All is not as it seems

For a story to be a good one, there is a simple rule. It goes: ‘All is not as it seems’. If everything is exactly as it appears, where’s the twist in the tale?

After all, we’re little more than monkeys that can persuade each other via the power of story. Think of the way you’re being manipulated as you read this sentence. You want to know why you’re being manipulated so you’ll read on. Still with me?

If by the end of this story there’s something about the restaurant that piques your interest, you’ll consider paying it a visit. And if you do, from monkey to monkey, I congratulate you. I’d have used my simian appendages to write a story that persuaded you to taste an excellent pizza. And just like that I’ve ruined the punchline.

But all is not as it seems. I was told, quite a while ago, that there was an excellent pizzeria in Ħamrun that’s called Pulcinella. It registered for a moment and then slipped into one of those memory nooks that needs a jolt if it is ever going to see the light of day.

My relationship with Ħamrun is based purely on food. The festa was fun, I must say, but that comes around once a year. In Ħamrun, I get to eat the wonderful fares of Afghan natural, falafel...