REVIEW: Under Grain – one MICHELIN star dining in Valletta

Having dined in over 25 Michelin restaurants across the world from 10EUR ramen joints in Tokyo to three stars’ in London, I can now also say that I have dined in all three of the Michelin-starred restaurants in Malta. The latest one was Under Grain, set within the luxurious walls of hotel Rosselli in Valletta.




Under Grain’s Executive chef Victor Borg has managed to create a fine dining menu using simple ingredients with modern techniques without being too ‘artsy fartsy’ or ‘nouvelle cuisine’ about it. It’s what he combines on the plate that breeds understated creativity.




I always judge a respectable or fine dining restaurant by which kind of bread they serve to start your culinary journey. I inspect the freshness, the type and variety, and if done in the kitchen or bought from a supplier. That, and the butter of choice, are tiny details that are overlooked way too often by establishments and consumers. Not with me.




A piping hot quartered sourdough with a crisp exterior holding a fluffy and moist interior did the trick. This was accompanied by a demi sel butter that was clearly made in-house. Unexpectedly, this was paired by two golden fried Cantabarian anchovy fritters.




Individually, the beautifully-presented Snacks were simple yet packed a punch. However I did feel that there were too many of them, and as most were carb or cheese based, they were a bit too filling for ‘a whet your appetite’ start, especially following bread and a fried (yet refined) amuse bouche.






The aforementioned snacks included a shot glass filled with a luxuriously thick but silky cauliflower soup (which warmed the cockles of my heart), a moreish duo of flakey bacon straws, surprisingly airy muffin-shaped cheese puffs with black truffles, and a squid ink sable with a mussel emulsion.




A delicate and slightly creamy tartare of wild sea bass topped with a golden battered oyster hid under a scalloped pickled white radish ‘tower’.




The crunch of the oyster, the crispiness of the radish and the velvety yet firmness of the fish proved to be a scintillating combination of contrasting textures. The drizzle of dill oil added a pleasant herby touch without overwhelming.




I wasn’t really impressed when the Ravioli of Scottish Scallops presented itself on the table. I thought the dish would have a tiny amount of actual caviar and not heavily topped with caviar pearls, and all in all I was unimpressed by the presentation. However, one thing I do know is not to judge a book by its cover.  The dish might not have been aesthetically-pleasing (to me) but it definitely was pleasing to my palate.

Respectably, a floral-shaped trio of thin yet firm pasta were generously plumped with perfectly-cooked Scottish scallops.

The potentially fishy potency was kept in check by the earthiness of the smooth sage beurre blanc. Less of the caviar pearls would have sufficed and would have decreased the unnecessary sharpness of the dish. Overall, it was a well accomplished plate of pasta.




The slow-cooked breast of milk-fed veal with local langoustines, ‘Coco’ beans, squash and coffee is really where the creativity, talent and competence of the kitchen were showcased and put in motion.

Texturally playful and a symphony of contrasting flavours are statements which can be used to describe this dish. Think of it as the elements on a plate. Water and air (langoustine foam), earth (the veal, coco beans and pumpkin seeds), and let me just say fire because the dish came piping hot (nice save).




As much as I was tempted by many of the desserts on offer, offer me a French cheese platter and that will always prevail. I have had the cheese platter offering at Grain so I already knew the quality of what to expect and there was no way I would have passed up the opportunity.




Overall, Under Grain has managed to gain a Michelin star after only five months of opening, that is commendable and speaks volumes. They have also just won ‘Best Restaurant of 2020’  at the World Culinary Awards. Victor Borg has a great passion and an impressive international culinary background which he is sharing in the local fine dining scene.

Under Grain is currently doing a mid-week culinary offer on Wednesdays and Thursdays which includes a tasting menu for two with wine pairing, a taxi service to and from the restaurant. 

Under Grain
167 Merchants Street
Valletta
Website