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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 7 MAY 2017 36 Food NICOLA COLLINS AT a time when restaurants come and go, Nan Yuan, on the Valletta Waterfront, has become an icon, serving quality Chinese food for pretty close to 15 years. While many Chinese restau- rants serve the same dishes year in, year out, the secret to Nan Yuan's success is that they keep up with the times, changing the menu to accommodate the sea- sons as well as dining trends. Valletta Waterfront is home to several beautifully restored 18th century warehouses built dur- ing the Baroque period. Vault 14 houses the family-run Nan Yuan Cantonese restaurant, where I pay a visit on a gloriously sunny March lunchtime. With seating for up to140 inside and out, wherever you choose to be seated you will not be disappointed. Outside boasts sheltered seating with views of the wharf and a selection of moored yachts, while inside you will find a mixture of the ware- house architecture combined with authentic Cantonese décor. Browsing the menu, the prices are extremely reasonable and takeaway food offers a further 10% discount. With a wide choice of dishes including veg- etarian and gluten-free options, the selection seems endless. A quick call to the restaurant pri- or to booking will see that the chefs will do their best to meet any specific requirements you may have. Dishes vary in heat and I'm pleased to find a rather handy rating is provided under each dish. While I continue to browse, I am treated to a recommended glass of sauvignon blanc. 35° South is a Chilean wine, a com- bination of tropical fruit fla- vours with a zesty taste, with hints of grapefruit, lime and cooked gooseberries. Nan Yuan is already preparing for summer, with a new menu on the way. This will include even more meals to choose from, including more gluten- free options, vegetarian and a speciality dish appearing each season. The restaurant is closed on a Monday, and you can dine there for lunch 12.00-15.00 and din- ner 19.00-23.00 (when the last order is taken) for the remain- der of the week. To eat, I start with a chicken and sweet corn soup and can't resist also trying out the deli- cious, homemade minced pork dumplings. To follow, a se- lection of mains, tofu in oys- ter sauce, pork in plum sauce, chicken chow mein and duck in orange. Each dish is cooked to perfection and stunningly pre- sented. To finish, after what can only be described as a feast, I decide on an oolong tea, a gentle tea to help settle my stomach, ideal after such delicious dishes. Nan Yuan serves a variety of authen- tic teas to accompany their food, Chinese green tea, lychee tea, jasmine tea, chrysanthemum tea or ginseng tea are available. The restaurant is immaculately clean, service is superb, (made even better by that 'family-run' touch) and the food is out of this world. It is not in the slightest bit surprising that the Nan Yu- an boasts several awards gained over the years for being a Qual- ity Assured Restaurant. 2017 has already seen them awarded with the WRMC (www.winesandres- taurantsofmalta.com) and Silver Spoon Award – The Ultimate Award for Consistently Out- standing Cuisine Quality, Prepa- ration and Presentation. Full from the delightful food and drink, relaxed from the Nan Yuan's ambience and pictur- esque surroundings, I head for home, happy in the knowledge that this is a restaurant I will be visiting again very soon. Resto of the week Domaines Ott has been pioneering prestige rose wines since 1912. Founded in 1896 by Marcel Ott, the wine estates of Domaines Ott were acquired by Louis Roederer in 2004. Descendants of the founder carry on the heritage of producing some of the world's most prestigious wines form the French Riviera. BY.OTT is a new wine produced with all the savoir-faire of the Domaines Ott team in the newly constructed cellar of Château de Selle. Doamiens Ott rose is a refined and elegant wine for any rose enthusiast. The blends originate from select vineyards in Cotes de Provence that have been chosen to ensure that the wine is characterized by fruit and freshness with added finesse and complexity Exclusively imported by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, Birkirkara T: 2144 4400 Domaines Ott Rose 2016 Provence, France Changing menus at a favourite spot Nan Yuan Cantonese Restaurant Vault 14, Valletta Waterfront, Floriana Tel: 2122 5310 Web: www.nanyuanmalta.com Email: nanyuan@maltanet.net Facebook: Nan-Yuan-Valletta-Waterfront WINE OF THE WEEK At a time when restaurants come and go, Nan Yuan, on the Valletta Waterfront, has become an icon, serving quality Chinese food for pretty close to 15 years. While many Chinese restaurants serve the same dishes year in, year out, the secret to Nan Yuan's success is that they keep up with the times, changing the menu to accommodate the seasons as well as dining trends.