Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/546399
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 JULY 2015 34 Food Rachel Agius 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 Resto of the week 100% Chardonnay. It is an average – early varietal with maturity reached around the end of August. Collected from the grapes, the vinification is partially covered by the air (a technique called "semi-reduction"), the settling is natural, and the fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of 16 degrees for 13 days in steel tanks. Color: Straw yellow with hints of gold. Bouquet: Intense and persistent, with hints of pineapple, tropical fruits and vanilla that tend towards acacia nectar with aging. Flavor: Harmonious and balanced, with pleasant viscosity that balances the delicate acidity. This wine goes well with antipasto of raw seafoods, first courses of pasta with vegetables, and second courses of white meats. It should be tried paired with creamy soups such as cream of potato soup of Siracusa. Exclusively imported by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, Birkirkara T: 2144 4400 Feudo Chardonnay 2014 'Principi di Butera', Sicily THE summer sun makes you want to be on a boat and though yachting may not be a possibility for everyone, dinner at La Vela is just as good. If you can't have dinner on the boat, then try La Vela. With easy parking in the sur- rounding car park, once you are settled down at your table, it feels like you're eat- ing on the boat – just without the rocking. The restaurant is renowned for its great fish dishes and rightly so, with a great se- lection of fish antipasti as well as a great selection of the freshest fish, cooked in a variety of ways – grilled, steamed, al car- toccio or al sale. None of these items are listed on the menu as they change accord- ing to what is available. Owner of the restaurant Michelle Mus- cat comes to the table to tell you what's on the menu and will give recommendations as necessary with a smile. We opted for the fish antipasti and had a fantastic selection of calamari, octopus, carpaccio of salmon, mussels and prawns. The pasta starters were also very tempt- ing, with some delicate sauces like one with gurbell and cherry tomatoes or more exotic ones with a minced lamb and pep- per sauce. For mains most of my friends went for fish and being lazy as they are decided to have the fish cleaned for them. The person cleaning the fish in the kitchen certainly knows what they are doing as there was not one bone in six plates of fish. I decided to go for the fillet steak, cooked in a creamy mushroom sauce with fresh porcini, something that is quite hard to come by in Malta. When I asked Michelle where she got them from she said that they import them themselves but was happy to sell me some if I needed – how's that for impeccable service. The desserts were equally fantastic, though I can't remember what was on the dessert menu aside from the chocolate fondant, which is what we all went for. Warm chocolate cake with an oozy centre served with a sweet ricotta cream. Simply incredible. If you haven't been to La Vela yet my ad- vice is don't wait any longer. La Vela is open daily (except Mondays) for lunch between 12:30 and 15:00 and from Wednesday to Saturday for dinner from 19:30 till 23:00. Address: Marina Street, Pieta. Contact: 21230336; 99269090 All aboard at La Vela