EBM Magazine #15

The aesthetics of dining out HAMMETT'S MESTIZO ‘You eat with your eyes first’ is an expression used by critics everywhere to describe any old restaurant that pays attention to presentation, and while this acts as a barometer of what’s to come in the way of flavour, there’s more to your dining experience than the food.

At Hammett’s Mestizo in St Julian’s, the feast for the eyes starts from the moment you arrive. The high ceilings with hanging light fixtures give you a sense of space, while the purple and grey hues blend with the greenery of fresh plants and live walls. Like stepping onto a Hollywood film set, crossing the threshold of Mestizo takes you away from the humdrum of daily life, and transports you to a world of chic luxury.

While the right atmosphere on a night out is paramount to its success, a restaurant is nothing if the food isn’t worth talking about.

Like the other Hammett’s instalments all over the island, food is meant to be shared; morsels of intense flavours passed around the table, received with gasps of delight. Every instalment of the Hammett’s empire has a theme, and at Mestizo, it’s Latin American cuisine, led by Venezuelan chef Jorge Lugo and directed by Chris Hammett himself.

The vibrant menu is as rich in colour as it is in flavour, with influences expanding from Central America to the Caribbean, and from the Andes to the Amazon and Patagonia. The cachapa – a Venezuelan corn pancake – topped with stracciatella, is an explosion of flavours balanced with a kick from a jalapeno mayonnaise. A mixed fish tempura is the perfect sharing dish, but the Mestizo Jalea Mixta adds to that with a batter that mixes beer and oregano for a pop of flavour, complemented perfectly with a mayo-based sauce flavoured with ginger, lemon and red chillies, and served with a criolla salad and yuca chips. Meat eaters won’t be disappointed with the lamb tetela, a mix of minced lamb perfectly balanced with a black bean puree, served with sour cream and fresh herbs. There’s no room for manners with this dish; you’re going to want to get in there fast and help yourself to more than your fair share!

It’s always disappointing to get dressed up and turn up at a restaurant that doesn’t look the part, so if the night you’re after involves the highest of your heels, plans to drink more than a few cocktails, and share some of the island’s tastiest treats, make Hammett’s Mestizo your choice for the night.

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