After an immensely popular summer menu that set new heights in local cuisine, Executive Chef Victor Borg and his talented kitchen brigade decided to mix things up with a new selection of dishes that showcase the most exquisite colours, aromas, and flavours of autumn’s freshest produce—all in keeping with the restaurant’s proclivity for classic French cuisine with a contemporary twist.
“At Under Grain we love to keep our diners on their toes by changing the items on our menu and introducing new combinations of ingredients ,” explains Chef Victor. “This autumn, our ambition across the entire menu has been to maximise flavour. To achieve this we’ve been experimenting, trying new cooking methods and techniques to really enhance the natural taste of the best seasonal produce available.
“In our caramelised duck dish, for example, we cook white beetroot in clay, which really infuses the vegetable with deep character. This, combined with the sweetness of the pink grapefruit and the richness of the drizzled Rabat honey, makes for a real firecracker of flavours.”
Other highlights on the autumn menu include a slow cooked breast of milk-fed veal with local langoustines, ‘coco’ beans, squash, and coffee as well as an ‘assiette’ of black Angus beef with crushed Jerusalem artichokes and garni Forestiere. The one returning dish from last season is the widely popular tartare of wild sea bass with oyster Chantilly, pickled white radish, and dill oil.
Elsewhere on the menu is the sublime new pasta dish Papiri ‘Genitle Selection.’ This signature concoction of pasta di semola di grano with crispy chicken wings, parmesan, yeast, and raw king oyster mushrooms, forms part of Taste History Meets the Stars. This special gourmet project organised by the Malta Tourism Authority and Heritage Malta set Chef Victor the unique challenge of designing a new dish inspired by Valletta’s history. Delve deeper into the fascinating story behind the dish here.
Under Grain’s autumn à la carte menu is all set to dazzle and delight diners. Peruse the full menu here, take your pick from our show-stopper dishes, and make your reservation at the Michelin-starred Under Grain for an exquisite autumnal dining experience like no other.
Photography by Brian Grech