Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/306555
28 RESTO OF THE WEEK FOOD DOLCE Vita has always been a great spot for celebrating a special occasion, serving fresh Mediterra- nean food overlooking the stunning Spinola Bay. Since last spring, the restaurant has been under new management and has had the refurbishment of a life- time, transforming it to a chic and stylish venue promising a night of fishy splendour. The décor has a distinct 1940's feel, with beautiful wooden backed chairs and cream linen tablecloths, soft lighting and decorative fish swim- ming through aquariums. Be sure to go with someone who makes you laugh out loud, lest you miss out on the beautiful paintings on the ceil- ing. The music is perfect, loud enough to keep others' conversations quiet but low enough for you to hear yours. All in all, the spectacular views of Spinola Bay outside and the beauti- ful décor inside makes Dolce Vita the perfect romantic setting. The menu is inspired by the shim- mering sea, dotted with Maltese fishing boats, with an array of dishes mostly dominated by fish and sea- food, though meat and vegetarian dishes are also available. The trick to serving the fantastic seafood lies in sourcing the best pro- duce and head chef Salvatore spends much of his day checking out the dai- ly catch at a number of different sup- pliers, selecting only the very best. As Mediterranean fish is so full of flavour it requires very little cooking with very few other ingredients, and while that should serve a restaurant well it makes it quite difficult to cre- ate an innovative menu that doesn't overshadow the delicate fish flavours with other strong ingredients. The menu at Dolce Vita does just that. Some truly unique dishes, like a tartar of tuna with brandy and mustard seeds or a salmon tartar with salmon roe and exotic fruit, are lined up along traditional favourites like deep fried calamari and tempura prawns. After being seated at table, we were treated to a glass of prosecco from a bottle that has the Dolce Vita ta- ble artistically splashed across it. Though we pored over the menu for a long time we left it in the chef's hands and patiently waited for whatever cu- linary surprises he deemed fit. We started with a platter of raw seafood delights, just a tiny bite of so many different flavours – a real treat for the gourmet diner. Raw scampi quickly marinated in lemon, raw prawns with a small bite of fresh pineapple, marinated carpaccio of swordfish and truly interesting tar- tars of tuna, with mustard seed and salmon with salmon roe and exotic fruit were among the delights of the very first course. Next we moved on to a mixed plat- ter of cooked antipasti – seared tuna and neonati fritters among some oth- er interesting pieces – calamari with orange stuffing and an interesting roll of some soft, delicately flavoured white fish I didn't recognise. Though I asked what it was, I ended up none the wiser, even after seeing the whole fish. After a little bit of research, I found what I was looking for - a sil- ver scabbard fish or pesce sciabola in Italian, a long eel-like fish that swims in deep waters of the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Pacific and is popular in Sicilian dishes. The deep-fried calamari and prawns were served in a small paper cone and though they were not oily at all, the paper absorbs any excess oil leaving crunchy, fishy bites full of flavour. Our main course was a meagre fish, the gurbel, simply cooked al cartoc- cio and accompanied by roast pota- toes and grilled vegetables. Though by this time we felt like we couldn't eat another bite, dessert was yet to come. After one bite of the ori- ental fusion chocolate and mandarin tart with earl grey mousse and tange- rine and lemongrass jelly topped with a sugar-coated tangerine segment, you somehow find the space to keep going. Our second dessert was an inter- esting take on apple crumble. It was served in a tower of three pyramid style bowls. In the first a caramalised apple in crème anglaise, in the sec- ond a bowl of spicy pear granita and in the third crispy shortbread biscuits dusted in icing sugar. Though each of these were bursting with flavour separately, when eaten together the effect is tremendous – the hot apple with the cold granita, the spicy gran- ita with the sweet crème anglaise, and the softness of the apple with the crunchy biscuits make this a dessert to remember. The overall experience was a per- fect night and though we ate way too much food, it seemed impossible to put the fork down at any point of the night – a sure sign of a fantastic meal with such variety we left tired and happy. Rachel Zammit Cutajar takes a look at a restaurant and brings a recipe, wine and delicacy of the week. Write to us with your comments on restaurants or submit your own recipes to rzammitcutajar@mediatoday.com.mt Charles Grech & Co. Ltd., Valley Road, B'Kara Tel: 2144 4400 Mouton Cadet 'Sauvignon Blanc' 2013 Baron Philippe Rothschild, Bordeaux - France Expertise, pedigree and class are stamped all over this exceptional new Bordeaux white that is des- tined to be hit of the summer. The Mouton Cadet Sauvignon Blanc comes from the historic stable of Baron Philippe de Rothschild and is considered the leading affordable French white wine. Made from Sauvignon Blanc grown in the Entre-Deux-Mers region in the south of Bordeaux, this aromatic white is both complex and elegant displaying an array of aromas and flavours including citrus, white blossom and an exciting touch of minerality on the finish This elegant white wine reveals the freshness of Sauvignon Blanc and offers crisp, spring-like flavours of white peach and grapefruit. Ideal for impromptu meals and aperitifs. It is a perfect ac- companiment to grilled fish, seafood and poultry. Exclusively imported by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, B'Kara T: 2144-4400 Living the dolce vita WINE OF THE WEEK Dolce Vita is open daily for dinner from 19:00 and for lunch on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00. Ristorante Dolce Vita 159, St George's Road, St Julian's Tel 21388600 Email: info@dolcevita.com.mt Web: www.dolcevita.com.mt Find them on Facebook at www. facebook.com/dolcevitamalta PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD