The local gastronomy scene is in a ceaseless state of reinvention. It’s innovate or close shop. And burger land is no exception. The concept of a gastro bar, an eatery halfway between a bar and a restaurant, is gaining grounds. Originally, a gastro bar was based on the notion of serving innovative tapas at accessible prices. But gastro bars do not only serve tapas, instead they go far beyond that cuisine. One such place is the Lucky Goose, who opened its doors towards the end of April, in the Ta Xbiex seafront area. This gastro concept has risen onto the ashes of the renown Lucky Bar. Indeed, the first half of the name on the signage has been retained for nostalgic purposes. An unassuming bar on the outside, you’re immediately transported to a modern interior design and a foodish atmosphere that screams gastropub culture, once you step inside. Matthew, one of the two owners is a self-confessed foodie lover and concedes that he has handpicked the menu himself. This seems to have resonated immediately with patrons, as the place has been attracting crowds of all ages day in, day out.
Which brings us to the burger of the week. Just like last year, this summer we toured the whole island, searching for the lambiest burger in Malta. Why? Because this particular flavour of burger could be well seen as the Mediterranean version of the American all-time classic, the Beef burger. And our timely search landed us at Ta Xbiex.
The Lucky Lamb burger is made from 3 main components, the patty, the sauce and the bun. You can’t get more basic than that. The patty is made from 200gr of shoulder & rib cuts. That’s a whole lot of lean Irish meat. The shoulder provides grassiness and plenty of deep lamb flavour. The equivalent of the beef chuck, it’s the best single-cut piece for making patties out of lamb. The meat is worked out in the kitchen making up the thick patty, which is combined with mixed herbs, some onions and red peppers. And here comes one important factor that many lamb burgers fall victim to. They are so jam-packed with spices, aromatics and condiments that they end up tasting like lamb meatloaves! Luckily this is not the case with the Lucky Lamb. Gamey, minerally, sweet and dripping with juice, this lamb is flavorful enough on its own, that there’s no need to add a whole shebang of extras to create a meaty burger experience. The lamb is grilled to order and then oven-baked, resulting in a juicy patty that pleases on all counts. Even at a well-done temperature, it retained the right amount of juice. In terms of texture, the patty is well packed with a charred crust that is very present.
The sauce is mostly yoghurt & dill. This is a classic culinary pair as it goes particularly well with grilled meats, and it’s abundantly spread over the patty. All these combined flavours have been used wisely and craftily, as they build up to an evidently Mediterranean burger. The patty and sauce are held together by a special kind of butter-based bun. Many buns are overly airy and cannot stand up to a hefty sauced-up patty. They break down in the middle of biting actions, and we don’t like that. A butter-based bun is used here, and we must admit that this was a very compelling choice. It has a rich and soft centre, with a hard browned crust. It matches the burger, and the butter adds a brioche-like richness, which contributes to the success of the overall flavour. Baby spinach leaves, onions and tomatoes make up the vegetarian elements of the burger if you ever needed any.
The burger comes with a choice of traditional fries or potato wedges. A very generous portion is an understatement here, but Matthew likes to feed his patrons well. The wedges have a crunchy outer skin which envelopes a soft-cooked potato making them our prefered choice of the day.
Birds of a feather, flock together and we couldn’t ignore the Tapas and pasta on the menu. The Halloumi salad is a tasty option for vegetarians and non because it also works wonders with lamb. It’s made from 3 chunks of grilled halloumi and a considerable salad of cherry and salty sundried tomatoes, lettuce, beetroot and a mix of green leaves. Halloumi is a fresh, semi-firm cheese, traditionally prepared from sheep’s milk in Cyprus. It’s safe for vegetarians who do not consume rennet. Once grilled, the saltiness fades into a robust, savoury bite with a creamy texture that’s a bit akin to a marshmallow! This cheese is crispy and savoury on the outside, and sinfully melted on the inside! It won’t melt totally but develops a crispy crust because the protein bonds are broken before forming into curds.
We also spot lamb rolls in the Tapas section of the menu. These are spiced lamb wrapped in puff pastry with a fig sauce on top. The tender chunks of lamb are spicier than the lamb burger patty in a good way and are covered with a delicately candied sauce that makes the whole roll sweetly biteful. Our verdict? Give us more! The pasta selections lead us to a dish of Tortellacci filled with mushrooms. Tortellacci are a labour of love, customarily formed by hand by grandmothers all over Italy. These stuffed noodles are indulgently filled nutty and earthy porcini with a meatiness in flavour and texture. Indeed, they are small culinary wonders full of gusto. The dish also abounds with a thyme butter sauce and Grana Padano cheese, which infuse the Tortellacci with even more intensely sweet flavour and a tantalizing aroma.
The Lucky Goose has hit a fortuitous start as they have managed to combine quality ingredients to build a new classic standard when it comes to local Lamb burgers. Their lamb offering is a definite crowd-pleasing piece of grilled lamb with no frills and ostentatious condiments. All the thrill is in the meat itself. One final question remains to be answered: Is the Lucky Lamb Burger, the tastiest lamb burger this summer? MALTAburgers say Yes. What about you?
