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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 7 AUGUST 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 I almost missed Rebekah's when I drove past. Situated in a quiet, residential Mel- lieha road, only a small sign and a menu in an illuminated display case indicated that the otherwise unassuming stone façade was the place I was looking for. Stepping inside however is a delight, even before you catch a whiff of the food – the restau- rant is actually an old-style Maltese farm- house, complete with war shelter (which now serves as a wine cellar), rough stone walls and a courtyard, which is where we chose to sit when we visited. Weather like ours makes outdoor dining an almost year- round possibility and we figured we'd take advantage of a balmy evening to enjoy our meal al fresco. While the food was excellent (more on that in a little bit), I cannot overstate the quality of the service. We were offered drinks soon after being seated, by Liz, our smartly dressed maître d', who took good care of us throughout the night. It was heartening to hear their list of gins, when it's usually a matter of 'one or the other' in most restaurants. We picked our poison and perused the menu. A handful of specials complemented the concise menu, including different fresh fish and meat dishes. The meal began with a wonderfully delicate amouse bouche – a salmon mousse with celery puree, arranged artfully across our plates. Quickly polished off, we waited eagerly for our starters. A beetroot and feta creation arrived for me, decorated with rounds of crunchy puff pas- try and what looked like a brushstroke of bright purple beet juice. An unusual com- bination but one that works, combining the sharpness of the cheese with the chewy freshness of the beetroot and making for a wonderful mix of flavours. As much as I enjoyed my first dish, I must admit I was floored by the main. Sliding a knife into my beef ribeye, it was hard to ignore the fact that the meat just gave way beneath the cutlery. It was cooked to per- fection – medium rare, with a perfect gradi- ent, a gentle crunch on the outside followed by a melt-in-the-mouth centre and a com- plete absence of that somewhat off-putting deluge of blood. Sharing the plate was a single truffle raviolo, stacked atop sautéed mushrooms and sitting beside a delicious mushroom puree and truffle jus. Seeing as how the dish left me speechless (in a good way), I'll let my description stop here. I can- not hope to do it justice. My guest's fish elic- ited a similar reaction, thanks to its tender flesh and simple preparation, which served to highlight its delicate flavours. There was not a word of criticism between us. We shared some mixed, grilled vegetables and roast potatoes – simple but satisfying sides to the main events. My guest decided against dessert, a deci- sion that always leaves me out of a spoonful or two of my own. Luckily, there was plenty to share. I chose the pannacotta with peach compote and a crunchy honeycomb biscuit. The subtle, light flavour of the pannacotta was offset nicely by the compote, which was not overly sweet but had a pleasant tartness that played nicely with the sweeter biscuit. Like Rebekah's itself, this dessert was an all- rounder. With service that never falters, a reason- ably priced menu and, in my experience, flawless execution of both familiar and in- novative dishes, this hidden treasure re- ally has everything going for it. So enjoy the drive up north – when it ends with pulling a chair up to a table in Rebekah's, it is cer- tainly worth the trip. REBEKAH'S RESTAURANT 12, Triq it-Tgham, Mellieha Tel:21521145 Web: www.rebekahs.com.mt Facebook: rebekahsrestaurant Resto of the week WINE OF THE WEEK A meal worth travelling for at Rebekah's PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD The phrase 'hidden gem', when referring to restaurants, is horribly overused. However none was created better for Rebekah's, hidden away in the residential area of Mellieha. RACHEL AGIUS discovers it is well worth a visit.

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