Ed eats
Sikania
106, Spinola Road,
St Julian’s
Tel: 2137 1273
Food: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Ambience: 8/10
Value: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
Just as summer had seriously got on my nerves, the weather took a turn for the better. Finally I had an excuse to leave the cool darkness of my cave for a perfect afternoon of stormclouds and light drizzles.
If it’s a reasonably priced informal meal you’re after, give Sikania a try
Armed with a camera, I headed out while most people were retreating into their houses, lest they dissolve.
At one point in the afternoon I found myself traipsing along Spinola Bay and a restaurant caught my attention. It could be the fact that I’d never seen the place or known it existed. It could be the neat glass that they used as a barrier to allow diners to enjoy the view without falling five metres onto the quay. It could be the rather attractive lady who was wiping the tables on the terrace clean after they’d been drizzled upon.
I picked up a card and thought I might pop by for dinner. The menu looked simple and quite naturally Sicilian so I felt I was in safe hands. I walked around the bay for a pint of beer and enjoyed being drizzled upon once again. Anything to keep the stifling, moist heat at bay.
Accompanied by a friend who bears a striking resemblance to a bear, we were the only ones who didn’t retreat into the bar when the light drizzle resumed. I’ve often said this. I don’t quite understand most people.
Later on in the evening, true to my word, I returned to Sikania. I’d suspected that there would be an entrance on the road behind the restaurant and was lucky enough to park just outside the understated doorway.
The size of this door belies the size of the restaurant and its terrace. There is a lift but we picked the spiral staircase. There is nothing like living dangerously to work up an appetite and the most dangerous my life ever gets is navigating a spiral staircase. If it were excitement I was after, I’d be reviewing alligator hunting spots.
The bear, who was with me when I spotted the place, was all for trying it out so he joined us and we picked a table as close to the terrace as possible. A proper storm was brewing, the one that would cause quite a bit of havoc, so we played safe once again.
The restaurant is neat and very brightly lit. The stark, white light helps the place look neater but wears on you as the evening progresses. Italian pop music in the background, while to many people’s tastes, isn’t quite what I have on my personal playlist so I tuned it out quite quickly.
Other than these personal niggles, the dining area is a great place to be in. Tables are well spaced out, the walls are lined with wine bottles, and the open kitchen is a reassuring touch. The menus are quite straightforward, with typical Mediterranean dishes, the occasional Italian speciality like cacciucco and a section dedicated to pizza.
A man who is evidently an Italian speaker greeted us at table in excellent English, much to the relief of my better half. Her comprehension of Italian is tenuous on a good day and she has been known to mistake ‘fridge’ for ‘cleaner’.
We were all in the mood for a single dish but ended up sharing two starters between us because we wanted to try the insalata di mare and the pepata di cozze. For main course I was all for the linguine allo scoglio, while the bear and the lady ordered a pizza siciliana and the grilled calamari.
At our host’s recommendation, we picked the Regaleali by Tasca d’Almerita – a white from Sicily made of three indigenous varieties. It is the sort of cheap-and-cheerful white from Sicily that is youthful, refreshing and entirely forgettable. Just what we needed for a relaxing evening.
Our starters were served almost immediately. The insalata di mare is the typical tavola fredda style salad, with squid, octopus and cuttlefish that have been pickled and served cold. Served with a green salad and tomatoes, this antipasto is a tangy and simple way to work up an appetite.
The pepata di cozze is quite the reverse. Served in a bowl of hot pepata broth, the mussels were little juicy treats of salty goodness, served with slices of toasted Maltese bread that helped us to get at the delicious liquid.
The bear and I wanted more of it though, and having been left without tablespoons resorted to the most ancient form of cutlery – half a mussel shell. If something tastes good enough, I don’t think table manners should stand in my way.
More bread would have been nice but Sikania doesn’t think their patrons like bread, butter, grissini, or any of the other niceties one expects at table.
The main courses took quite a while, enough for us to pop onto the terrace and enjoy the view of the bay. At this distance, under the cover of night, aided by twinkling little lights, the buildings across almost look pretty.
Our main courses arrived practically at the same time. The grilled squid was really excellent. The flesh was tender, the charred skin added a lovely flavour to the mildmannered cephalopod, and the simple dressing of olive oil balanced out the dish.
The pizza siciliana, on the other hand, is quite an imposing packet of flavour. Anchovies, olives and capers join forces to make every bite a force to be reckoned with. If you’re after something savoury, this is where it all starts and ends.
The dough is light and dry, the toppings are well dosed, and every time you take a bite, this pizza bites back. Tonight, it warns you, you’ll sleep with the fishes.
My pasta was a little disappointing. I like the sauce to be simple and unassuming but the stock was quite thick and salty, taking over the simple flavours of the cuttlefish, squid and prawns.
The pasta itself was cooked al dente and hung onto the sauce with respectable tenacity. By the end of the dish, what I hoped would be a simple affair had my palate all but exhausted.
A shot of bitter liqueur came to the rescue while my companions opted for the ‘homemade’ limoncello. Full of salt and carbohydrates I battled with my eyelids as I asked for the bill.
At €30 per person, the place isn’t a bargain but neither is it expensive. The main courses are well priced, mostly hovering under the €15 mark so I suppose if one is after a quick meal it is entirely possible to enjoy an excellent grilled fish dish for half of what we paid.
The location is great, suffering only from a terrible paucity of parking availability in the area. The service is well-mannered and unobtrusive, too. So if it’s a reasonably priced informal meal you’re after, I can think of no reason not to give Sikania a try.
And as the weather cools down, their terrace could very well become hot property.
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