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32 RESTO OF THE WEEK FOOD Venus I'M not what you'd call a girlie girl. I avoid girls' nights out like the plague and even the thought of a hen's party sends shivers down my spine. But if the 'men are from Mars and women are from Venus' thing holds true, then I'd be per- fectly happy to settle in Venus, if, that is, we are talking about the restaurant. Bugibba has to be my least fa- vourite place on the planet – okay, on the island (I'm sure there are darker places in the world I haven't yet been to). Pink tourists sporting socks and sandals, late night shop- ping for cheap souvenirs (how can real people fall into such a stereo- typical category?) wander aimlessly trough the streets like a swarm of ants whose nest has just been tram- pled. Add that to a mindless system of one-way streets, pedestrianised zones and almost nowhere to park and it starts to feel like a recurring dream I've had since childhood where no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to reach my desti- nation. I therefore avoid Bugibba as best I can but I will make an exception, however, to go to Venus. Though just on the cusp of the pedestrian zone, and right next door to Fat Harry's, once you step inside you instantly forget the noxious bustle of Bugibba and enter into a world that revolves around food and com- fort. To satisfy pink tourist needs, Bu- gibba is home to many establish- ments that serve eggs and chips and a pint, but Venus is nothing like that. White linen tablecloths, faux leather chairs, decent cutlery and glassware and stylish decor take the place of plastic tablecloths, paper napkins and laminated men- us. But enough Bugibba-bashing, this should be about the positivity of such a restaurant, despite its lo- cation. The menu is short and concise though still, decisions are far from easy. Do you go for starters and mains? Have pasta as a starter? Or a main course? Meat or fish? Even simple decisions like that are near impossible. Hake ravioli in a squid ink emulsion with lemon infused oil, potato gnocchi with pan-seared foie gras and Parmesan orange cream, pacchieri pasta with braised beef ragout, broad beans an parmeggiano reggiano. And those were just the pastas. To make your life even more im- possible, manager Michael Gera brings out a platter of fresh fish and another of fresh meats and proceeds to describe a number of mouth- watering dishes that weren't on the menu in a manner that is almost seductive. On the front page of the menu, they say that food prepara- tion is their hobby and every fish is seasoned with passion. This defi- nitely comes across in the enthusi- asm with which they describe each and every dish. I managed to make a few small de- cisions. Fish. And pasta as a main. The rest I left to up to the chef. And was I satisfied with my decision? Most definitely. Our starters were a selection of fresh seafood – the neonate fritters were crispy, more like a fishy onion bhajis – without any of the soggi- ness you find in second-rater frit- ters, sweet local prawns, grilled ca- lamari and my favourite dish of the day a prawn carpaccio to rival even the best fish restaurants in Sicily – sweet prawn meat, the unmis- takable crunch of Maldon sea salt flakes and a lemon-infused oil they make in-house. If I had to choose only one dish to eat for the rest of my life it would be this. For mains we had pasta – again with prawns and calamari and though the usual way with a sea- food pasta is to fish out the meaty bits over the pasta, the sauce (I think I may have heard mention of a lobster bisque) was so delicious that choosing between the meaty bits and the pasta once you start to get full is impossible. Therefore you have to eat till you pop! Even though I thought I may have popped, I went for local mqaret, deep fried pillows of sweet date de- liciousness, served with a refresh- ing vanilla ice-cream and glass of port. The perfect end to a perfect meal. Though I find the thought of Bu- gibba detestable, even in summer this is a restaurant that has me through those doors time and time again. Venus is open from Monday to Sunday 18:30 to 23:00 Venus 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 Grande Cuvee 'Sauvignon Blanc – Boschendal, South Africa A blend dominated by 95% Sauvignon Blanc with 5% Semillon. Grapes are from vineyards planted on decomposed granite, stony clay soils and rich alluvial soils, at altitudes ranging from 150-400m above sea level Vinification is reductive, which means all air is excluded from the grape processing operation. This is done to protect the delicate Sauvignon Blanc flavours. The Sauvignon Blanc was fermented at 16 degrees Celsius. A small portion of Semillon, matured in small oak for a short period of time was added to enhance complexity and texture to the mid- palate. This straw-coloured wine has an aroma of herbs and tropical fruit, with hints of lime and green fig. These complex flavours carry through to the creamy, harmonious palate adding to the mineral zesty finish. Ready to drink now and the ideal partner for smoked fish, seafood and creamy poultry or veal dishes Exclusively imported by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, B'Kara T: 2144-4400 WINE OF THE WEEK Venus Pioneer Road, Bugibba Tel: 21571604 Email: jmgera@go.net.mt Facebook: venusrestaurant Men are from Mars but I'm going to Venus Once you step through the doors of Venus you instantly forget you are in the heart of tourist trap Bugibba A prawn carpaccio to rival even the best fish restaurants in Sicily