which was a run-of-the-mill Chilean, but which proved to be pleasant and more than fine for us in such circumstances.

The no-nonsense menu included quite a fine selection of Thai specialities and favourites, making it relatively easy to order, especially with Tyrone’s informed recommendations. We passed on our order to the busy waitress, however much to our disappointment and frustration the food took more than 45 minutes to arrive. Tyrone actually warned us of this, as apparently this is a constant fixture here and when I very offhandedly mentioned this to the waitress afterwards, she immediately retorted that they have a tiny kitchen. Naturally this did not make us feel even one little bit better.

In days of old most people’s tolerance to waiting was definitely much higher, to the extent that many diners actually preferred a slow, long drawn out meal – but times change! Unfortunately there is no way on Earth that I can enjoy waiting for the very first bite of food to arrive virtually an hour after I place my order. Is it perhaps that many of the younger customers there just enjoy chatting and drinking amongst themselves and are oblivious to the long wait? Possibly so, however I can say that there was many a long face around us and several complaints from the less than amused diners!

When the food finally arrived I am pleased to say that it was very enjoyable. We had prawn soup and beef Thai salad for starters. Notably the soups were excellent with intense flavours of coriander, lemongrass, ginger and chilli, which jumped right out at you and virtually bit you in the nose the moment you tasted it.

For mains we took ginger pork with vegetables, which was another interesting dish presenting a lovely mix of ingredients and flavours. We also had a pork and a chicken green curry which offered a fascinating blend of tastes and were truly bursting with flavour. The only problem was that as I love very spicy food I ordered mine not ‘hot’ but ‘Thai hot’, which is the hottest grade they produce. Now similarly to most other things in life there are days you can do something very well and others when somehow you can’t. And for some unknown reason this seemed to be one of those days for me on the spice tolerance scale when my abilities turned out to be very limited. This was definitely exasperated by the fact that we continued drinking wine, which is not quite complimentary to eating hot curry. I am a firm believer that in any meal food and beverage should be matching and complimentary, in which case you enjoy both to a much higher level of indulgence.

I can usually eat anything no matter how spicy it is and believe me I know what I’m talking about, but somehow on this particular occasion I must admit that I did struggle. As already mentioned drinking wine with such spicy food only makes matters worse. So I quickly ordered two pints of lager which I swallowed down in a flash and which I must say went a long way in soothing the increasing discomfort.

After this mini ordeal I was craving for something sweet as this too tends to sooth or at least counterbalance the effects of excessive spiciness. However we were simply informed that they do not offer any desserts and we got the very small kitchen story again. I would think that in such an informal environment even chucking a fridge/freezer in a corner and filling it with even the most unelaborate industrial stuff would be much better than nothing.

It is also worth noting that pricing was more than reasonable, so definitely no problem there. I understand that people are different and that perhaps in certain circumstances you might not really mind waiting so long for your food. But unfortunately for me no meal is worth such a long wait. In today’s dining world even top restaurants have long learned that they have to somehow tweak their menu, cooking methods and talents to be able to serve customers within much shorter delays than before. So when ordering a couple of fun dishes in an informal eatery I expect to have these thrown at me by the time we have uttered our very first cin cin.