Missed Seed’s Spring Menu? Fear not Summer Menu available from Today!🤩

So you might have read our Seed review a couple of months back, and SPOILER ALERT, their first menu was a winner, baby! But what did the FoodBlog crew think of Seed’s updated seasonal menu? Well, since we were among the few to try it out due to restaurant restrictions this spring, let’s read on and find out, shall we? 🤔

If you’ve not been to the Hyatt Regency yet, you’re missing out on one of Malta’s most pristinely presented hotels serving up the trendiest cocktails and bar snacks via their reception bar Thyme and their gloriously composed menu at Seed. 👌

This is where all your pre-dinner dreams will come true!

Here’s a holding-nothing-back view of what we tried out, devoured and raved over during our spring visit, come on, let’s take a look.👇

The cocktails and bar bites at Thyme, Hyatt Regency, St Julian’s

Now this is serious, we’re absolutely serious about this… do not, I repeat do not, for any reason, bypass Thyme when visiting The Hyatt. Seriously… don’t. ❌

It’s fair to say that we only visited last spring, literally the day before restaurants were called to close their doors yet again, but we can say this with absolute confidence; we are dead certain that the quality of food and service you will get during your Thyme visit will be close to, if not perfect. 🍸

Their cocktail list is creative, varied and full of the freshest mixology dazzle you’ve been begging for, we sipped at 4 Bartender’s Choice Cocktails in Thyme’s sleek and modern seating area. 🍹

Our pre-meal bevvys started with the signature Thyme Essence, a gin-based drink serving up some raspberry sweetness and a savoury pucker from the lime and ginger. The accents of rosemary in this cocktail pair really well with the Crispy Potato Terine served with a Pecorino Romano custard and fresh herby oil. 🌿

What a treat! This is what you should expect from bar bites and cocktails.

We then turned to the Polenta Chips with a Chive Emulsion and a god-level Homemade Kunserva that literally blew our minds. Ordering this is a must, fingers crossed we’ll all find this on the summer menu. These scrumptious bites were served with 3 other cocktails. Two of which carried a robust whisky tone, one a take on Whisky Sour and the other a classic Manhattan. The last was a cocktail that best described the fragrant flavours of spring (and even more so summer) with all the prowess Thyme has to offer - rum-based with that fruity pineapple and nutty coconut flair - your typical Pina Colada but much much happier. 🍅

The dishes on Seed’s spring menu were just as spectacular as the winter presentation

It goes without saying, and if you’ve visited Seed you’ll agree, that a certain level of quality is always expected in this high-end dining environment. And it’s got nothing to do with the ambience and service - although they are both delivered to the optimum of standards, it’s all to do with the attention, technique and creativity that bustles out of Chef Noel Azzopardi’s kitchen. If we could time warp back to Seed’s spring menu, one that we were hoping to get a second helping of, we’d reorder these delicate morsels of yum:

Starters that hail from the culinary gods

After the perfectly prepared bar bites that graced our palates we were eager to sink our teeth into something just as extraordinary, hoping for something slightly larger to outdo the slight buzz the cocktails from earlier quickly sprung up. 💫

We quickly tucked into our 3 starters, the Jerusalem Artichoke with Goat’s Cheese and Hazelnut Tart that gave you the full Michelin (yeah, I said it…) experience (and I’ll say it again… Michelin you missed this one). ⭐

This is exactly where all Jerusalem Artichokes wished they ended up.

The ‘Aquerello’ Risotto with Saffron, Ricotta Salata and Pumpkin Seeds, which was a short cry away from perfect, but I’m an absolute risotto perfectionist, so take my comments here lightly. And the Wild Mushroom, Pecorino, Almond and Sage Ravioli which you will have the pleasure of imagining yourself taste, hoping with every spectrum of your being that Chef Noel might consider adding this to a Secret Menu;

A delicious plate of risotto, perfectly salted and so, so creamy.

The winner of the entire meal: Wild Mushroom, Pecorino, Almond and Sage Ravioli

• Presentation: handcrafted envelopes stuffed with the most savoury of flavours finished with an elegant Pecorino scatter. Gorgeous. 
• Flavour: the first adjective to come to mind is savoury; the perfect meld between earthy and nutty - the earthiness came directly from the mushroom in the stuffed pasta, the nuttiness from the almond and Pecorino shower. The emulsion brought a fragrant freshness as well as an element of fat that was so subtle and well-needed.  
• Texture: such a great array of variation, crunch, velvety smoothness, a slight oiliness for that on-point mouthfeel, and lest you forget, the perfect bite, pull and chew of the hand shaped ravioli themselves. 
• Rating: humbly, I’d give this dish a 9/10 - and that 1 point is still scurrying around in my mind trying to be pin-pointed. Excellent dish Chef, bravo.

I'd give anything to eat these again, please Chef... just one more serving!

Mains that made it to the top of our list, easily

Our mains of the evening were quite simply put, everything you’d expect from Seed. We attempted and very easily succeeded in clearing our plates of any speck of food, there was not one sliver of food, not even a crumb that made it back into the kitchen - and please do note that we were absolutely stuffed, but everything was just too good to leave behind. 💯

This was magnificent - a Beef Short Rib that melted in your mouth and simply fell off the fork. Lush.

Off the elusive spring menu, we ordered the Slow Cooked Beef Rib with Tomato, Pommes Anna and Smoked Chive Emulsion, the Pan Fried Wild Seabass, Fish Tortellini, Pommes Puree and Fish Velouté. 🐟

Delicate and subtle yet crispy on the outside - the perfect fish presentation.

And last, but in no imaginable universe least, the Veal Cheek with Pickled Mushrooms, Pomme Puree, Roasted Seeds, Baked Veal Belly Bun and Jus. 🥔

The star of this dish was the mushroom - words cannot even describe how satisfying these shrooms were.

What you can easily notice in the Seed kitchen’s expertise is their attention to detail, each dish was executed without flaw, falter or failure. And we’d expect to receive the exact same amount of attention with the rest of the dishes we all order from Seed in the very near future. 👏

And with the sneaky glimpse of their summer menu gracing our Facebook feeds, we can see that a classic stuffed pasta, staple fermented or preserved elements and fresher, more vibrant summer items will surprise our taste buds with Seed’s starters. 🦐

The sensational starters that we are definitely going to try. Each and every one of them!

Their mains do not shy away from the two ‘veggie’ components that I feel they execute the best: potatoes and mushrooms, not to mention their choice of exciting proteins that steer away from the mundanity that many restaurants seem to rely on. Stay tuned for our views on the Summer menu, we'll be rushing to get our fix as soon as we possibly can! 🍄

The glorious mains and perfect desserts at Seed, that always make us happy.

After we noshed on the intricately presented desserts of Honey Bavarois with Honeycomb, Almond Crumble and Raspberry Sorbet and the kitchen’s take on ‘Snickers’ - equally delicious and easily reordered during that very visit.

Honeycomb overload done right! The perfect balance of sweet and crunch plus that wee tartness from the raspberry. Perfectly nom.

Once we were pleasantly wined and dined, Chef Noel escorted us to the uppermost part of the Hyatt where a panoramic view, cocktails supreme and delicious bites await guests this summer at Ginger, probably your 2021 poolside destination. 🏖️

The Seed Kitchen's take on Snickers and oh what a touchdown it was!

You may have missed your chance to delight in the robust flavours of Seed’s spring menu, but making the most out of Malta’s summer fun will surely be amped up and accentuated with Ginger’s opening and promise of culinary extravagance, well needed summer cocktails and hours lounging in the hot Mediterranean sun. ☀️