Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/717204
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 21 AUGUST 2016 34 Food Exclusively imported by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, Birkirkara T: 2144 4400 Mouton Cadet Blanc 2015 Baron Philippe de Rothschild Bordeaux, France Expertise, pedigree and class are stamped all over this exceptional new Bordeaux white that is destined to be hit of the summer. The Mouton Cadet Blanc comes from the historic stable of Baron Philippe de Rothschild and is considered the leading affordable French white wine. Made from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle 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. 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 RACHEL AGIUS IN the restaurant world, the astute notice certain patterns. A sense of culinary kar- ma, if you will. Another cardboard cutout restaurant opening its doors is counter- balanced by a menu revamp from an old favourite. A gifted chef moving away from an established haunt is matched by an up- and-comer making their mark. This sense of karmic justice cannot be clearer than when we talk about Giusep- pi's. For decades, chef Michael Diacono has brought his inimitable style to a quaint Mellieha townhouse, which felt more like nanna's house than a restaurant. The food was similarly comforting – fresh ingredi- ents, a cooking style that respected every part of the dish, and that unmistakable at- tention to detail that really made Giusep- pi's a hidden treasure. There may have been tears in my eyes when I learned that Giuseppi's would be shutting its doors. It was a national culi- nary treasure, if there ever was one. The lachrymose news however was only part of it. Giuseppi's wasn't closing down per se. Sure, the townhouse would no longer be a restaurant, but Giuseppi's was about to open elsewhere… It was with barely concealed glee that I was asked to review the new restaurant. Perched high above the Coast Road, the new Giuseppi's was, in a word, gorgeous. Part of the newly refurbished Salini Hotel, the restaurant's outdoor area is a vision in wood textures – dark decking, comple- mented by a whitewashed bar and beau- tiful lighting. Despite being outside, there was a distinct feeling of homeliness – the terrace is by no means small but it some- how felt familial, friendly and welcoming. When it comes to the food, anyone who has eaten at either of Diacono's restaurants (See: glowing reviews in previous editions of Gourmet Today) will feel right at home. The menu is small and very carefully cu- rated – you'll find a balance of fish, meat and pasta, each more enticing than the last. I started off with some Maltese sausage and ricotta lunette while my guest chose the crispy rabbit bellies. The pasta was a fusion of familiar ingredients, fresh parcels containing a wonderfully delicate com- bination of Mediterranean flavours. The light and airy rabbit bellies came with a coriander, ginger and sesame seed salsa, which brought a distinctly Asian flavour to an otherwise ubiquitously Maltese dish. After we had eaten more bread and gal- letti than is advisable (they've kept the bean dip and homemade butter from the old restaurant – yes, they are still just as delicious), we met our main courses. A stack of coffee-seared tuna steak arrived, much to my guest's delight, and I may have let out a small gasp when my baked lamb rump appeared. The fish had a wonderful colour gradient and the coffee gave it a dis- tinct (and distinctly delicious) earthiness. The lamb sat on a small mound of hum- mus and the medium-rare meat lacked that gaminess that sometimes plagues dishes with inferior ingredients. Combined with the roast veg and potatoes, the rose- mary and mustard marinated lamb, comb- ing with the hummus, made for a moreish dish, packed with flavour. And that dark, smoky crust? Sublime. We only just made it to dessert – both those main courses weren't exactly tiny and someone forgot to collect the dips so we had to finish them – and boy am I glad we did. My guest picked the choco- late cheesecake, a light and not-too-sweet creation that perfectly rounded off a meal punctuated by rich flavours and bold com- binations. I didn't even need to read the whole dessert menu – I stopped when I saw the churros. I had never seen the deep- fried pastry on any menu locally, so I had to try them. For science, you see. Soaked in cream, accompanied by strawberry slices, and glistening with a coating of sugar and cinnamon, these tubular creations were all I could have hoped for and more. As our evening came to an end, I thought a bit on the nature of life – how it seems to present opportunities just when some- thing beloved comes to an end; how the essence of the things we love continues on in new and unexpected places. Then I thought about those churros again and got distracted. GIUSEPPI'S BAR AND BISTRO SALINI RESORT, NAXXAR TEL: 21574882 FACEBOOK: GIUSEPPISRESTAURANT Resto of the week WINE OF THE WEEK PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MANGION The essence of the things we love in new and unexpected places