Friday 29 March 2024

New Executive chef for the Villa Brasserie

Award-winning chef Mark Gauci has joined The Villa Brasserie in Balluta as executive chef, marking an exciting new phase for this popular venue.

Mark who has over 20 years’ experience, spent some time working there a year ago and there was such an immediate synergy between him and chef patron Chris Hammett that his eventual return was the obvious solution as the workload increased.

Both Mark and Chris have worked in top restaurants abroad – most notably Marco Pierre White’s The Restaurant and the Galvin Brothes’ Galvins Bistrot de Luxe, respectively. They have the same passion for top ingredients with a careful blend of flavours, as we well as a respect for the importance of personalized service, an unforgettable ambiance and excellent value for money.

In the four years since Chris took over The Villa as chef patron, the restaurant, housed in a  19th century villa with stunning views, has moved steadily up the rankings and has made a name for itself as an innovative and reliable venue for everything from corporate launches and cutting edge parties to themed dinners and romantic weddings.

“Although he still has a great influence on the cuisine, Chris will leave the kitchen in my hands so that he can concentrate on the rest of the operations of this venue which offers indoor and outdoor dining, a cocktail lounge and separate area for events,” says Mark.

On his part Chris says, “I would not have been able to hand over the kitchen to anyone else. Mark has already come up with our winter menu, keeping the basic concepts of our menu but adding his own personal touch to give it an exciting new twist. There will be more local and organic food and he is already checking out the farmers’ markets for the freshest ingredients. He is also preparing a round of training for the staff to explain what he is trying to achieve and to ensure consistency in our future menus which we like to keep seasonal and change every three months.”

The signature dishes of the new menu include a twice baked goat’s cheese souffle’, duck breast with a surprising combination of garnishes and a chocolate truffle cake.

Check out the new menu on the Villa Brasserie Facebook page and at www.thevillamalta.com.

 

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