Pet’s plates

Il-Baxa
41, Triq il-Kbira,
Rabat
Tel: 2755 1552

Food: 8/10
Location: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

Three of us were out for a light lunch. Of course, these long, languorous lunches never quite remain as light as we initially intend. This cafe and snack bar is known for its filled ftajjar, sandwiches and that was precisely what drove me there! Il-Baxa can be found a stone’s throw away from the grand parish church of St Paul in the heart of Rabat.

This charming town and its maze of meandering streets hides a secret deep below ground – a labyrinth of ancient catacombs dug out of the rock, dating back to as early as the 4th century A.D.

This subterranean world stretches out under Rabat’s winding streets like a honeycomb maze. And in this town, which is just as remarkable above ground as it is underground, you’ll find il-Baxa – a one-roomed, quaint, little place comprising of bar, seating area and a tiny kitchen that is completely open.

You can see and smell the food as it is being prepared, which is simultaneously a pleasure in itself and a lesson in patience. An open kitchen also gives you the security that hygiene standards are most likely being adhered to. The decor inside is typical Maltese with exposed limestone walls and rustic wooden beams. The walls are hung with paintings depicting colourful traditional Maltese scenes.

Apart from their ftajjar, Il-Baxa serves ciabattas filled with everything from bacon and eggs to salmon and dill, wraps, salads and an assortment of platters.

Quality ingredients, huge portions and overall very good grub

The daily special, a beef burger with all the trimmings, drew our eyes away from the menu. But I was set on sampling the tal-bidwi (farmer’s) ftira.

A sandwich done well can be something truly magnificent, and a crunchy ftira with its gorgeous texture, makes for the perfect canvas. Sandwich-making doesn’t simply involve throwing any odd set of ingredients together and slapping them in between two (or more) layers of bread. There is an art to it. It’s all about choosing the right ingredients and building layers of flavour and texture that complement each other, without having flavour elements that clash or cancel each other out.

You don’t need to be an expert to know a good sandwich from a bad one. You just need to taste conscientiously, taking in and savouring every bite.

It all starts with good bread. This is the base on top of which a great sandwich can be assembled. Once this foundation has been established, then you can start on ingredients. And the sequence with which you layer them is as crucial to sandwich making as is the ingredient and condiment selection. This is sandwich architecture. My ftira proved to be a nostalgic nod to the past, when local labourers would hollow out their ħobża and pack it with the time-honoured ftira biż-żejt mixture.

My ftira was a real man’s sandwich; I needed two hands to grab hold of it. But it was absolutely drool-worthy and I soon devoured it – that is, once I had figured out the exact angle from which to best sink my teeth in.

Each bite was filled with vivid, bold flavour. The bread was good enough to be eaten all by itself, and the filling – consisting of layers of good quality sausage meat topped with grilled aubergine, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, onion and melted cheese – just popped with good, genuine flavour.

With one colourful layer upon another this filling ftira was a meal in itself, each ingredient thoughtfully portioned, from the sausage to the seasoned, char-grilled peppers. Each ingredient was delectable enough to stand alone.

All the bread at Baxa is served with a lovely, fresh four-leaf salad and a balsamic vinaigrette. Baxa’s home-made burger was as mouth-watering as the ftira. Again, the chef started with good bread, this time a warm sesame seed bun.  A succulent, well-seasoned beef patty cooked to medium and with the right satisfying chewiness to it was topped with melted cheese, bacon, sliced tomatoes and lettuce.

All ingredients and condiments were fresh and of good quality.  The chips were those chunky, thickly cut ones, crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle, and they were delicious! One of us took the healthy route, opting for the Marrakech salad, which consisted of four gorgeously plump homemade falafels covered with lashings of spicy Harissa sauce, pita bread slices spread with thick Tahini sesame paste and little mounds of couscous seasoned with fragrant herbs and sultanas. It was absolutely wonderful! There was enough to easily feed two people.

We were keen to try the dessert. Among other things, the Arabs left behind them the legacy of the imqaret, a sweet still carried forward in Maltese culinary tradition and with a similar variety found across the Maghreb. I adore imqaret and, whenever I spot them on a menu served warm alongside ice cream, I tend to order them. These were far too doughy with an unpleasant dense, heavy texture and not enough date filling.

On the other hand, the waffles were awfully nice; light and fluffy inside with a crispy, golden brown crust, and served with ice cream that melted into the deep square pockets of the waffle. There was too much artificial whipped cream for my liking. I personally prefer the simpler and more traditional waffle toppings – a light dusting of confectioner’s sugar is just heavenly!

I liked the fact that Baxa offers a nice selection of half bottles of wine, which is very handy when you’re the only person at the table thirsty for a couple of glasses and don’t wish to appear like the resident drunk, guzzling down an entire bottle all by yourself. This cheerful little place had served up good, honest food.

There are two agreeable chaps running the show. They are a pleasant couple of few words – they let the food do the talking and talk it does. Their basic menu is executed as it should be. The prices are not cafe prices but you’re certainly getting your money’s worth – quality ingredients, huge portions and overall very good grub.

The Baxa boys will happily pack you a picnic lunch to enjoy by the sea and even cater small events. I’m dying to return in order to try another ftira. It is such a pity that this sandwich haven doesn’t open in the evenings as well – but that’s me being greedy.

You can send e-mails about this column to petsplates@gmail.com.

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