INTERVIEW
WILL MALTA SHINE IN FINE DINING?
12
Rachel Zammit Cutajar
RACHEL ZAMMIT CUTAJAR SPEAKS TO MICHELIN-STAR CHEF PAOLO BARRALE, WHO WAS IN MALTA COLLABORATING WITH PALAZZO PARISIO’S EXECUTIVE CHEF, CIRO SALATIELLO FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY, ABOUT THE PROSPECTS OF A MALTESE CHEF BECOMING A MICHELIN STAR.
So, what inspired you to take up cooking? Working in food has been a natural progression for me. My parents worked in food retail while I was growing up, running a small artisan pasta shop. I worked here when I was young – more as a form of amusement than to make money – making all types of specialty pasta, from panzerotti to ravioli, tortellini, tagliatelle and more. This gave me a solid foundation, working with my hands, which I would eventually develop into a highly skilled craft.
Over the years the bar of the restaurant scene in Malta has been everincreasing. A more cosmopolitan crowd has seen more specialised restaurants from all over the world mushrooming all over the island – from dumplings to crêpes, tacos to bao buns. However, fine dining in Malta is lacking. Yet to see a single Michelin-starred restaurant, diners still have to go overseas to get a taste of true fine dining. Every now and then, a Michelin-starred chef visits Malta to collaborate with a local restaurant, upping the game in local kitchens and giving local diners a chance to sink their teeth into something a little worthier, as has done Michelin-starred chef Paolo Barrale.
And what made you decide to take it further? I come from Cefalu, Sicily and during the summer seasons I got a job working in the kitchens of Club Med. Until I was 22 or 23 I spent my time juggling jobs at Club Med in Cefalu and Sestriere, working in the family store and attending the hotelier school. Although I loved helping my parents with the shop, I wasn’t interested to take it over so when the time came for them to retire I felt like this was my chance to get out and see the world and develop my skills as a chef.
