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.

The last time I resettled in Malta after living abroad, I used to laugh at people’s comments about the great distance I had to travel to and from my first residence at Mellieha Bay. Then after just a few months, as may be expected, I fell into synch with everyone else and all things became relative. This was therefore the feeling we had, akin to a great expedition, to travel from Burmarrad to Smart City. And although we resisted the urge to break up the journey by spending the night in a hotel somewhere half way, we still left nice and early and stocked up the car with water, survival food, first aid kit and blankets. You can never be too sure and as they say, better safe than sorry.

I must also admit that due to the enormous distance and the lack of any previous particular reason to visit, this was actually my very first time not only to this restaurant but also to Smart City as a whole. We normally wait for a valid reason and a firm occasion to visit such places and meanwhile quite easily bear any fleeting curiosity with very little difficulty.

So several days after our departure, we finally made it to Smart City, situated in an isolated location between Kalkara and Xghajra. As I have already read several times in different places, the signage once you get there is simply nonexistent. So we just drove all the way down the main road which is unstylishly sided by rust coloured corrugated iron solid barriers, until we reached the large car park at the bottom and just parked there without having any idea whatsoever whether we were anywhere close to our final destination. Even once in the car park, we looked around for any signage or indication of where the restaurant might be, however there was absolutely nothing to direct us in any possible direction. So after some aimless wanderings, we were finally lucky enough to spot from afar the name of the restaurant and thankfully headed in that direction, wondering why patrons have to go through such a tough obstacle course just to find a restaurant when installing a couple of small simple signs would be so easy and effective.

We were the guests of our dear friends Jeremy and Michael, who got there a few minutes before us. So after hugs, kisses, hello’s and how are you’s, we all decided to start off our long unwinding process with a couple of well deserved gin and tonics. Keeping a keen eye open on as much detail as possible, I immediately noted that the drinks were very stylishly served with plenty of ice, several segments of lime rather than lemon and a neatly cut straw. I love it when drinks are also served to such a high standard. It gives an establishment that added oomph.

What was a bit concerning, on the other hand, is that while we were very obviously happily chatting away between ourselves and catching up on gossip and other scandals, the waitress simply insisted on coming to our table over and over again asking whether we wanted water and if we wanted to order. We indicated to her that we required a few minutes to regroup our random thoughts, but even this clear instruction was sadly bestowed in vain.

I have always supported the saying that you get a good feel of a hotel immediately upon entering the lobby and I think that the same is also true of a restaurant, although perhaps to a slightly lesser extent. But you do get some pretty distinctive vibes immediately upon entering. Here I instantly noted that all we got was a semi nod and less than half a smile – not the best welcome on Earth I must say. The place itself is spacious, airy, obviously very modern, but perhaps a bit too monotone and mainly displaying many shades of grey, if you’d excuse the play of words.

So let’s get the service part out of the way, as this has already been mentioned. As I have already stated in previous reviews, it is admittedly not the role of all servers to be overtly hospitable and charming and it should be expected that in many cases their main function is to serve in a rather robotic manner. However at a certain level of restaurant I then expect to have either a head waiter or a proper maitre d’ who is capable of fulfilling those other equally important functions. Also to be able to guide their robots as to when a table should be approached and when not, that excessive and constant water and wine pouring can be bothersome, that empty plates need not be removed within less than a second that your fork has been placed down onto it and to add that little bit of charm and welcoming feeling that such servers so desperately lack.

I must also point out that initially we were the only table there and later on during our meal we were only joined by one other table of three and that was it. So there really really was no apparent rush to feed us and get us out of there asap either.

As for the menu, I am a firm believer that in a restaurant of good category the choice should often be very limited. Here it was down to three fish or three meat main dishes, which is absolutely fine with me, although admittedly I would personally think that four of each would provide that little bit more choice, especially to the more fussy eater.

The wine list on the other hand, should feature a very good selection when trying to lure in a discerning clientele. Unfortunately this was not the case at Wejla, where the wine list is limited and disappointing. Moreover it is poorly presented as it is totally devoid of both vintages and any wine descriptions.

Now that I got all of that off my chest I can finally come to the food. Let me start by saying that it is undoubtedly of a high standard and most enjoyable. Jeremy most kindly ordered some nibbles to start off with, in the form of calamari fritti and deep-fried anchovies. Both were excellent and the calamari particularly were deliciously light and fluffy.

Since I have been writing these reviews, I have learned a little trick which avoids me a lot of constant note scribbling during my meal, allowing me to truly enjoy the outing. What I always do is to check beforehand whether the restaurant has an online menu and as in most cases they do, I then only have to remember the dishes we took, rather than all of the ingredients. However in the case of Wejla, I am now noticing as I write that their online menu is not updated and that many of the dishes we took are unfortunately not featured there. I am therefore unable to give full descriptions and will have to be a bit more generalistic in my approach.

For starters there was a raw monkfish dish which was lovely and fresh and served in a pleasant and relatively subtle lemon foam. A trio of oysters each served in a different interesting marinade which was highly praised by Michael. Jeremy had a pea soup which had exceedingly fresh flavours and was also much enjoyed. And I went for one of the specials in the form of a pork cannelloni served with a small braised onion and a scallop on the side. This was also a splendid dish with extremely tender and tasty stringy pork and served in a pork and mushroom emulsion which had simply divine flavours.

We had three types of different main courses. I had local king prawns and langoustine with couscous. Although I would not classify it as outstanding, it was very pleasant and the couscous was also very tasty although there wasn’t much more than a tablespoonful of it. There was a rack of lamb which was described as perfectly cooked to order and of very good quality. And a mixed shellfish plate with mussels, razor shells, clams, prawns and langoustine which were all fresh and enjoyable.

Our meal was accompanied by the Chilean Cefiro Sauvignon Blanc, which is adequate and although not a grand wine by any standard, it is far above the normal abysmal level of plonk Michael and Jeremy are used to drinking. I must say that Jeremy our host most graciously and fortunately asked me to chose the wine and as they didn’t have any Corton-Charlemagne in the house I went for Cefiro instead.

As for dessert we had two very interesting sounding concoctions, which again I am unable to find on their online menu. They were complex dishes with many ingredients and what they lacked in intense and exceptional flavours they made up for in lightness and subtlety and were therefore thoroughly enjoyed.

In summary, yes Wejla has some good food in the form of interesting dishes and cleverly combined ingredients, produced by very obvious talent in its kitchen. If it improved its service, upgraded its wine list and moved out of such a godforsaken location it would undoubtedly be the perfect restaurant.

This meal came in sharp contrast to our previous one at il Galeone, as The Italian Job is a new Italian themed, concept restaurant in Bay Street, presenting every possible sign of popular, in vogue and contemporary decor, style, service and cuisine. It is a sprawling eatery with different sections which offers quite a varied and interesting menu for a casual and fun time out. It can also very easily fit the bill for a number of different occasions, from an uncomplicated meal, to a family outing, to a larger group function.

Our lunch was very much of the group function type and to define it better it was of the very disorganised and dysfunctional type indeed. As we were meant to be a group of well over thirty persons, the restaurant very rightly advised us to opt for a set menu, so as to facilitate service, quality and comfort for our group. Although we initially approved of the idea, as unfortunately often happens in these occasions, nobody could agree on anything. Some found the menu too much, others too little, and everyone agreed to disagree. So the restaurant very kindly consented to us going a la carte.

We were meant to arrive at 12:30, however incredulously a full hour later, there were still the last stragglers making their way in calmly and lethargically, while I for one continued drowning my frustration in more and more gin and tonics. Needless to say, several didn’t even bother to turn up at all, without as much as a call or SMS to the organiser. Then being such a large group the only place we could fit on one table was on the terrace outside. However once we were seated several of us there were feeling rather cold, so we all just stood up and went back inside, all sitting haphazardly at different tables without much thought or design. By the time we all managed to find a seat several others arrived, and upon realising that there was absolutely no more space left for them to sit, we all stood up and went back outside.

So this is what could be very safely defined as a restaurant’s nightmare and in my book is ample reason to be reprimanded, if not shown the door. However much to my amazement, the general manager Jason, along with his superb team of staff, didn’t even bat an eyelid. They went about their business assisting us with drinks, resettlements, stampedes and no shows, until at some time in the mid to late afternoon we were finally seated, for the last time, with menus in hand.

The food on offer is nicely varied and ranges from pizzas, pastas, burgers, top quality meats and more. As may be expected, orders ranged tremendously and covered virtually the entire menu, which I am sure was most thrilling for the kitchen! However again, much to my amazement, service was quick, efficient and as far as I could see totally devoid of any error whatsoever. No mean task with such a large, chaotic group.

Both the very original presentation and the quality of the food left nothing to be desired. I asked for comments from different diners and to my knowledge everyone was more than satisfied. I shared a lovely massive 800 grams flank for two, which was cooked very rare as requested, was of top quality and also extremely tasty. This was accompanied, as were many of the dishes, with lovely thin and crispy fries, as well as a nice fresh salad. So definitely a thumbs up for the quality of the food also.

I would highly recommend this establishment for that fun group outing right in the middle of town, and would like to end by thanking Jason and his team once again for their exceptional patience, customer care skills and professionalism.

There were five of us meeting up for dinner. And as we were all going to be in Sliema, one of our party suggested that we dine at Galeone, which was perfectly fine with everyone. We have been there several times before, but not for many many years.

This restaurant has been operating for a great number of years, and as is often the case in such situations, there are a few evident signs of this. However what Il Galeone lacks in modernity and novelty it certainly compensates for in the sound, traditional goodness of its dishes. It offers quite a varied menu featuring a number of old favourites and classic dishes, gravitating around general Mediterranean cuisine.

For starters we had escargots which were served in the customary manner. They were well prepared and served in a tasty garlicky sauce. There were also two portions of lobster ravioli which were nicely filled with fine tasting lobster and a lightly creamy sauce. Also an avocado, artichoke and mushroom dish which was pleasant and tasty. So I would safely say that all starters were very decent.

As for the main courses there were two calf’s liver in a simple veneziana sauce which I very much enjoyed. The liver was very thinly cut, which makes a pleasant change from the usual more chunky and sometimes chewy preparation. The sauce was well prepared and nicely complimented the liver. We also had a duck breast which was served nicely pink, succulent and well enjoyed. A beef stroganoff which proved to be of a very good standard, made up of tasty and tender beef accompanied by an unctuous sauce which presented all the expected flavours. And finally a vitella milanese which was truly excellent. It was very thin and perfectly cooked to produce a lovely, tasty and crunchy dish.

As for dessert there was only one tiramisu which was ordered and although I have had much better, it was still quite pleasant.

Definitely my main gripe with this restaurant and I must say that it is a very justified one, concerns their wine list, the likes of which I must admit I haven’t quite seen before. It is presented in the form of a small two paged card and besides offering a rather limited choice, all of the wines are literally accorded between one and three words in total. This means that under the heading by country you just have a list of words such as Chateauneuf du Pape, St Emilion, 35 South, Carmenere (spelt wrongly). So not only was there absolutely no description whatsoever, but the word list consisted of a mishmash of either place names without indicating the name of the wine, or brand names without grape variety or vintage, or just varietals with absolutely no other information! I really don’t think that it is necessary to dwell much further on this very obvious shortcoming and that a wine list worth its name should include for each of its wines – place name and/or appellation, brand name, producer when applicable, vintage and finally description.

So all in all the food was much enjoyed, especially as many of these renowned classic dishes seem to be slowly and regrettably fading away, as more and more new establishments open up offering more contemporary fare. The service too was smart, efficient and friendly and left nothing to be desired. We were also very graciously offered a free drink on the house before our departure, which is always appreciated. And provided that whoever produced that wine list is slowly and painfully burt at the ‘steak’, I would gladly return.

We have been very happily dining at Tmun for many many years now, first in their original location followed by their second premises in Xlendi, then at their present location in Mgarr, Gozo. Naturally the advantage now is that you can very easily just go for a lunch or dinner by leaving your car at Cirkewwa, walk across, treat yourself to a wonderful meal, then sail back to Malta, without even having to drive across, making for an overall lovely outing.

So we were very pleased when Nicki Stivala decided to organise his 47th (or was it 48th?) birthday luncheon party at this esteemed establishment. And being the organiser extraordinaire that he is, he as always managed to arrange for a wonderful set menu, along with very decent wines, and all at extremely good value!

Now I must admit I wasn’t expecting much, in the sense that judging or commenting about a restaurant when serving a set menu for some 25 guests is not quite the same as doing it with an a la carte table of two. In such circumstances I usually set ‘adequate’ as my highest expectation. Similarly I would never dream of reviewing a restaurant on say Christmas, Valentine’s or Mother’s Day. In any case, this is even more unlikely to happen as I have long learned to avoid such occasions like the plague and make it a point to go out a day or two before or after.

So after having missed our intended ferry, as a direct consequence ofJeremy Cope and Michael’s morning wooziness, we finally made it to Tmun where the party was already in full swing. Several glasses of prosecco later, we were seated at three separate tables and in spite of our many desperate efforts, my poor wife and myself ended up at what very clearly turned out to be the bad table. This consisted of Jeremy and Michael, two nice gentleman – one of whom was Julian Boffa, and two rather annoying women whose sense of humour was just as exaggerated as their dizzying height. I am of course referring to Francesca Farrugia and Lillian Chetcuti Riolo, who simply insisted on being seated right next to me, in spite of my many desperate attempts to avoid them. Moreover, not that it makes a great difference, but it is always a nice added bonus when you are sitting along with the host. On this occasion however, this was clearly not our case, as Nicki very effectively steered clear of our freaks and outcasts table.

To return to more pleasant matters, having frequented Tmun for so many years, we have been able to observe their very marked progression in the form of a gradual transformation of their overall cuisine. What started off as relatively straightforward and uncomplicated, good, wholesome home-style cooking – and I say this with every joy and respect, in memory of so many very delicious meals back then, eventually started to gain in momentum in the form of refinement, finesse and sophistication, To unfold the whole picture, this daunting kitchen has been in the firm and unrelenting grips of chef patron Jane, while the front of house is most efficiently managed by seasoned, suave and savvy husband Emanuel Buttigieg aka Leli. Upon their relocated to the new custom-built venue in Mgarr, Jane insisted on having an open kitchen. This allows for the easy flinging of frying pans straight onto Leli’s head, just in case he might as much as even hint that he’s the boss with any of the diners…

But as most other intriguing stories, this one doesn’t end here. What we originally remembered to be a little urchin back in Xlendi, who on busy nights was usually in the way, going not by the name of Paul but Pawlu, as his mum used to point out, starting taking interest in his mum’s ample skills and craftswomanship. And this is where the story becomes the most perilous and where I have to use extreme caution in the words I choose. The incidental, or should I say accidental, uses of that open kitchen might in certain cases not remain limited to husbands only… So this brings us to that proverbial master and pupil dilemma, which I definitely will not entertain. Mother and son are without a doubt working as a formidable team, in perfect harmony, to produce some stunning food with all the marks of a great kitchen. It must obviously be a classic case of them perfectly complimenting each other, one with decades of solid experience and the other with the introduction of new progressive ideas.

Suffice to say that since Paul Buttigieg has matured into a great talent equalling that of his mother’s stature, the cuisine at Tmun has attained even greater heights, adding that contemporary flair and latest cutting edge, to make their kitchen today second to none. And this was on a bad day with our group set menu!

This glorious meal started off with a very tasty and somewhat daring amuse bouche in the form of Maltese sausage in barbecue sauce with a wild fidloqqom flower (blue borage). This set the scene for very cleverly combined, unexpected ingredients and above all intensely tasty food, from the word go. For starters we were all served a magnificent mixed dish, aptly labelled as Antipasti. This consisted of tuna carpaccio, tempura battered prawns, monkfish arancini, fried calamari, lamb curry samosas, Asian pork rolls, fried brie and pea soup. In short, these were fortunately ever so tiny bite-sized portions, which impressed not only by their astounding variety, but also by their goodness and above all by the fabulous and eclectic abundance of so many lavish and bold tastes. Just to mention a few highlights, the Asian fare offered lovely strong curry flavours, the soup was overflowing with natural goodness topped off with lovely seasoning and the tuna carpaccio was among the finest I have ever eaten.

As for mains there was a choice based on the logical options of either meat or fish. The fish was again a stunning medley of swordfish, calamari with an Asian sauce, and king prawns with a beurre noisette. Now I must admit that I am not aways too keen on such wildly hybrid dishes in the name of the once trendy fusion cuisine. But in cases like this, where all ingredients and flavours blend in together to somehow create a harmonious dish which is even better than each of its individual and seemingly incongruous components, I realise why fusion was actually created.

The other main was one of the house’s signature dishes – a Uruguayan beef tagliata, prepared from the bavette cut or flank, which happens to be very popular in France, but seemingly less in Malta. It was served with ruccola, parmesan, pine nuts and olive oil. At this point, Julian my left hand neighbour, explained to me why he prefers, and was indeed served, a whole steak rather than a tagliata. His main reason being that tagliata cools down quicker. And while I will not argue with him on this point, I found that contrary to common belief sliced steak can in fact present many advantages. Firstly for people like me who are very easily intimidated by massive slabs of meat, it is much more pleasing to the eye. As I like beef either blue or rare, depending on the amount of fat and marbling it contains, tagliata actually allows for more variety in textures, rather than one relatively huge and raw chunk of never-ending meat. And also this allows for a much greater surface area which will be seasoned and in direct contact with the grill, all making for a tastier way of eating your steak. So needless to say this dish too was plain and simple enjoyment and a meat lover’s dream.

To end this stunning meal we were given a choice between what is aptly termed as Jane’s famous cheese cake, which I have already sampled on countless occasions and a heavenly chocolate and orange fondant with Marsala zabaione ice cream. I personally found the latter to be superior. And this not in any way due to any shortcoming from the cheesecake, which as always was flawless, but purely due to the exquisite presentation, intense tastes and the remarkable and pronounced flavours of the fondant and accompanying ice cream of the latter.

For wines we were served the very decent Corvo Glicine and/or Castillero del Diablo carmenere as part of our set menu. And when we very quickly finished our allocation, Leli very kindly offered his expertise first by suggesting a Chilean De Martino carmenere Maipo Valley, which was smooth, silky and well balanced, but perhaps lacked just a little bit of body. Following this he proposed a finer Chilean Sol de Chile Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Carmenere, which was more intense and tannic, with a spicy and smoky character. In normal graceful Leli style, many of the extra drinks we were purchasing were definitely being charged at well below normal list prices and our proposals to top up our payments were firmly refused.

Believe it or not, the set menu including water and the initial half bottle of wine, was charged at € 40.00 per person, For such a splendid menu this was simply a giveaway price, leaving us all wondering what sort of extreme favours Nicki must have offered to obtain such a wonderful deal. But besides the food I would also like to mention the fact that the service was absolutely impeccable and in spite of our loud, rowdy, unruly and often even vulgar behaviour, we were treated like royalty. So much so that Martina, one of the exceptional waitresses there, manifested a sense of humour which was inversely proportionate to her height – and believe you me she is not at all a tall person. This came in stark contrast to the two ogresses at our table, who also insisted on lowering the level of the conversation to abysmal depths, something I personally find very shocking and always firmly refuse to participate in.

So I would like to end this review by thanking everyone at Tmun primarily Leli, Jane and Paul, but also Martina for being such a great sport, as well as all the other staff, for what can only be considered as a truly splendid meal. And also last but not least, I would of course like to thank Nicki, our remarkable albeit aging host. I love him dearly and even if he refused to sit at our table, I will continue to thank until the day I die, which, based upon all this eating and drinking…

Cafe del Mar is the large and impressive facility down below the National Aquarium, not to be confused with the cafeteria at street level. This very large, crescent-shaped venue comes complete with adjacent infinity pool, open sea views, loads of space and light, pleasing modern decor and open kitchens.

We have had several meals there which to date were always very satisfactory and which very easily surpassed our lunch there this Sunday. This is an informal style venue which does not attempt to position itself above a smart and trendy casual establishment, however up until this episode we were always very pleased with the outcome.

We were five adults and two young children at table and the children had your standard chicken nuggets and chips and fish fingers and chips, which were both fine. For starters four of us had octopus carpaccio which was tasty, nicely prepared, accompanied by fresh ruccola, cherry tomatoes, orange and capers, all very nicely seasoned. Also a pizza dough focaccia which was also very acceptable and impressively copious.

The main courses on the other hand could have been of a better standard than we encountered this time round. I had a tuna steak which was served very rare as requested and which proved to be very pleasant. It was of good quality and also nicely flavoured on the exterior. Two at our table had pan-fried fillets of sea bass which were rather disappointing, as they were exceptionally thin, overcooked, dryish and perhaps not particularly fresh. The other two had grilled prawn salads which were fairly adequate although they lacked flavour and zest and the prawns were seemingly not grilled at all.

Two at our table tried their luck with desserts and selected from the long list of coupes which were the only option on offer. Although initially the choice sounded quite grand, it turned out that they were all very similar home-made desserts with similar tastes and consistencies, all served in the same coupe fashion, save for slightly varying combinations of these components.
They also proved to be far too sweet, rather heavy and slightly stodgy.

On the other hand we were very pleased to see that the service has remained very much on the high side and we were served throughout by a very pleasant and accommodating young woman, at times assisted by her manager. This in spite of the fact that the restaurant was very busy and there were very few staff around. Despite this we were very well served and at no stage of the meal were waiting times too lengthy.

Also we first ordered a bottle of French syrah wine and were accidentally served an Argentinian syrah instead. However as testament of the waitress’s good manners and concern, she apologised over and over again, in spite of our repeated assurance that we had realised it was simply a genuine mistake.

On our way out. and after having received yet another apology from the waitress, the Manager also expressed his concern to us regarding the overall service. He kindly took the initiative of excusing them for perhaps not offering their normal standard of service, due to an unexpected shortage of staff that day. I assured him that this was not at all the case and that the service was actually pretty good. By then the two kids were restless, agitated and tired, so it was much more timely to leave it at that and to head home.

In different circumstances I would definitely have taken the time and the trouble to explain to this very helpful and well-meaning gentleman that the problem did not lie in the service, but in certain of the dishes being a little bit off their normal mark. I do hope that this will not be a lasting trend here and that some attention will be afforded towards regaining an overall higher level of cuisine. We always enjoyed going to Cafe del Mar especially as it opens for lunch when you can appreciate the magnificent vista, while always being served by efficient and cheerful staff.

I feel that I should start off by reassuring everyone that you really need not remove your underwear before entering this restaurant. I went as far as confirming this when reserving our table. And just in case anyone is thinking that I have totally lost it, to an even more severe level than my normal self – if this is at all possible, then I suggest that you look up the name in an urban dictionary…

Without wanting to dwell too much upon the name, I do feel that it is quite an odd and unlikely one for such a good restaurant. Although it is in no way connected to the Army & Navy Bar in Sliema, I am told that it does originate from a previous establishment housed within the same building, which was called the Commando Bar, and which was mainly frequented by British services personnel.

But although admittedly such a name does not somehow evoke images of the finest cuisine or a top refined restaurant, this is exactly what Commando proved to be.

The seating arrangements are nicely laid out, whereby tables of four such as ours consist of a comfortable semicircular settee for the ladies and two opposing chairs for the gents. This already sets the scene for a convivial meal and certainly beats normal tables and chairs in both comfort and general atmospheric feeling.

Immediately upon being seated we were very efficiently asked if we would like aperitifs, and while three of us decided to go directly to wine, one followed the distinct recommendation of the waitress to take a whisky. Strangely enough he was automatically served a Laphroaig, which to me is a legendary and inimitable whisky and simply to die for. However I cannot understand why he was served a superior and therefore more expensive whisky and more so one which is infinitely more appropriate as an after dinner drink. Furthermore this whisky is not appreciated by all due to its very pungent, super peaty and even phenolic taste and is probably one of the most unlikely whiskies one would ever expect when ordering a simple plain whisky.

I am perhaps insisting on this point as it seems to have become a recurring problem we are encountering more and more in many restaurants in recent times. When ordering a normal generic drink we end up being served the most expensive brand in the house. We will definitely start to look out for this in the future and no matter how petty it may seem, I will certainly start to enquire as to the exact brand and category of spirit we order from now on.

We can now move on from these relatively insignificant matters and proceed to what I feel should be unreserved exaltation towards every other aspect of this astounding restaurant.

We were served by two young, efficient and extremely pleasant servers, who not only did their best to laugh at my stale jokes, but who were also very helpful and looked after us very professionally and attentively. I think that they managed to achieve that rare balance between smartness and friendliness, which can often be so hard to reach.

And now to the food! I am not easily impressed, but this is probably as close as I can get. The quality of the food served was totally amazing, very refined and full of lovely flavours.

For starters we had a duck leg croquette, which had a lovely rich and tasty shredded duck filling and a crispy, delightful crust. This was served with a prune purée, pickled apples and nuts. Two of us had seared Scottish scallops with a cauliflower purée and lentils. These were absolutely sublime and although it is a dish we have had countless times both in Malta and abroad, I simply cannot recall ever having eaten any better than these. They were cooked to perfection, very moist and succulent while also retaining their very delicate natural flavours. We also had the starter special of the day, which were potato gnocchi made with ricotta and truffles. This dish too had the distinct signature of greatness through its very delicate yet striking flavours, clearly manifesting the work of a very talented chef.

For main courses we had a grilled Irish ribeye with herb butter, which was clearly of very good quality and cooked to perfection. Two of us had the main course special of the day which was breast of caramelised duck sided with parsnip and vanilla purée. This was an unmatched rendition of this seemingly simple dish, which elevated it to new heights of perfection. Not only was the meat impeccably cooked and absolutely succulent, but it was also extremely tasty and beautifully seasoned on the outside. The fourth main was an equally well prepared oven roasted rack of lamb, which was of the same exceptional level of quality as the other dishes and boasted lovely flavours and textures to produce yet another great dish.

All starters and mains were prepared to a truly unexpected level of finesse, yet all displayed very marked and sometimes intense flavours, one of the hallmarks of an exceptional kitchen.

We complimented this remarkable meal with very palatable Côte du Rhône Château de Boussargues, which was a grab at € 16.50 and proved to be more than adequate.

As for desserts we decided to share two dishes between the four of us, being a lovely silky and tasty crème brûlée and a delicate white chocolate mousse. Both desserts were of the same excellent standard as the rest of the meal.

We also chose our after dinner drinks from the dedicated section of their dessert menu, and sure enough one of the principle suggestions here was Laphroaig. So we went for a Macallan just to change…

So my recommendation for anyone who hasn’t been here yet is a loud and resounding GO!