Pet’s plates
Il Corsaro
No 2, Congreve Street,
Żurrieq
Tel: 7725 8895
Food: 8/10
Location: 6/10
Service: 8/10
Value for money: 7/10
Overall: 8/10
Wied iż-Żurrieq is one of Malta’s leading attractions. And, even if you’ve had your fill of Neolithic temples and the Blue Grotto – Malta’s answer to Capri’s Grotta Azzurra – you should still go there simply to eat.
In that jumble of holiday flats, bars and tourist shops that wind down the hillside, you’ll find this tiny restaurant – tiny, but quaint and not lacking in character. It has been tastefully done up in a typical Mediterranean seaside theme with fishing nets hung across the walls and lampshades fashioned from fishing baskets. If you sit outside, or by a window, there are stunning views to be had across to the 17th century Watch Tower and beautiful belvedere that look out over the islet of Filfa.
So, yes, this is certainly a kitchen with a view. But it is also a kitchen on view. The concept of having an open kitchen is certainly a growing trend embraced in many restaurants with chefs cooking in full view of diners. There is a frank transparency about it which most diners enjoy, as opposed to the mystery of a hidden kitchen.
At Corsaro I was quite content to follow all the culinary developments. I enjoyed the fact that you can follow every step of the prep work, all the way through the cooking and the assembling of food.
And, as if the sights, sounds and smells of cooking weren’t enough to whet the appetite, the cooking is carried out by an Italian chef who is himself rather attention-grabbing. Amid the steam and flames, he confidently whisked up one dish after another without breaking a sweat; donning a smart, starched shirt and miraculously keeping as cool as a cucumber. He showed absolutely no sign of performance-related anxiety.
I’m quite certain that practical reasons – principally, the space constraints of this little restaurant – led to the open kitchen plan at Corsaro, rather than a desire to showcase the chef’s skills while reassuring diners as regards food hygiene standards. But this total visibility suited me fine and the interaction between kitchen and dining room was lovely.
We had been served the freshest of seasonal produce and left as entirely satisfied customers
The dishy chef could be a draw all by himself, but he can (thankfully) also cook like a dream. Seeing people’s reactions to his work must be a stimulus; a source of pride, satisfaction and motivation to do his utmost. I believe our table readily showed off its absolute enjoyment for every dish that exited his kitchen.
Apart from a lady helping out in the kitchen, there is only one waiter – a Maltese chap with a booming voice – who quickly came over to explain what was being served that day. The menu was up on a long chalk board and hung on the wall. The waiter made it a point to mention that the restaurant does not possess a freezer and emphasised that all ingredients are fresh and seasonal, with fish and vegetables brought over daily.
We were shown a platter of the freshest fish; taken in that day and either harpooned or line caught. There were no farmed fish to be had. We took time to study the menu on the wall – almost entirely fish based but with the likes of ribeye and carbonara pasta thrown in for good measure – but let our choices be led by the experienced waiter, who inspired confidence and promptly informed us what produce had come in fresh that morning.
And so, on a wave of enthusiasm and swayed by the promise of excellent food, we ordered up a veritable feast that included fresh mussels, squid caught in the bay, local king prawns and clams. We would gorge on an array of antipasti and pasta and then share a fish.
The first dish to be served was the Pepata di Cozze or peppered mussels. I adore the simplicity of this Italian dish. It is one of the fastest dishes to prepare but is simultaneously one of the most delicious. This pepata was served in a large, time-worn pan in typical rustic fashion.
The mussels were tender and perfectly cooked and sprinkled with lots of roughly chopped parsley and pepper. There were crusty hunks of bread to dip into the white wine and garlic broth and the entire dish burst with genuine Mediterranean flavour.
Also served in a hot pan were the enormous king prawns, lightly grilled and cooked without fuss to allow their true flavour and succulence to shine. The colour of the food was simply gorgeous!
Next came the pasta with clams and thinly diced marrows. The meaty clams were cooked perfectly but the dish was off balance. It had been over seasoned with liberal use of salt and pepper, and the fresh egg pasta felt far too heavy for the sauce. On the other hand, the pasta with slices of squid and cherry tomatoes was quite exceptional. It looked delightful and tasted delicious.
We had intended this to be a catch up lunch, but had barely spoken one word through mouthfuls, except to congratulate each other on discovering this gem of a restaurant. We were, of course, quite stuffed to the gills but eager to try the fish. The meagre was a joy to eat, with its melt-in-the-mouth, milky texture. The fish was dressed only with lemon and olive oil, in order to best savour its delicate flavour. It was accompanied by crunchy, roast fennel and garlic potatoes and a crisp green salad.
For dessert we were served a take on the traditional, classic Tiramisu that proved quite irresistible. Chef had prepared a Ricottamisu, using sweet ricotta instead of the traditional fresh mascarpone cream. It was heavenly.
This minuscule restaurant is composed of practically six tables and, as the restaurant filled and swelled, its compactness became even more pronounced. The waiter struggled to manoeuvre between the tables and I felt quite wedged into my seat. The first part of our meal had been tranquil enough, but when a large table squeezed in right by us, things began to feel rather claustrophobic and somewhat uncomfortable.
But the food had been divine and so I could forgive them practically anything. The food was also reasonably priced, only the pasta was relatively expensive. We had been served the freshest of seasonal produce and left as entirely satisfied customers. The only trouble was forcing ourselves out into the afternoon heat and pushing our heavy bodies back up the hill to the car park.