Chronicles from Malta | Valletta Food Trail

I love food and all about it! Love roaming through the markets to find an ingredient, love preparing and cooking the food for my family and friends, love to test new recipes and to reinvent old ones, and absolutely love to know a country and its people through the things they eat and their culinary tradition.

That being stated its understandable that, when possible, a Food Tour run by local people can be a great occasion to know more about the country or city that I'm visiting, its history and culture. That was the case on our recent visit to Malta. While in Valletta we were kindly invited to participate in the Offbeat Valletta Food Trail, and the outstanding organization of the event, the remarkable knowledge and sympathy of our guide Maria, and the (huge amounts of) delicious food that we had the opportunity to taste, made that morning a high point of our voyage.

But let's go to the specifics. At 10 o'clock the group gathered in front of St. John Co-Cathedral, and after a briefing on the basics of Maltese food, we started our tour. If you want a suggestion, do this kind of tours on the first days of your visit, because you'll get solid tips for some of the best places to eat delicious food.


TAL-HWAWAR - THE SPICE SHOP

If you are lucky enough (we were!) you get a guide that knows the city and its history so well that your food tour becomes also a city tour. Maria's knowledge of Malta's and Valletta's history was pair only to her ability to tell a story and capture our attention at every moment. So, after a short walk and a load of interesting information, the group was at Tal-Hwawar's door, a small Spice Shop in the heart of Valletta. The owner received us and teach how to make a spice mixture to perfume the house (the same one that is used in Valletta's churches on special occasions). You can imagine the perfume!

IL-GIFEN

With a pack of fragrant spices in hand, we walk to our next stop. Il-Gifen is a small local café where we had the opportunity to enjoy some authentic Maltese Pastizzi, freshly made and still warm accompanied by a traditional "tazza te", a glass of hot tea with milk, just the way the locals drink it in the morning. The pastry was crispy and flaky, with a delicious ricotta filling, and although I was a little apprehensive about the tea, I've found it quite nice.

NENU THE ARTISAN BAKER

Our next stop was at this bakery/ restaurant/museum place that is Nenu. There you can find photos and scenes from the old day's bakery, decorating the restaurant space and bringing past and present together. We had the opportunity to know more about the history of the bakery and the role that bakeries had in the community life of Malta (pretty much like Portugal, in that respect), and of course to taste some of the specialties of the house. The traditional Maltese Ftiras with fresh indigenous ingredients arrived at our table straight from the oven next door, and I must say it was delicious. I'm a pizza lover, and the Ftira also presents a high soft base (like bread) covered with different sorts of options. I choose the vegetables Ftira and it was really tasty. To wash it down I've had a local soda Kinnie) with a distinctive orange and herbs flavor. Although this is not my kind of drink, if you go to Malta you should give it a try.

KING'S OWN BAND CLUB

By this time we were already with a full stomach and we only had starters (actually not all the starters!). So, we walk to our next stop, right on Republic Street. The King's Own Band Club is the restaurant operating in the building of one of the many Valletta's bands and there we had a Maltese platter with varied dips, followed by a rabbit dish, one of the main culinary traditions in Malta. All of it accompanied by a fresh local white wine. The rabbit was tender and perfectly seasoned and, although is not an option for everyone (people with bunny pets find it difficult to eat) if you're a foodie, this is not to be missed in a visit to Malta.

CHOCOLATE DISTRICT

And then we head to paradise! At least to chocaholics paradise... Chocolate District is the most charming chocolate store and its owners are such welcoming nice people that I wouldn't mind to stay there for the rest of the day. They have a beautiful selection of chocolates from top brands along with their own creations, making Chocolate District a perfect place to buy some gifts to bring back home. There we had the opportunity to try a signature drink of chocolate and fig liqueur and the delicious chocolate torrone of the house.

PANORAMA

One could think that we had already had dessert, right? Well, wrong... we still had more to come. From Chocolate District we head to Panorama, a restaurant facing the Grand Harbour. And it was with the panoramic view of the Three Cities that we finished our Food Tour, sipping a Prickly Pear liqueur and enjoying a traditional Mqaret, a fried pastry filled with dates. The conversation was good, and both Maltese, Danish, Australian, and Portuguese were sharing their food preferences and experiences. But our tour was ending and this foodies fellowship had to part, but I'm sure all will remember this experience as a high point of their visit to Valletta.

The tour takes place every Saturday, at 10am and includes 3  flavour filled hours (until 1 pm). For more informations on how to book this food tour, contact


OFFBEAT MALTA FOOD TRAILS

E-mail: info@offbeatmaltafoodtrails.com
Phone: +356 2180 2383

Adults and children 12 years+ : 65 € (VAT included).
Price includes: Licensed Tour Guide + All Food Tastings +1 copy of The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta & Gozo

Chronicles from Malta | Comino Island and the Blue Lagoon

Picture a small island with only 3.5 square kilometers, car-free and virtually uninhabited, apart from one single hotel. Picture caves and snorkeling perfect places, a sheltered inlet with cristal clear waters over white sand, reflecting the blue skies. This are Comino and the Blue Lagoon, and my advice is to get there if you can.

The fact is that, during Summer, Comino, and specially the Blue Lagoon receive many day visitors, so don't expect to be the only one to enjoy this piece of paradise. But no matter if you have to share it with a multitude, the scenery and the warm blue waters are perfectly worth it.

Although Comino looks quite arid and barren today, when the Knights arrived in 1530, it was home to wild boar and hares, becoming highly protected hunting grounds along with its role in the defence of the Maltese Islands against the Ottoman Turks.

Today the island depends much on tourism and, being just a few minutes away from Gozo by boat, is an easy destination for day trips. There are also small cruises coming from Valletta, that bring visitors along the coast for a few hours in Comino. If you take my advice, visit Gozo for a couple of days and include half a day in the Blue Lagoon to your plans. I'm sure you will not regretted.

Make sure you take a towel to seat on. The space is scarce and the Blue Lagoon has only a very (I mean, very!) small stripe of sand. There are some deck chairs and parasols to rent, but in such short space, people are just seat next to another and it didn't seam very appealing to me.

Don't forget the sun screen, your sunglasses and a hat. The sun is hot and the bright light reflects from the water and from the yellow rocks around the lagoon.

Take some rubber sandals or flip flops to walk to the water. The rocky ground can be tricky and you don't want to heart your feet.

Take some water and snacks. There are some small bars close, but don't have that much variety and the prices are somewhat inflated. But you can indulge on a ice cold cocktail served on a pineapple!

Final tip: please don't left nothing behind. If you had made any trash, take it to one of the many bins available. I was shocked how, in face of such beauty, people let their bottles, straws, and pineapples laying in the ground with a trash bin just a few steps away.

As I've told you before, its very easy to get there from Gozo where you can find regular boat trips connecting Mgarr harbor and the Blue Lagoon. We travelled with Ebsons Comino Ferries, and the trip to and from Comino in one of their fast boats was comfortable, safe and exciting. You can find their stand just across the Ferry terminal and you'll have a boat leaving for the Blue Lagoon every hour (full hour). The trip takes about 15 minutes and you can get back from Comino at a quarter past the hour. Some of the trips back to Mgarr include a visit to the caves in Comino. I've found their services very professional and you can know more about the company on their site and or book your trip using the contacts bellow.

EBSONS COMINO FERRIES
Prices:
Adults - 10 € | Chlidren 5 - 10 yrs - 5 € | Under 5yrs - Free
Contacts:
Phone: +356 7920 4014
Email: info@cominoferryservice.com

Chronicles from Malta | Palazzo Jean Parisot Boutique Hotel

When visiting a city for its historical features, staying in the city center always seems to be a wise option. In Valletta that was the case and we couldn't be happier with our choice. Palazzo Jean Parisot was the quintessential home away from home. Comfortable and with tasteful interior design, this boutique hotel is steps away from the main attractions of Valletta and close to many great restaurants and bars.

Named after the influential Grandmaster of the Order of the Knights of St John, Jean Parisot de la Vallette, this gorgeous Boutique Hotel is located on Saint Paul's Street and can offer its guests a choice of 8 lovely suites, including a penthouse suite.

Our suite was beautifully appointed, spacious and very comfortable. All the suites include a fully equipped kitchenette, and we all know that in some situations that can be quite convenient. The hotel is recent and you have the feeling of entering in a brand new home, for which the decoration and care of the staff in keeping everything absolutely spotless and perfect just makes never want to leave. A great mattress, top quality linens, and comfy pillows made our nights perfect for resting from the intense days visiting Valletta.

And we can not forget the rooftop terrace, with the spectacular view of the city, and over the Grand Harbour, to Fort St Angelo and the historic Three Cities. Perfect in the morning, lovely for an afternoon drink, a relaxing bath in the extra large Jacuzzi or a nap in the sun loungers, and absolutely breathtaking at night when the fireworks fill Valletta's sky with light.

You know I enjoy good food and breakfast is an important moment of the day for me. At Palazzo Jean Parisot I've found a careful selection of high-quality products available for the morning meal and I can assure you that my breakfasts were complete and delicious. Breakfast is served on the covered patio and there are plans to start serving it also in the terrace. All through the day, there is a basket of fruits available to all guests, and all the suits are equipped with an espresso machine, coffee capsules and tea bags.

Technology is also a high point in the hotel. Your access to the building and to your room is made through a personal code, the "Do Not Disturb / Please Clean my Room" signs are electronic and every suite provides a state-of-the-art technology by way of a Suite Pad, which gives us up-to-date information on the property, special offers, restaurant recommendations, activities and points of interest in the city.

But all this High Tech investment does not mean that the human factor is not important. The staff attention, courtesy, and professionalism are difficult to top. There was no effort enough to make us feel welcome, to respond to any of our requests and to make us feel comfortable and satisfied with the smallest details. We stayed just for 3 days in Valletta, but when we crossed the doors of Palazzo Jean Parisot Boutique Hotel we leave with the feeling of living behind a familiar place.

Palazzo Jean Parisot Boutique Hotel
76, St. Paul’s Street, Valletta
Malta
Phone: +356 21333565
E-mail: pjp@roosendaal.com.mt