Assaggi Food & Wine Restaurant dinner reviews in October, 2011, and December 2012.

7th December, 2012, visit:

A very good dinner was had at Assaggi Food & Wine Restaurant, in St’ Julians last Friday. Assaggi has always been been a favourite with us in this location, and after some months during which they were closed during the Summer months, as they were operating their seasonal Assaggi Le Mere at the Tigne Lido, Ivan and Amanda re-opened their fine dining restaurant again for the winter.

Short and sweet menu which is changed frequently, containing some six choice starters and six excellent main courses. Four persons in our group as is normal . We were served a delicious rabbit fillet amuse bouche with pea puree, olives and garlic bread with fresh bread rolls, and smoked ham as appetizers.

Food orders were for a selection of:

Starters:

Capesante - fresh king scallops and truffle butter;

Parfait - fresh pan fried parfait of foie gras, cardemon and cinamom foam;

Linguine lobster and prawns;

and Cavolo Ripieno - cabbage filled with duck confit and crispy quaio egges and red wine vinaigrette; as starters.

Beautiful servings of gourmet cuisine selections.

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Main courses comprised of servings of:

Milk-fed veal T-bone with sauteed wild porcini mushrooms;

a USDA 14 day aged beef rib-eye steak pan fried and oven finished medium rare;

Roasted baby chicken al sale;

Confit of local pork belly and cheek, in port wine reduction.

Milk-fed veal T-Bone; the 14 day aged rib-eye; the Chicken al sale crust being removed; the served chicken portion; the slow cooked pork belly.

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Desserts:

Fresh banoffee made with fresh banana slices, toffee and ice-cream; the chocolate fondant; The creme brulee; and the selection of sorbets:

Different style of servings.

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Wine: We also tried a new local wine from the San Niklaw estate, a very good Contrada ta’ Fangu Syrah 2009. Two bottles of water and espressos. Total bill: Eur188.5 all inclusive of food and wine and drinks, (Eur47 per person). Up-market establishment, private parking, very good service, and outstanding cuisine.

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October 2011 dinner visit review.

Assaggi Food and Wine Restaurant in the heart of St.Julians, is a small, boutique, fine dining restaurant, catering for around 75 covers in a chic and cosy ambience.
The restaurant is run by Chef/Patron Ivan Miller and his partner Amanda Savona a renowned Chef in her own right. Both Ivan and Amanda have worked and obtained invaluable experience in fine dining cuisine at the Gordon Ramsey run restaurant the “Maze” in London.

Both the atmosphere and ambience of the venue makes this restaurant the ideal place for that special date or occasion, business lunches and dinners or a casual meal between friends. A private lounge which seats about 8 persons is available for that private business lunch or for someone desiring to enjoy a peaceful, exquisite dinner with a select group, with soft background music and personal service.

The restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and for Sunday lunch. It is closed on Sunday evenings and all day on Mondays.

ASSAGGI specializes in the new trend of sous vide cooking, home made pasta dishes, dry-aged beef of 14 to 35 days all the time building exquisite flavourness and tenderness; fresh live lobster when available, and also limited fresh fish which is purchased and selected fresh daily by the Chefs, white truffles; pork, lamb and veal dishes
Then there are Amanda’s home-made dessert specializations of cassatella siciliana, served in a jar, layered with, chocolate jelly, home made sponge and sweet ricotta topped with a marzipan lid; Dark chocolate fondante with ice-cream; creme brulee; and other home-made choices.

An extensive well priced wine list is available, with some very good, premium wine selections from all over the world. Selection of local wines is limited and from one winemaker only.

We dined in this restaurant on Friday, (21st October). Fridays are usually busy evenings, and this is where restaurants prove there mettle in both service and cuisine quality. As anticipated, Assaggi was fully booked, hence our booking was made days prior to our visit.

On arrival we were seated at our table, drink orders taken, and nibbles were brought over. Nibbles consisted of a small bowl of olives, and an exquisite, home-made arancini platter. The arancini were made with squid ink and truffle oil and proved to be exquisite.

Food selections:

As usual the review team for dinners consisted of two couples and our dinner choices were as follows:

Starters: Individual selections of two Fegato di Pollo - chicken liver parfait, cardamom and cinnamon foam; one Capasente e Ricci - fresh scallops with sea urchin butter; and one Ravioli di Casa - homemade ravioli with fresh ricotta, nutmeg, pea puree and parmesan foam.

Amuse Bouche:

Black olives with fresh bread; Arancini with squid ink, truffle oil and cranberry sauce; fresh bread woth ham and culinary foam.

Ravioli di casa; Capesante with sea urchin butter; Feggato di Pollo - chicken liver parfait, cardamom and cinamon foam.

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Main courses individual choices: of one 35 day home-aged USDA beef rib-eye, cooked medium rare; one Veal Osso Buco - milk fed veal osso buco (veal shank) on the bone;

one Sea bream al sale;
and one Costollete di Agnello - roast saddle of lamb with olive oil whipped mashed potatoes.

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Desserts: one chocolate fondate with ice cream and three creme’ brulee.

Wine and Beverages: Espressos, sparkling and still water and an exquisite bottle of Guerrieri Rizzardi-Pojega Ripasso Valpolicella Classico Superiore complemented the dinner.

Cuisine presented was excellent and the up-market service highly commended, which all in all resulted in an exceptional and enjoyable dinner, unhurried, well prepared and presented, in a chic ambience.

Another superlative plus for this restaurant, is the private availability of parking spaces reserved for diners. One can make a parking reservation next to the restaurant, in private spaces, when a table reservation is made. In the heart of busy and crowded St. Julians this is a God sent goldmine.

Price for the dinner, food only excluding wine and water, came up to Eur42 per person.
The 35 day home aged rib-eye was the most expensive item on the menu at Eur33, therefore if another main course, including another cut of rib-eye is chosen, the price per person would come to about Eur35 per person.

Wine price depends on choice, as the wine list contains wine starting at Eur13 and goes up to over Eur55 per bottle. Water, and pre-dinner drinks if taken have also to be added.
For an up-market, fine dining venue, this is considered normal value and what one would expect to pay.

REVIEWERS IMPRESSIONS for both visits:

Ambience, atmosphere and decor: Very good;
Service: Excellent -parking availability an added bonus in this location.
Cuisine: very Good +;
Wine list choice and mark-up: Very Good.
Value for money: Very Good.

RATING: 9/10 Category Fine Dining Restaurant.

Recommended.