FoodBlog Review: Seed, Malta. The Summer Menu ☀️

It’s become almost predictable now, and in a very satisfying, unbelievably delicious way of course, that Seed at the Hyatt Regency in St Julian’s will time and time again serve some delectable dishes that tantalise your taste buds from starter to dessert. Our tasting of the Summer Menu was just as striking as the two other menus that Seed presented to the Maltese foodie population, when they opened late last year. 🤯

We can never get enough of Seed's selection.

We sat at our regular table, ordered a bottle of Malbec and waited for Chef Noel to present us with the Summer Menu dishes he thought would strike a chord with the FoodBlog crew. Getting to know Chef Noel’s technique and style in the kitchen with our previous visits allows us to fully trust his judgement and ride the culinary wave he sets us on. Here’s how it went. 👇

Starters at Seed are always a delight

We started off with three starters off the Summer Menu, all of which complemented each other and served as a great introduction to the meal that was about to make our afternoon as pleasant as possible. 🍽️

Much to our delight, Chef Noel presented us with a glorious plate of house-made pasta, Pappardelle all’uovo, duck, pistachio and goat’s cheese, that packed in the smoothness of the pasta ribbons, the juicy tenderness of the pulled duck and the tart and robust flavours of the goat’s cheese - all finished of with a nutty crunch that the pistachios delivered so gracefully. 🍝

Look at that fresh pappardelle... ohhh and that pulled duck! Jeez!

With this course also came a cured salmon artwork - Lightly smoked salmon, coconut and apple split dressing, nori tempura and kimchi - this light and delicate dish was presented in a deep bowl where two wonderfully thin cuts of home-smoked lox rested, a few thinly julienned apple sticks artistically placed on the fish. In another bowl was the homemade kimchi that was easily some of the freshest kimchi you’ll ever taste and a lightly tempura battered nori cracker that added crunch to the overall dish. The final touch on this dish was stamped with Chef Noel’s class and sophistication - a pouring jug of coconut and apple dressing that was gently poured over the salmon and its accompaniments to deliver a creamy, fragrant and uplifting finish. 🐟

This lightly cured salmon starter converted me, a salmon snob.

The Caprese Tart at Seed might be their best starter yet

But the star of the starters this time round was a beautiful tart that was crisp, creamy and packed with flavour. All three starters were wonderful in their own right, but the kitchen’s treatment of creativity and interpretation takes the prize here. The Caprese tart, stracciatella, pesto, tomato and white balsamic dish is a deconstructed take on the simple Italian Caprese Salad featuring mozzarella, tomato and basil and transported here to an entirely innovative dish. 🇮🇹

That stracciatella might have oozed too much for a classy photo... but it sure does taste absolutely bomb!

The tart is paper thin and miraculously holds the contents of the modern Caprese to deliver the perfect starter-sized portion. At the base of the tart, you will be pleasantly surprised with a sweet and tangy tomato chutney that hits the instantly identifiable pesto genovese flavour profiles to create a harmony of flavours upon your palette. The pesto is rich and smooth, the chutney thick and powerful and the stracciatella that sits on top of this all - delicate, pure and creamy. 🍅

Crowned with a chia seed and pine nut crisp, this delicate starter dish is what summer should taste like - clean, light and packed with flavour. 🤤

A meaty take on Seed’s Summer Menu

When we think of summer, the meat dishes we usually turn to are more on the lines of barbecued meats, and probably even fish over plated meat cuts served with rich sauces. Now while the Seed Summer Menu does feature a catch of the day on the menu, we were presented with three red-meat dishes each served with its select sides that never seem to disappoint. 😎

The three dishes that we tucked into off the Summer Menu were the Fillet of beef with short rib raviola, polenta, wilted spinach and jus, the  Veal loin & kofta, grilled mushroom, parmesan tart and mushroom velouté as well as the Pan fried lamb rump, bubble and squeak dumpling, sprouting broccoli and satay sauce. 🍖

Meat... good!

Let’s start off by saying that all three dishes were beautifully presented and came with the signature Seed service. Each dish was beautifully composed and presented, main, side, extras, the works. The proteins were all distinct in their flavour profiles and served such a rich array of the protein, and the cuts’ textures and cooking techniques. 👌

For the sake of variety, and full understanding that the proteins were all equally prepared to a certain degree of perfection, let’s take a closer look at the sides that accompanied the beef, veal and lamb. 🔍

Seed’s side dishes in full focus

When it comes to choosing your main dish, if you’re one of those diners who will happily try any cut of any protein, the side dishes that accompany your meat usually play such a heavy part in choosing your dish. Personally, a side dish or accompanying flavour profile is just as important to me as the protein I am eating - sometimes the deciding factor between two dishes. ⚖️

Let’s take a closer look at the sides and accompanying flavours for our Fillet of Beef: 

• The short rib raviola: a house-made raviola filled with pulled short rib, packed with that inherent meaty flavour and that smooth overall texture. 
• The polenta crisp with a green herb emulsion: the crunchy exterior and smooth interior of the polenta cake was the perfect balance of textures. Slightly bland when eaten alone, but perfectly rounded when paired with the herb emulsion.
• The wilted spinach: the winner of flavours on this dish. The sweetness, the bite, the bitter qualities that try their hardest to break though and the freshness that was delivered with that simple speck of spinach on the plate. Nature at its finest.

What a pretty plate... and what a delish dish!

Next to take on our generous appetites, the Veal Loin, let’s take a look at the sides that made this dish pop: 

• The kofta: spiced to perfection, this veal kofta was reminiscent of lamb with its bold and powerful flavour profile, crisp exterior and oddly - yet delightful - texture that added a lot of sparkle to the dish.
• The grilled mushroom and mushroom velouté: as always, the mushrooms served at Seed are of the highest quality and supreme texture and flavour factor. The grilled version was succulent and meaty - and perfectly seasoned, the velouté, rich, smooth, creamy and the perfect accompaniment for the tender veal loin. 

The parmesan tart: a staple item on the Seed menu, no matter the season - you can even find a similar bite on the Thyme Bar Bites Spring Menu - this little vessel of perfection is creamy, rich in flavour and for lack of a better term, a pure umami bomb.

Hello lover... that mushroom excellence is just... well... excellent!

And last, but in no way least, the Lamb Rump that graced our lives with its pure succulence, was served with:

• The bubble and and squeak dumpling: that was reminiscent of an end-of-the-week home cooking staple that got served with the silver treatment it deserves, creamed cabbage and pancetta were packed into the elegantly folded dumpling deserving of a second, third and fourth taste. 
• The sprouting broccoli: lightly dressed in a satay sauce and steamed ever so slightly to keep the pure broccoli flavours in tact - our dish came with regular broccoli; a change that although might seem as a disappointment, serves as a good kitchen call; always opting for what’s fresh over the rigidity that a menu can present.
• The potato purée: undoubtedly a Seed classic that cannot get any better. There’s no judging the kitchen’s attention to detail when potatoes and purées are in discussion. The potato purée was thankfully also served with the Veal Loin.

Bubble and squeak dumpling anyone?

The menu was thought out, planned and presented with perfection in mind. The selection of mains on the Summer Menu could do with a slightly more summereqsue vibe, but nonetheless, the selection is that of Seed’s highest standard. 😋

There’s always time, room and anticipation for a Seed dessert

The last flavours to grace our meal were sweet, the sweetest around in fact. If there’s ever a reason to order a double dessert, Seed is probably the palace to do it. Once again, Chef Noel brought us a trio of some exciting new dessert recipes he’d been working on for the Summer Menu - and by golly they were a hit! 🌞

Deciding which dessert to start from was rather difficult, so we decided to attack, contemplate, attack again and muster up the right words to do these dainty plates justice. 

The classic dessert combo of Pistachio and white chocolate custard choux bun, ricotta ice-cream - need I say more? The perfect crunch on the exterior of the choux was only amplified with the creamy pistachio and white chocolate custard that filled it - what a classic combination of flavours that emulate an Italian-French vibe through and through. The addition of the ricotta ice-cream was as necessary as the Chef deemed it, the delicate ricotta flavours bouncing off the rich white chocolate and earthy pistachio - pure heaven. 🍨

There was something magical about that ricotta ice-cream.

And thankfully it only got better. The Exotic Tart, pineapple, mango, passion fruit and coconut was a summer treat - the pure flavours of what we wish summer tasted like. The tart passion fruit, sweet mango, the ultra sweet pineapple and a simple mint leaf to brighten it all up worked so effortlessly with the coconut cream and crisp pastry that encased all this wonder. If I had to choose, I think I’d pick this as the top contender… but that was until I tried the Honey and peach cheesecake, yoghurt ice-cream. 🍑

Oh you were exotic, weren't you!

The lightest cheesecake filling you will ever taste, sitting on a crumbly biscuit base that hold the exact amount of butter and biscuit ratio, topped with a diced peach in a honey syrup that simply elevates the entire meal to a wonderfully palatable experience. Juxtaposed with that distinct yoghurt taste in the form of a delicate ice-cream quenelle. 🍯

The lightest cheesecake you'll ever try - and that's coming from an obsessed cheesecake lover!

There’s not much more to say about Seed’s Summer Menu, we’ve broken it down to quite a thorough overview. So all that’s left to do now is taste it for yourselves: and with FoodBlog’s next giveaway you might very well be able to… plus perhaps spend a night in the brand-spanking-new Hyatt Regency? Hmm, maybe you should stay tuned to learn more about this awesome opportunity… till then, enjoy the sun, enjoy the summer. Bon appetite. 😋

FoodBlog Mission Statement: The above opinions are based on the reviewer’s particular personal experience during the restaurant visit. FoodBlog’s primary aim is to give restaurant owners and chefs an insider-view to their clientele's experience; highlighting their strongest suits and applauding all floor and kitchen staff for a job well done while making them aware of the personal improvements we feel would elevate their restaurant. FoodBlog critiques are intended to improve the Food and Beverage experience for diners and to encourage excellence in culinary and hospitality professionals.