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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 14 MAY 2017 42 Food RACHEL AGIUS SURPRISES are great. What is life without adventure and the unknown? Similarly, trying new things in dining can lead to fantas- tic discoveries and a wider choice the next time the stomach gets grumbly. Of course there is some risk of failure – a plate of soggy pasta or sub-standard service can ruin a perfectly good evening out – but whatever is worth doing is worth the risk. Then of course there are times when you can simply not be both- ered. Maybe it's been a rough day or maybe you just want no fuss. You want a dining experience you know will be excellent all round, with food you know will blow you away. Life, as they say, is too short for bad food. Ali Baba is just that reliable place. It has made a name for it- self for its unparalleled Lebanese cuisine that takes rich ingredi- ents and then works some kind of magic to make them into dishes you simply cannot get enough of. A complete makeover in the past few years has made guests even more comfortable in stylish, re- fined surroundings. A visit to Ali Baba is usually a well-earned treat after a trying week. The place is small, true. And during our meal, my first there in some time, it was bustling with eager diners and the occasional billow of steam emerging from the kitchen. The intimate setting is perfect and easily facilitates the ideal way to dine at Ali Baba, favouring a selection of mezes instead of the typical starter-and- main-course we've become ac- customed to. While this system encourages sharing and talking – lots of different dishes require lots of discussion – do be warned. It may be harder to pace yourself; those seemingly small morsels do start to add up and it would be a shame to miss out on anything. Dish after dish pours out of the kitchen, each met with wide-eyed eagerness from guests hoping it was destined for their table. The brisk service ensured that no one was left looking at their empty plates for too long before they were replaced with some new de- light. The special trick at Ali Baba is to trust the staff. After opting for the mezes, we were asked whether any items on the menu were off the table. We confirmed our al- lergy-free status and declined the brain (I'll admit to having some reservations about consuming grey matter) but welcomed eve- rything else. The rest was in their hands. What arrived were a variety of dishes that vied with one another for the top spot. The lamb tongue was utterly sublime, its delicate texture enhanced by its simple treatment in a Lebanese wine. That staple of Middle Eastern cuisine, the chickpea dip, became irresistibly moreish with the ad- dition of ground lamb and toast- ed pine nuts. The lamb arayess combined the humble pita bread, toasted till crunchy, with a richly spiced lamb mince that made me wish I had the time and expertise to make them myself – the ideal snack food for the gourmand. The accompanying wine, a Ka- dos Grillo out of sunny Sicily, had a full, crisp flavour that didn't drown out any of the food but rather subtly cleansed the palate in between courses. Although lamb is easily the most popular meat on the menu – the cutlets, with their complex marriage of spices, were the fa- vourite dish of the evening, by unanimous vote – chicken was given good representation too. A real treat was the pastry stuffed with minced chicken and raisins, offering a crunchy Lebanese ver- sion of the spring roll. The bone- less cockerel, marinated in harissa and a generous dose of garlic, was tender and succulent. Ac- companying this dish was a bowl of couscous with stewed vegeta- bles and some chunky, thick-cut French fries with Lebanese salt, a traditional, wholesome take on that fast food staple that left the skins on the potatoes and their 'junk food' reputation far behind. Needless to say, despite the number of dishes we tackled (not without gusto), there was room for dessert, which was no less satisfying. The Baklewa, packed with nuts and honey, was utterly incredible. Having originated in Turkey, the Lebanese version of baklava is cut into small diamond shapes, two mouthfuls of heaven. The warm pistachio and olive oil cake, served with rose water ice cream, was a curious but tasty combination of flavours. Rose water can be something of an ac- quired taste but it was not strong enough to overpower the deli- cate flavours of the nuts and oil – a good thing, since you'll want to savour them in their complex complementarity. Perhaps my initial feelings about surprises need revising, based on my experience at Ali Baba. Be- cause apparently, you can have the best of both worlds – a place that offers a surprise or two with- in its menu and a guaranteed, incomparable dining experience you can rely on again and again. Resto of the week A new exceptional vintage which celebrates the maturity of a plots selection from the estate. Coming from vines aged between 25 years, the 281 boasts a color of pale rose with crystal reflections. Very intense with a great complexity, the finesse of white fruits is revealed by iodine notes giving it a unique character. This rosé with a vibrating expression is a concentration of greedy aromas, with an intense freshness which offers the full expression of fruits. Exclusively imported by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, Birkirkara T: 2144 4400 Minuty 281 Chateau Minuty, Provence (France) Reliably good Lebanese food at Ali Baba Ali Baba No 9, Ponsomby Street, Gzira Tel: 21340119; 99450211 Web: www.hanyharb.com Facebook: Ali Baba Restaurant WINE OF THE WEEK Chef Hany Harb (left) and the interior of Ali Baba