Le GV Tasting Experience
- Kristina Cassar Dowling
- Jun 5
- 8 min read
Have you ever experienced First Bite Syndrome or Salivary Rush? It’s this thing your jaw does when it comes in contact with high umami, acid or sour flavours. For me, my jaw tightens, my eyes widen and for those adrenaline-rushed seconds, I pay attention. It’s euphoric and I wish it upon everyone.
I’ll ruin the plot line right now… Le GV sparked this twice yesterday. We’ll unravel that soon enough with the tax-xewk moment.
A smooth glass of bubbles, high in acid to clear the canvas, and a glowing sunset set the pace where from 19:51 till 22:30 we sat, entirely at the kitchen’s mercy. Timing is everything and Chef Andrew Borg’s clock is as Swiss as they get.
19:53; canapés. Boom, it starts. A turnip custard; earthy and luscious meets a tuna tartare, lightly dressed and complimented with a fresh chive micro-dice — already with the first little spoonful, I could tell that I was going to be schooled today. A thick, lush oil runs around the circumference; adding mouth texture to the highly texture packed dish.
The second canapé the butteriest tartlet with a smooth onion purée and intense notes of basil seen in the micro herbs. Sparks of acid lifting the tart just that little bit further. This was our first glimpse of Chef David Tanti’s prowess; man that guy can bake.
Next, the amuse bouche. A cauliflower velouté with a green herb butter crown was next, with hidden puffed rice for added crunch and a delicious date, olive and olive oil compote at the base.
“Chef recommends you run the butter through the cauliflower” - and it folds, gracefully; strands of green opening the appetite. The most commendable part of this dish, apart from the smooth velouté, the vibrant butter and the fun rice element, was Chef’s manipulation of the dates.
They were subtly sweet and almost tasted spiced – a peculiar pairing where the bitter-umami notes of the olive rubbed up on the sweetness of the date to make a hybrid olive-date baby.
<< And in this corner, Chef David Tanti, weighing in for the Bread Course with 3 baked beauties, fresh-out-the-oven and ready to rock you world. >> I imagined this voice as the bread basket landed all-consumingly. A miso-bread-butter with the hypnotising allure to end global wars; and a classic salted French butter for sensibility accompanied the course.
An iconic baguette, les quignons pointed and crusted to perfection, first catches your eye and prompts your hand for that greedy reach; it’s divine… the way a baguette should be; my favourite type of bread; made perfectly. I cried a little.
A whole wheat bread focaccia; airy, oily; aromatic and nutty, chewy, stretchy, floral (perhaps from the oil used) and all round the ideal vessel to slap copious amounts of butter on; the air pockets begging to be filled. Last and by no means least; the ftira - iconic in every sense, but for the first time in a long time, I enjoyed the crust of this ftira. Tanti’s ftira. Its wheaty aroma calls out for the miso-bread-butter.
*the taste buds start to tingle, teasing that ‘Salivary Rush’ we mentioned earlier… but we’re not there yet
The first soft pairing was a raspberry, rose petal and rosewater fermented drink that carried a light fizz and a high saline note. It was tangy; presumably from the fermented raspberry, it was citric and it reminded me of the settling notes of a good Bloody Mary (personal favourite). This was my least favourite soft pairing; only because I didn’t get enough rose; and I love rose.
The raspberry drink carried through with the starter; the ultimate way to my heart; Maltese red prawns; size 3 I believe. Sweet, buttery, and biasedly the ultimate texture-to-flavour ingredient in nature. This dish was pure art, even the Front of House felt guilty pouring the heavenly yuzu beurre blanc on the meticulously curated dish.
Minuscule spots of an orange gel, maybe carrot, were dotted around the plate; intentionally selected edible flowers changed the balance of every bite with notes of bitterness, sharpness and delicate floral hints. Making every little bite an evolution of the next. Utter madness. The maddest element; the sparks of acid and bitter that bang at your jawline from the pickled and charred fennel and the buttery rich yuzu sauce that makes you pucker up for an almost ‘First Bite Syndrome’.
Almost there…the anticipation is high. But for now balance is still king of the kitchen.
Another soft pairing welcomes the following course; and our first feature of the Ta’ Betta Estate, which will be a regular in this next segment. Carrot juice, simply infused with the smooth and well-balanced Ta’ Betta first-press olive oil. The oil notes of fresh herbs, almonds and green olives infuse for 24 hours with the earthy, almost soily, sweetness of the Maltese carrots creating a thick, smooth and creamy finish. It’s hugely simple, but hugely effective and paired effortlessly with the asparagus dish that was next on our Surprise Tasting Menu.
Landes asparagus, milky white in all their glory, tender and sweet; the stem sliced at an angle and layered with a film of foie gras, a sliver of brioche and a garden of spring herbs, vibrant and refreshing against the perfectly-rich foie and the buttery brioche.
This dish is as delicate and simple as they come; allowing the diner to just eat. The iconic asparagus head sits off centre, its nearest neighbour a tiny green purée until a savoury sea of strawberry and tomato water unites the dish. We’re playing with temperature, we’re playing with innovation and we’re playing with a highly creative game player.
By golly, this was such a refreshing facelift of a snobby foie dish. It takes prime, like absolutely prime, ingredients and I repeat, allows you to just eat. But when you’re just eating foie gras and Landes asparagus; you’ve got to remember that you are exceptionally lucky. I felt a sense of humility with this dish.
The balance on the palate at this stage is so well rounded, not overly anything; but if I had to pin-point one particular note; I’d say earthy. Chefs, you are both so grounded. Respect.
The gastronomic journey is only one hour in, and we’ve arrived at the pasta course. Pebble-sized gnocchi, supple and flavourful, deceivingly-similar-in size-and-shaped celeriac spheres, at the centre: black trumpet mushroom for the signature key oddness in the dish, a celeriac velouté crowning the textured base.
Needless to say, the velouté was flawless, we’ve already attested to the sauces of this kitchen; this version of celeriac was nutty and earthy. The celeriac spheres posing as gnocchi delivered crunch and bite to the dish, but butter notes kept creeping in to make you smile just a little bit more. A pickled celeriac ribbon completed this visually stunning dish, moreish with its lush, rich but surprisingly light appeal.
The mushroom element in this dish tied in blissfully with the cherry, pomegranate and bayleaf soft pairing; my forever favourite; the tart and sharp tones of the Sicilian cherries contrasted with the umami-come-forest-floor note of the trumpet mushrooms was interesting. The dry, acidic notes on this ‘juice’ could definitely rival some ‘wines’ on the market.
But now it’s time to get serious and drink something with a bit more punch. A 2025 Jean Parisot hailing from the Siggiewi Estate of Ta’ Betta; my preferred local wine; paired with the tax-xewk moment of this dinner.
It’s the fish course. Usually my least anticipated. But the agrum gel AND koji risotto with octopus kind of blew my mind; one after the other and back again for round two. Let’s break this down:
The fish was wonderful. Sous vide, which I don’t really like for fish, but (just like my last visit) Chef Andrew changed my mind (but not my opinion). The globe artichoke, delicious vegetable condiment, and the butter-based sauce that accompanied the fish were all absolutely delicious. But the citrus gel, of which there was a generous dollop, changed everything. I knew it would pack the biggest punch, so I tried it last, but the moment it touched my tongue, life changed color for a moment. (I love my job).
After that zesty rollercoaster ride; I reached for the koji risotto, which already blew my mind with expectations just knowing what it is. Earthy, umami, nutty, sweet koji jacked up with a shot of Maltese octopus flavour - that’s rich, smoky, saline and meaty - a deep collection of flavour notes in one spot. This requires a refined palate to fully appreciate; it’s a masterpiece in itself. Wow.
Next up, a well aged 2019 Philippe Villiers from the same Estate, its leathery, barnyard notes making me proud to be Maltese and paired with the final savoury element of this dining experience.
A lamb loin stuffed with delicious spinach and a gift from the seasonal gods: half a morel mushroom, all for me. Served with an airy side of walnut cream, a generous portion of foie, just in case you felt neglected, and even more morel mushrooms.
If only every diner appreciated the finesse in purveyory that this menu requires. Lakshmi, thank you.
Strikes of acid in the sauce, pops of sweetness in the peas, umami in the jus and richness from the lamb. Elevated with a true testament to the kitchen’s respect to their diners.
Elated as they come; we proceeded to the dessert course; fully understanding that this is where Chef Tanti will meet the level of the savoury masterpieces that preceded the sweet finish.
There’s no time for pre-dessert, they know we want it all, right there like a member of royalty at a luxurious banquet: 4 fully-fledged desserts hit the table.
A play on hot and cold in the form of strawberry and almond. The hot version that gave me a sweet summer vibe crossed with the tastiest figolla humanity knows; while the cold version drew up flavours of a sunny day in a Scottish garden, a speckled vanilla cream, fresh berry and a sweet wine transformed into a sorbet. What a glorious move from savoury.
Bring up the sweetness with a gracefully paired Markus Divinus L-Imżabbab, offering ripe notes noted through the sun dried grapes used in this wine’s fermentation process. And with a rounded palate, move on to the apricot compote, jasmine rice milk and potato skin ice cream; proof of genuine madness and genuine creativity — and least we forget genuine deliciousness. The blend of tart apricot, floral jasmine, sweet rice and earthy potato is a combination only true to the minds within the Le GV kitchen.
Finish with chocolate; as you should.
Where a tart holds texture, a slight savoury note, and; probably one of the most delicious flavours for me; barley.
Mmm, why is barley so good?
It’s nutty and it’s earthy, it’s musky, it excites me; and in this dish it was served 2-ways, as a sauce; which I could have shamelessly licked off the plate (but did not), and as a mouse; light, rich, flavourful.
I was schooled at Le GV during this visit. I paid attention and I learned. I experienced 2 ingredients I had never consciously eaten, I added to my neural library of taste. How lucky am I? Every dinner I critique is not just a meal to me, it’s a display of passion and that uncontrollable urge to create. I get it, I see it, I celebrate it.
As we finished our petit fours (yes, there was more), the sticky crust of the carrot cake, the green apple centre of the bon bon, the crust on the choux pastry and the fruity chocolate clusters got me thinking…. how will I ever be able to repay this industry in the same way it’s nourished the depths of my soul?
