It was two hours into his first shift at Fernandõ Gastrotheque when Head Chef Kurt Micallef received a call informing him that the restaurant had been awarded a coveted Michelin Star. It was a call that would set the bar high for his new role, and a challenge he would need to rise to.

That was almost a year ago, and since then, it’s been all systems go – not just to make the grade but continue to raise the bar. And while he admits to feeling the heat, it certainly wasn’t anything new for the celebrated chef, who’s accustomed to the high-pressure environment of the fine dining kitchen.

“I was 22 when I started cooking,” explains Kurt, who followed his studies at renowned culinary school Le Cordon Bleu with stints at Michelin-starred restaurants in London and Belgium, as well as a slew of Malta’s top kitchens.

Discussing the responsibility and challenges of working in a restaurant in its first year as a Michelin starred restaurant, Kurt makes no qualms: “It’s a big responsibility. When I received that phone call, it put a big pressure on my shoulders from day one.” 

“The first three months were a rollercoaster, as the restaurant got really busy once the star was announced, so I didn’t have much opportunity for testing – I had to dive right in and get it done! We had to adapt quickly, and I needed to lead a new team which I’d not worked with before,” he continues. “Technically speaking, the star is not mine, but I need to live up to the expectations until this year’s Michelin Guide,” he says, humbly.

Today, his kitchen brigade is a multicultural bunch and includes a young Gozitan sous chef who Kurt calls his “right-hand man”, as well as chefs hailing from Hungary and Brazil. “We are a young team working out of a small restaurant with high ambitions,” he smiles.

After the initial rush of those early months, Kurt set about working on new dishes and really putting his stamp on the food, helped by sous chef George, and today, the team functions in a way the chef is truly proud of. “I’m not the type of person to stay quiet – I like to keep everyone on their toes,” he chuckles.

“It is a small restaurant of 24 covers, and we are a team of five people in the kitchen and five on the floor. We come in everyday and give our 100 per cent, trying to craft a different experience from what is on the market, to keep things interesting for our clients as well as ourselves,” the chef says, revealing that he changes the menu every three months, and makes regular tweaks throughout that time to continually improve. 

Looking towards the future, Kurt’s plans for the kitchen at Fernandõ Gastrotheque include building on the strong foundation he’s spent his first year crafting and continuing to improve every person in the team – both at the front and back of house. 

“My goal is to show up every day and outdo the previous day, and this is the same ethos I relay to my co-workers. We have laid a strong foundation this year, so it is now about improving on it,” he maintains, noting that while he is always excited about trying new things, his journey has also led him to realise that sometimes, it’s more about recognizing what works, and improving on that. 

In fact, apart from introducing new dishes and flavours, Kurt reveals, “there are some dishes that our diners have really enjoyed over this past year which will be making a comeback, only ever more elevated.”

Making a final observation on his food, the chef maintains, “my style is that I don’t really have a style. I’m trained in classical French cuisine, but I’ve since made it my own. I still believe firmly in the classics as these are my foundation, but I’m inspired by everything, especially my travels,” hinting that his cuisine will most likely feature more Asian influences following an upcoming trip to Japan later this year.

And there you have it – from redefining the classics to a Japanese infusion, it certainly seems like 2024 is going to be one to watch for Kurt and his team at Fernandõ Gastrotheque!