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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 31 JULY 2016 34 Food Exclusively imported by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, Birkirkara T: 2144 4400 M de Minuty Rose 2015 Chateau Minuty, Provence – France The grapes are carefully selected and come from the best soils of Côtes de Provence and come from vines cultivated in integrated farm way. The grapes are blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah. A magnificent wine of pleasure : the aromatic harmony that offers some notes of peach and candied orange. the mouth is fresh and round. M de Minuty Rosé by Château Minuty is the bestselling wine for a reason: it's the archetype of Provence rosé... 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 IT'S a competitive world out there. As technology brings us closer together, busi- nesses too have to work hard to stay rel- evant. Nowhere is this more evident than in the restaurant business. Establishments open and close at the drop of a hat, their fate decided by a clientele that has the world – and its review websites – at their fingertips. When a restaurant sticks around as long as Zest has, you know they're doing something right. In days gone by, it made a name for itself by being one of the first on the island to offer high quality sushi, a dish that has, in the mean time, seen its own popularity grow and finally cement a permanent presence on the local food scene. Zest is keeping pace with the latest food trend. Customers, particularly when din- ing in large groups, seem to appreciate having a menu that ventures beyond the constraints of one genre, region or style of food. This also lets the more adventur- ous diners mix and match their courses. In the interest of sampling the broad- est variety, my guest and I chose from both the continental and the Asian pages of the menu. One option we were seri- ously considering what the Shabu-Shabu, a kind of Asian take on fondue that in- volves diners cooking their fish or meat at the table by dunking it in hot broth. Still, that would mean we probably wouldn't have room for much else so we decided to return another time for that particular dish. Zest has retained its love for the art of raw fish, offering an impressive selection of sushi, prepared right there in the din- ing room at a specialised workstation. Although not technically on the starter list, the staff didn't bat an eye when we asked for sushi to start with. It didn't dis- appoint – those years of experience have definitely paid off. The other opening number was the duck agnolotti, served with caramelized sweet potato (delightfully moreish) and a Gran Marnier froth (a bubbly citrus burst). The duck, carefully contained within its pasta prison, was rich and played well with the slight bitterness of the froth. Next up was the Balinese chicken curry, atop a little turret of rice. With com- plex flavours and a medley of spices, it was pleasantly reminiscent of an Indian curry, without a flood of overpowering sauce. Moving west across the globe, a rack of lamb, cooked sous vide, made for a visu- ally stunning arrival at our table. Its side- kicks – a courgette strip wrapped around a divine mushroom duxelle, mashed sweet potatoes and grilled baby fennel – jockeyed for attention with the perfectly pink lamb and its crunchy herb crust. At this point, verging on stuffed-to- the-gills, we opted to share dessert. The Bento Box is a neat little representation of Zest's 'East meets West' tagline. Like its Asian counterpart, this dessert com- bines many little things to form a com- plete dish. Its components however are continental – a decadent fondant, a deli- cate raspberry macaroon and a raspberry sorbet. I think the description speaks for itself but I will say this – we fought over that macaroon. Zest has kept and polished its excel- lent reputation over the years and you can see why. Whether sitting outdoors, watching the goings on in Spinola Bay, or inside enjoying the décor, Zest will not only keep your palate entertained. The soon-to-be-married are also in luck – Zest will cater your wedding (or any other event) and bring its trademark flair to your special day. For every other day of the week, Zest delivers, literally and figuratively. They will deliver their tasty offerings to your door and high end, reasonably priced morsels to your taste buds. What's not to love? ZEST 25, Triq San Gorg, St Julian's. Tel: 21387600 Web: www.zestflavours.com Facebook: www.facebook/ ZestRestaurant/ Resto of the week WINE OF THE WEEK Standing the test of time PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD When Zest first opened, it made a name for itself serving the best sushi on the island. So many years later the restaurant is still serving some of Malta's finest Asian fusion. RACHEL AGIUS heads down to check out what has made Zest stand the test of time.