Dining at this restaurant turns into a mouth-watering affair

The Village Kitchen, located a stone’s throw away from the hustle and bustle of Naxxar, delivers locally sourced top-notch ingredients with exquisite presentation. Although you can eat a la carte, the main attraction at the moment is the truffle menu. You can also ask for the Cicchetti tasting menu, which is ideal if you are craving some international tapas but would rather opt for The Village Kitchen’s cozy ambiance on a stormy winter day.

Chef Mario Palumbo is the head chef at The Village Kitchen, as well as at Cicchetti- and let me tell you-  he’s got an impressive back story. His 15 years of experience in the industry pays off here.

As we sat at our table decked with wine glasses, Mario Palumbo approached us with the menus and wine list. “I just received a fresh batch of truffles from my hometown, Perugia,” he told us, “and I can honestly tell you that, at the moment, any dish with them will trump all other dishes on the menu.”

Chef Mario provided us with a little insight into what we can expect on the The Village Kitchen’s truffle menu this season. Truffles are a big thing in the food world. If you haven’t had truffles before – moment of silence to brush away the tears – it’s hard to describe how they taste. They’re luscious, earthy, and umami-packed. We didn’t want to miss out on the truffle train, so we left it in the hands of the chef to prepare a few dishes from their new truffle menu for us to sample.

We started off with pan fried foie grass with rhubarb chutney and and just the right amount of truffle shavings.  I do love the mouthwatering taste of truffles, but like everything else, too much of a good thing, and things can go awry.

Chef Mario then brought out a plate of seared scallops with crispy pancetta, carrot mayo, and a foam of horseradish, once again topped with fresh black truffles.  He generated some applewood smoke using a smoke gun and trapped it under a glass dome with the dish for a few minutes. Once the glass dome was removed, the dish was complete with a bonus of smoky goodness… the flavours of this dish were spectacular.

Next came Chef Mario’s favourite dish on the menu… homemade taglioni with black truffles and pecorino cheese. I can honestly say this was one of my favourites, too. I’ve always been a fan of simple recipes that are made with few ingredients but are still flavour-full. Classic and simple, making the black truffle the star of the dish. In my opinion, a simple pasta dish is the ideal way in which to experience black truffles. You just can’t go wrong... and trust me, this was Italian food at its finest.

Lucky for us, we also got to sample a few dishes from the restaurant’s a la carte menu. Chef Mario brought out his smoke gun once again and prepared applewood smoked risotto with prawns. This was followed by a classic carbonara, chicken roulade, and last but certainly not least a piece of the hottest meat in today’s marketplace – Kobe beef. My mouth may never water again at the sight of a less marbled piece of beef. Will I be able to enjoy regular beef ever again? Honestly, I don’t know. 

Trying to close a deal, or entertaining a new client? The casual yet elegant atmosphere at The Village Kitchen can guarantee that closed deal. Private tables in private areas are also available.  Whether you’re planning that business meeting, Christmas gathering, or staff party, call Head Chef Mario directly to tailor your experience.  The restaurant is located in the road of the old trade fair grounds and parking is as easy as can be, making your experience even more convenient.

Opens Monday to Sunday for lunch and Tuesday to Sunday for dinner.

The Village Kitchen 

Triq il-Markiz Scicluna

Naxar

2748 4554

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