I am sure you guys have already heard about the new concept called Plait, Malta’s first subscription box. Being launched only this June, Plait promises to become a truly successful and locally popular trend!

I find the idea of subscription boxes particularly interesting. Although I do enjoy choosing products myself, sometimes I just don’t have enough time on my hands to do so. Plus, I am eager to try new things, of course. Therefore, subscribing to a monthly or even weekly box means convenience, as it is delivered straight to your door with a variety of carefully selected and hand-picked items. Without doubts, you also have to be sure in the quality of goods that are included in the box.

The concept of subscription boxes is totally new to Malta, while it is well-known and practiced around the world, especially across big cities, like London. Therefore, this business phenomenon has been receiving a lot of attention since it has appeared on the local market.

When I got to know about Plait, I headed over their website, which is very simple to use, yet informative and organised in the most clear and straightforward manner. In a nutshell, there are 4 distinct types of subscription boxes that Plait offers: organic produce, wine, beer and Maltese foods.

With the thought of supporting the local produce, the founders of Plait have created an organic crate with locally produced, pesticide-free vegetables delivered door-to-door up to once a week. Isn’t this amazing? If you have been following my blog for some time, you should know how much I am after the local and everything that follow a farm-to-table approach.

In addition to the organic produce, there is a food crate that was created for those, who are nostalgic of Maltese products. I find this idea particularly lovely – what can be a better cure for homesickness for those Maltese living abroad than the traditional food?

There is also a wine crate that is updated monthly that could be delivered in the box of 3, 6 or 12 and you have an option of choosing some exclusive wines. These are not just any types of wine but sommelier-selected ones. As explained by Daniel Fenech, the co-founder of Plait, the idea behind this is to introduce the customers to new unique wines, even some hidden gems, instead of offering what is already known and common.

And finally, Plait also offers a beer crate, which has the same ideology – only the exclusive and rare types of beverages that cannot be easily accessible from the local outlets. These are mostly exported from small breweries of Belgium, rising stars of the market.

When browsing these Plaits, we decided to go for the last one. Though I’m not a beer enthusiast myself, I was still curious to try what Plait has to offer – especially when I happened to have a selection of Belgian cheese that could be a perfect match for the beer. Hence, I figured that it was a time for a beer party!

So, I gathered a small crowd and prepared some snacks for the beer tasting. Well, yes… If you are organising a proper tasting, then you are not supposed to serve things like salty crisps, meat or cheese but only a plain bread or unsalted crackers. At the same time, you don’t want to leave the crowd hungry – and that’s what I did. As for the comments, I prepared a tasting grid for my guests to make some notes about the appearance, aroma, flavour, finish, body of each beer etc., as well as a small memo on how to taste the beer.

Before we started our beer tasting session, I had noticed that the Plait’s package quality was a nice and satisfying start itself. Made from high quality cardboard and designed in a minimalist style, this box will definitely be reused in my house!

In total, we tried 12 types of beers. There were 5 beers from June crate

1. Vedett IPA
2. De Koninck Wild Jo
3. Celis White
4. Chimay Blue
5. La Trappe Trappist Tripel

And 6 beers from July crate, which we had an exclusive opportunity to try on the same day.

1. Liefmanns Kriek
2. La Chouffe Sobeil
3. Chimay White
4. Bornem blonde
5. Westmalle dubbel
6. Augustjn
   

We had so much fun tasting all these beers even without the special beer glasses! All of us was very serious about this…We started from mildest moving to the strongest ones. We studied the beer, described its head (foam), as well as the colour and the clarity. Then we studied the “lace”, which refers to the traces left by foam.

Super serious study. Look at my crew.

We swirled the glasses, brought them up to our noses and then inhaled detecting the aroma of each beer. Swirled them again, took sips and finally described the flavours, whether they were long or short. We determined the body of the beer – was it velvety and thick or light and thin.

Last point but most important one was whether we liked it or not. I think I will not stress you out with the description of each type of beer we tried during our tasting session. I am positive that you should order this Plait and try it yourself! Studying the notes of my lovely friends, I figured out that our favourites were VEDETT IPA, DE KONINK WILD JO and BOULEVARD – THE CALLING.

Most importantly, we were very satisfied with what we got because the guys from Plait chose some really interesting beers that would not normally be found in supermarkets.

In conclusion, I would like to wish a big success and brilliant achievements to Daniel Fenech and Daniel Zammit. Let Plait prosper and surprise us with new crates in the future!

Special thanks to Aygul Yunusova for help and Luke Azzopardi for photos of my crew.

Radishes cooked in smoked butter, charred leeks, pickled mustard seeds, fermented radish, sauce made from dried ham

I like getting to know new people, especially chefs; their ability to turn the simplest ingredients into complex, layered dishes is truly inspirational. For me, this kind of knowledge is almost sacred. There’s nothing more enjoyable than meeting people who have a passion for food, who are continuously searching for the best flavour combinations and ways to take their ingredients to the next level.

When I first came across Kurt’s profile on a social network, his plating and choice of ingredients immediately caught my eye. Obviously, I had to start following him. After enjoying several his posts, I finally had the opportunity to visit him and find out what makes him tick.

Even though he initially veered away from local cuisine when he started cooking, this talented young chef eventually found his identity in Maltese food. Inspired by his grandmother’s recipes, Kurt went back to his roots and decided to shake them up a little, reinventing traditional Maltese dishes using locally produced, seasonal ingredients. What’s more, he uses different cooking techniques from around the world to really give his local dishes some global flair.

“At the beginning of summer, I got some baby figs and I took inspiration from a Japanese fermented plum. Really salty and fruity at the same time. So I did something similar with those baby figs and it turned out really great!” I can’t think of a better way to summarize Kurt’s creative approach to food- he’s already done it for me!

I strongly believe that Kurt’s approach should be encouraged more: reinventing, developing and improving Malta’s great local produce in order to truly bring out the best of what this island has to offer gastronomically. This is a story of a local chef, Kurt Micallef, who makes use of established recipes in a modern way; who searches and finds a balance between tradition and creativity. Getting to know about Kurt and his culinary vision was a truly fascinating experience, which I am happy to write about today. Currently working at The Arches restaurant, Kurt gladly shared his story with me, talked about his inspiration and plans for the future, as well as some predictions for the local food scene.

Like most teenagers finishing school at the age of sixteen, Kurt was forced to make some serious decisions about his next steps into the world. Though he always knew he wanted to be involved in the catering industry, spending 4 years studying at the Institute of Tourism Studies in Malta sounded less than appealing to a teenager. Instead, Kurt decided to start working at the Westin Dragonara Hotel as a purchasing manager. He spent the next four years gaining on-the-job experience, meeting chefs and becoming familiar with the food and hospitality business. Even though the easy routine of this 9-to-5 office job was comforting, his mind was made up: he wanted to become a chef.

Not one to do things by halves, Kurt left Malta and enrolled in a nine-month course at one of the best European cooking schools: Le Cordon Bleu in London.

“Everybody was telling me not to do it. Everybody knows that kitchen jobs don’t get paid well. You really need to struggle for the first ten years of your career and reach a higher level,” Kurt recalls- but it wasn’t enough to put him off his dream. Despite the warnings from his family and friends, he successfully finished his studies, mentored by a former sous chef to Alain Ducasse, and completed his training at L’Autre Pied, Marylebone.

Talking about his career experience, Kurt strongly emphasised the impactful value of training gained at In De Wulf, the Michelin star restaurant owned by Kobe Desramaults in Dranouter, Belgium. The restaurant focused on high-end food, using local produce from the neighbouring village, and that is precisely what caught Kurt’s attention and influenced him the most. In De Wulf offered an old-style cooking presented in a modern way- that same balance between tradition and creativity that Kurt now strives for in his work. Achieving this balance isn’t as straightforward as it might seem; one has to keep it as simple and classic as possible, building the dish around a couple of main ingredients, yet keeping the flavours that patrons are familiar with.

“It is easy to get misled today”, Kurt argues. The food industry is developing at an enormous speed and people are being influenced by social media and new trends, which makes it harder to sustain one’s personal identity.

Kurt has found his identity in Maltese cuisine, which he also calls his heritage.

“It makes sense”, he says, “there is a foundation that you can build on, rather than starting something completely new”. Being inspired by his grandmother, Kurt tries to make her recipes lighter and more “restaurant-friendly”. Essentially, he deconstructs the traditional plates, taking the dishes and giving them a modern twist, while trying, as much as possible, to retain the classic elements.

“In Malta it’s difficult to make people eat something if they don’t know what it is. In general, they are not that adventurous when it comes to food. You give them something they can relate to, like a local dish or a childhood memory.”, explains Kurt.

When reinventing Maltese dishes, Kurt uses seasonal ingredients that are produced locally and, fortunately, Malta is rich with seafood and vegetable varieties. Although the food scene in Malta is experiencing a steady improvement nowadays, things may not be moving as quickly as they seem.

“There are not a lot of local producers pushing it forward. Unfortunately, there are only a couple of guys who try to introduce new varieties of vegetables and herbs”, says Kurt. He argues that schools should introduce food education in their curriculum, at least to teach children about where certain ingredients come from. “One time I met this guy in the restaurant and he was surprised to find out that chips come from potatoes”, he laughs.

When creating his dishes, Kurt tries to keep them as natural and as classic as possible.

“I try to find two ingredients that go really well together. I want to bring something that people might be familiar with and at the same time unfamiliar, but nothing completely crazy”, he says.

When cooking for a group of people or friends, Kurt carefully considers their allergies and taste preferences. “I usually focus my meal around six dishes. I start with a couple of snacks, the first bite that wakes you up. Usually it’s something acidic. Then I drop it down a bit, like a vegetable course or fish, to keep it light. Then follow it up with some meat, game birds maybe, smoke…” It’s clear from the way he speaks that coming up with his menus is a particularly passionate subject for Kurt- “That’s the interesting thing. You can’t keep it one note, that’s the beauty of the tasting menu. You have different dishes. I don’t believe that you should have five senses in one dish. If you a have a tasting menu with all that in one course, it’s going to be too much. When I do the desserts, I do two usually – first of all, I always do a fruit desert, right after the main, something fresh and light. Then I do something a bit more powerful.”

The conversation took a decidedly futuristic turn as we discussed the possible forecast for the food world in general, as well as the local food scene. In Kurt’s opinion, the Maltese food scene is improving at a steady rate.

“The younger generations opening up new places, perhaps even casual ones, the food truck revolution that we are currently witnessing in Malta are proof that changes are taking place in the local food industry,” argues Kurt. He also thinks that South American and Asian food-related movements are going to experience a boom in the very near future.

Having said that, I couldn’t agree with him more when he expressed his concerns regarding other important issues: “We have to adjust food waste soon and be sustainable, support local producers, take care of the environment.”

Kurt argues that we should use not only prime cuts of meat but others too: the internal parts of the animal, for instance, which are not that popular today “They are very tasty if you prepare them right. It needs a little bit more work, but the final product is amazing. I’d rather have that than a prime cut. I don’t find it interesting”. 

When it comes to fish – “Recently I’ve tried a new fish, it’s called Rosette in Maltese. Small fish. Delicious. One of the best fish I’ve ever tried. You have to look for and try new things. When it comes to fish, you should use local fish. Even though it’s expensive, the taste is far better…”

Foraging is another thing which Kurt appreciates a lot. Three times a month he meets up with his friend, who is something of an expert in the field and they search for fresh ingredients. “I was one of those people who was sceptical that mushrooms grow in Malta, but last year we gathered 20 kilos of mushrooms”.

Kurt’s dream is to open his own restaurant, offering a delectable tasting menu to its customers. Meanwhile, he is working diligently towards making his dream come true, gathering feedback from his clients and friends. All I know for certain is that we’ll hear about Kurt’s success in the nearest future. I wish him all the best of luck with his bright career!

Seems like the army of Terrone’s fans is growing bigger and bigger with every day. I’m so glad to receive a lot of positive feedback about this place from you guys! And I am even more glad that some of you have visited this place for the first time after reading the article on my blog!

This is why I felt it would be interesting to introduce you to the owner of this restaurant, Adrian Hili, as an addition to the restaurant review post. You also will find a featured recipe by him in the following post, a really easy to make and delicious fish. Keep on reading!

Tell me about your career path. How did it all get started?

From the young age, I was always encouraged to get into the kitchen with my parents. I grew up in Australia, where quite regularly we used to have people coming to visit us, especially on Sundays for lunch. So, I was used to help my parents in the kitchen, podding broad beans or cleaning fish, cooking something with my dad. My dad was the one, who had and still has that passion for cooking. He was the one who inspired me to get into the kitchen, always encouraging to try new things and new ingredients. Then I had love for the sea and interest in the seafood that inspired me to get into the restaurant business. Professionally I’ve started with a part-time at my uncle’s restaurant on Amalfi Coast in Italy back when I was 16 or 17 years old. He had a pizzeria attached to the restaurant and basically I used to help my uncle there and eventually developed an interest in pizza, which sort of developed into other things. I worked in several kitchens in Australia, I also worked at front-house and managed a couple of restaurants for the next 7 or 8 years. When I came back to Europe, I decided to stay in London, where I developed an interest in regional, real food. Six and a half years in River café in London gave me a lot of insights, and I think I learned more during that time than during the previous twenty-five years of my life. We used to do two menus a day, every day the menu was used to change twice.

So that’s what inspired you to come up with a new menu on a daily basis for your own restaurant, isn’t it?

Definitely. It inspired me to be fully immersed in what I do as well. It’s not just a job, it’s passion, it’s a way of life.

Do you prepare a menu a night before?

I start thinking about it a night before. 20-25 % of what I include in my menu depends on the available ingredients. Sometimes I do the reprint, if something finishes, or something new comes in.

What about the breakfast menu? Do you also change it every day?

No, that’s seasonal.

Is this new concept of yours becoming popular?

We did our first week quite successfully – we had thirty covers on Saturday, maybe a bit more on Sunday.

What it your favourite cuisine?

It’s a difficult question. I love rustic Southern Italian food but I also love North-African food, Middle Eastern food, Asian, Thai… It’s fantastic! I love food that is vibrant and colourful but, at the same time, it’s fascinating to have a few very simple ingredients bind to make something delicious. The food is not just about the taste, it’s also about your eyes, all the senses.

Were you training in Australia?

Yes, I studied at University for Business Management majoring in Hospitality. I did the first two years in Australia, Brisbane, then I dropped out and I moved into the state and that’s when I started real cooking. I finished my University Degree in London three years later.

Was it difficult?

I don’t think so. For me Business Degree is common sense. If you show an interest in something – it’s not difficult. Hospitality was something I always liked and was very interested about.

How and why did you open Terrone?

When working at River café in London for six and a half years, it was getting to the point when I wanted to do something on my own. My own menu, my own staff, my own influence, place and it just didn’t feel good doing it in London, as well as I didn’t want to get back to Australia, as it was too far away for me. I have family here and I like Malta. I talked about moving to Malta with my dad and we decided to have a look at it. My uncle helped me to find a place for the restaurant and after a month of negotiation with the landlord, we concluded the deal and opened Terrone in two months. This place was completely different from what you see right now. There was no deck in the front. I expanded everything out here and designed pretty much everything myself.

What are your future plans for your restaurant?

Keep going, working and taking every day as it comes. Running a new menu every day. I’m really happy about how far we came in these two years. And I just want to keep on improving every day, keep on bringing the best produce, developing interesting and exciting menus every day, fill the place every day, breakfasts and weekends. That would be ideal for me.

What kind of food does your restaurant serve?

Rustic Southern Mediterranean food would be my definition. It’s about simplicity. It’s always about the couple of ingredients making something fantastic and it’s always about using what’s in season.

Where do you get your ingredients from?

I get them from all over. I mean mostly I’m getting them from Malta. I get fresh products at my door step. There are three ways I get my greens. I have a couple of farmers. One farmer, who brings me spinach, ruccola, parsley and these kind of greens, my bulky greens, as I call them. I have another farmer, who brings my salads, my microgreens, he’s literally a kilometer away. Fantastic stuff. And then I have a farmer who supplies me with my core vegetables – zucchini, aubergines, peppers. As much as I can, I buy everything local. If I have to, I go somewhere in Italy. Some of the vongole and mussels we get from Puglia or Sicily.

How do you choose your suppliers?

I will always pay for a better quality. If two people have the same product but one has it more expensive but with better quality, I’ll go for that one. I need to find a balance between the quality and cost effectiveness.

What do you consider the best dish on your menu?

One of my favourite dishes is baby cuttlefish because it triggers all the senses that I’ve spoken about before. I’ve learned this dish from someone else, it’s not something that I’ve created myself. In order to create a new dish, one has to create a new ingredient. It’s nice to look at and tastes and smells amazing; it has a lot of different textures.

What would be your tips for running a successful restaurant?

Working for yourself. At least for the first 2-4 years have enough money to pay for everything yourself.

What are the main factors that differentiate restaurant business in Malta from other countries you have worked in?

I think every clientele in any country has its own set of attributes. So, first you need to understand the market. I think Malta’s food scene is still developing in a way. Malta has the best raw produce in the world, not just in Europe. Malta has fantastic vegetables, amazing seafood – our fish is fantastic. I’ve noticed that there has been an improvement in the local restaurant industry in the last two years, yet there are more things to work on, educate the people regarding the food. I want people to enjoy and eat well, enjoy the food and the atmosphere.

Hany Harb is one of the most inspiring people I’ve met in Malta. He is not only one of the most successful local chefs, an owner of outstanding restaurant, Ali Baba, but also a great businessman, a big dreamer, a loving husband and a caring father.

There are three ingredients that define a really good restaurant, namely, the quality of the products, service and wine. Ali Baba, without doubts, has all of them. Besides, after talking to Hany I realized the incredible amount of work, energy and passion that lies behind the success of his restaurant. It was my pleasure to listen to his story and find out about his plans. So there it is, the first exclusive post that falls under ‘people’ section of my blog!

A: What would you consider as the key ingredient to Ali Baba’s success?

H: After 28 years Ali Baba’s key to success is consistency, the quality of the product and hospitality. That’s why the clients keep coming back.

A: What are your day-to-day responsibilities as a restaurant owner?

H: My day is very long. I wake up in the morning and, first of all, I visit my suppliers and purchase the ingredients I need. Then I come to the restaurant, start the preparation of the main dishes. Then during lunch time, I come out to greet people because they got used to it… instead of saying “we’re coming to Ali Baba”, they say “we’re going to Hany”. (smiles) So I greet them, let them sit down and start serving. Again, all the way till the evening. Plus, when I go home, I relax, do my research, read a lot of cookery books, and come up with ideas for new dishes.

A: So where do you get your inspiration from?

H: I get my inspiration mostly from my parents. First of all, from my mother. Plus, my father – I got the charm of hospitality from my father. And yes, I have a couple of chefs which I admire, like Paul Bocuse.

A: What have influenced you to rejoin the family business after being on your own for quite some time?

H: It took me so long to decide. Back in time, I used to study for B commerce, but then I felt it wasn’t my line. My father had a restaurant, I used to come and help him, even though I had no experience in catering at all. So, I started from the bottom, and then slowly I was getting promotions. I learned everything from my father. However, then I realized that I still lack experience, so decided to go to ITS, where studied there for three years as part time, while working full time with my father and in other restaurants. I also travelled and I did a long tour at Michelin star restaurants, paying money to get in there without being payed at all and working very long hours to learn. And then one fine day I came back and rejoined the family business, created the menu and the wine list in two years.

A: As a successful restaurant owner, how important it to have the actual experience in every aspect of the restaurant?

H: It is very important. If you don’t start from the bottom, you don’t know what’s going on. If you want to be successful, you have to work in every field of your business. If you want to be successful in a restaurant industry, you have to be working in many places and learn how to deal with people. You have to work in hotels, as well, they will teach you systematics. Plus, to succeed you have to love food, wine and people. You don’t love these three, you won’t succeed.

A: How do you select what makes the menu?

H: That’s a very big challenge. We select the menu every six months. I go back to old recipes. Then we select the ingredients, we find the suppliers. Depends on the season. I support the local supply 100% when I can but it’s very limited. So, some of the ingredients we get from abroad, some from Lebanon, from Arabic countries, or any European country that has this supply. We start complying the menu, then we have meetings with the chefs, I like when they also come up with ideas, I allow them to be creative. Then we start complying the menu. We use mainly seasonal ingredients, at least we try to.

A: But there probably are some dishes in the menu that are always there and you keep them all year round?

H: Yes, those are the classics and the family recipes, such as lamb arayes, lamb cutlets, lamb tongues and veal brains. Although we do seafood, we do fish, langoustines and caviar, it depends. The cutlets, the lamb, the chicken liver, the tongues – these dishes are repertoire.

A: It’s easy to notice that you pay special attention to your wine list as well. How do you choose your wine? Which wine matches with Lebanese dishes?

H: I give attention to my wine list because I love wine. A wine list is another important list to a restaurant. It’s not just a cart, it’s not just a menu, it is a wine list because people who come to a good restaurant are people, they expect you to have a good wine list. I also like to taste new wines, I like to add new wines, strange wines, and I like to match them with the food. As you’ve seen from our selection, I don’t like to choose cheap wines, I like good wines, and we do have a list of very expensive wines. Plus, making the staff taste the wine is important because if I am not around, they have to know what you want. They have to read your mind. We do sometimes have people who ask us for food and wine, so that we pair it. And we do events sometimes like ‘wine and dine’, we do it in winter. Next winter we will have one, which will be based on 8-9 course meal, plus wines, we will start with sparkling wine, then we’ll go to sweet wine.

A: About the events. You also do outside catering? What kind of events do you usually take care of?

H: We have been doing every type of outside catering, started back in 1988. We used to supply the mosque; we used to supply the prison, during Ramadan period. Then I updated it, now we supply super yachts in summer, 2 big companies, with anything they want: starting from normal ingredients to complex ones, whether its canapé whether it’s a sit-down meal – whatever they like but everything of a high quality. Anything that is not quality we don’t do. We offer private home cooking; we do weddings as well.

A: I got to know that if you would be about to open another Ali Baba, it would be in London. Could you tell me more about it?

H: I’m going to answer your question but I’m not going to go into much detail. (smiles) We are going to open another restaurant in London, which will hopefully be not later than end of 2017. My dream was to have a chain of restaurants, a chain of 6-7 good quality restaurants. This one is going to be a Lebanese restaurant similar to Ali Baba but slightly bigger, maybe 80 to 100 covers, a bigger kitchen, it will be more up-market than Ali Baba, so we will be targeting for high-end.

A: Tell me about your dream.

H: When I was young I always had a dream, I always wanted to be famous. Famous in the sense of not being an actor, in the sense of being someone I really want to be. I am a person who likes challenges all the time. I want everything new. I like to come up with new concepts. So, my idea was to start with Malta and go up to best cities in the world. My next step is London, after I’ll be targeting other cities.

A: So what would be your professional advice for a successful restaurant in Malta?

H: It’s easy but you have to keep up with it. As I mentioned before, when you open a restaurant and you target the market, it’s important to know which market you want – low market or up market. Going up is hard, staying at the top is even harder. So, my advice is if you start off good, remain good. Don’t change the quality of the food, don’t change the quality of the service. Consistency and hospitality are important. Unfortunately, we still lack hospitality in Malta.

A: How do you choose your people?

H: It’s one of the biggest challenges. My wife does the HR, while I do the training. People that want to work in this little but special place have to learn the rules. The client is a king. The fundamental rule is to make sure that the client goes home with a thought of a memorable evening.

A: Last question will be about your cook book. Would you tell us about it, please?

H: I’ve been working on this book for 3-4 years, I’m going to make it in 3 volumes. It’s going to be mezze, main course and desert. There’s going to be 70 to 90 recipes in each book. And, hopefully, when I finish it, it will be published. I don’t know when exactly, I don’t have a date for it but I already have 45 recipes in it.

Photography by Maria Shebets

Interview by Aygul Yunusova