Assaggi Food & Wine Restaurant Re-Visited - 20th September, 2013..

The restaurant review season will not be complete without at least two or three visits to some of our favourite restaurants and Assaggi Food & Wine Restaurant of St.Julians fits this category admirably. Run and managed by Chefs Ivan Miller and Amanda Savona, young and trained in the United Kingdom, this place is run with a passion for fine dining and efficient service. Been opened for just four years and have over this short time built a good nucleus of regular but discerning clientele.

I shall not dwell much on a prolonged preamble as this establishment has been reviewed here at least twice before over the last couple of years, but what one can veritably state is, that it is not only consistent but has improved further over time.

Food Choices:

The menu consists of just one page of selected dishes - starters on one side and main courses on the other- a practice that is commensurate with fine dining but covering most tastes with selections of fresh fish, beef, duck, veal and pork dishes.

Once seated and water and pre-dinner drinks were served, and menus and wine list presented, we were served with an amuse bouche of arancini di sepia to wet out appetites, and bottles of an exquisite Aceite de oliva Virgen Extra - Extra virgin olive oil, and a sublime bottle of Balsamico al Tartufo, were placed on the table with a basket of the freshest, hot bread rolls. The amuse bouch was good, but the fresh bread crust dipped in a mix of the olive oil and the balsamico was out of this world.

Starters:

Servings of:

the Zuppa - prawn, scallops, and seabass in a light fish broth;

the Fegato - duo of foie gras, braised quail, cardamon and vanilla with crispy toasted bread.

the Capesante e quaglie - fresh king scallops and quail, carrot and fennel foam, petit salad and truffle vinaigrette.

the Paccheri - with rabbit ragout, crispy pancetta and parmesan shavings.

Main Courses:

A 1Kg Gurbell (meagre), cooked al sale for two sharing (priced at Eur5.5 per 100gm).

The Argentinean fillet of beef with pepper and star anise sauce, served on a bed of mashed potatoes;

The T-Bone of milk-fed Dutch veal with roast garlic and truffle butter.

Side servings of roast potatoes and stuffed courgettes.

Desserts:

Dark chocolate fondant served with ice-cream, freshly made and served in cup.

White chocolate fondant, also freshly made and served in cup. Preferably we like fondant to be taken out of the cooking cup and served, to enjoy the thrill of cutting it and seeing the chocolate oozing out of the crust. But all in all both fondants were good.

Pannacotta and creme brulee with Tia Mariia.

Two bottles of wine, one Danhoff Riesling and one Marques de Riscal Rijoa; two bottles of water; espressos; pre-dinner drinks and complementary Avernas rounded of the dinner.

Wine list: A good selection of wines with decent mark-ups. A cellar choice of more expensive wines is also available, but the main list is more than ample to suit most tastes.

Service: Very efficient and attentive service provided by the front-of-house manageress and leading waiter/sommelier.

Value for money: The price for the above food choices excluding pre-dinner drinks and wine, but including the water and the espressos came up to Eur180 (excluding tip).

REVIEWERS’ IMPRESSIONS:

Ambience: Very Good.

Cuisine quality: Very Good +.

Preparation and presentation: Very good +.

Harmony of menu: Very Good.

Wine List and mark-up: Good choices with a very reasonable mark-up.

Service: Very Good +.

Value for money: Very Good (Fine dining category).

OVERALL RATING: 9/10

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Contact:

Assaggi Food & Wine,

Qalliet Street,

St. Julians.

Tel: 2133 6625; 7732 3134; 7733 8855.