Dilip Kuner
THE sheer amount of restaurants along Mijas Costa makes it appear that hungry diners are spoilt for choice.
To a certain extent, this is very true.
But when it comes to establishments that can tick the three boxes of remarkable quality of their food, excellent service and great location, the choice becomes rather more limited. This is where Max Beach comes in. Its prominent beachside location in Riviera, with access straight from the paseo walkway that wends its way along the coast, offers excellent views, the meals are top-notch and the efficient staff are all too eager to help without being too obtrusive.
What more could you want? You won’t know the answer until you pay Max Beach a visit. Last summer it offered an excellent Asian-themed menu combined with European favourites. While it still has a good helping of Asian cuisine, the latest offering has swung back to a more European theme with American influences.
The grill menu makes full use of the Josper Grill – for those not in the know a Josper oven is charcoal fired to impart a smoky flavour at an intense heat that produces excellent results unmatchable at home.
Stand-out dishes from the grill include wagyu beef entrecote, wagyu beef côte de bœuf to share and whole grilled turbot, also to share.
The restaurant itself has a laid-back Boho themed vibe, whether inside or on the comfortable terraces.
The food did not disappoint. My wife Sandra tucked into a duo of lobster tacos to start. These were little packs of flavour, with the seasoning just right to give a boost without overpowering the delicate meat.
My soft shell crab tempura was perfectly cooked – a crispy, light, batter encasing a delicately flavoursome filling. The jalapeno dressing gave just enough of a kick to bring added interest to the palate.
Sandra followed with a herb-encrusted and cooked-to-perfection rack of lamb – blushingly pink on the inside and smokily grilled on the outside. Personally, I felt the crust was a bit too herby, but it was simple enough to avoid and take just enough to complement the meat.
I opted for the Korean barbecued chicken, served with beautifully delicate pickled cucumber. It is all too easy to overpower the flavour of chicken with barbeque sauce – a trap not fallen into by the chefs.
Last time we visited Max Beach we skipped dessert, tempting as they were, and walked the meal off along the promenade. This time round we did not deprive ourselves!
Sandra was tempted by the chocolate and pistachio cake, which was made up of layers of chocolate mousse, crunchy biscuit and a fluffy pistachio genoise.
I opted for the red berry baked cheesecake, which was a delight. Light and creamy, it was neither too tart, nor too sweet and was the perfect finale to a memorable dinner.
CTRA. A7, KM 198.1
URB RIVIERA DEL SOL
PARCELA PLAYA MAX BEACH
29649 MIJAS COSTA
TEL: 952 930 858
