Award-winning Tim Butler was recently in Malta for a series of charity dinners at Verdala Palace – and it’s not long till his permanent Valletta restaurant opens its doors.
Malta has become a foodie destination in its own right. From the many fabulous eateries that sit side-by-side along Valletta’s main thoroughfares, to the chic restaurants by the sea in St Julian’s, Marsaxlokk and over on Gozo, there really is no reason not to eat well during your time on the island.
But, of course, there’s always room to up our game even further – and that’s where chef Tim Butler comes in. Considered among Asia’s master-chefs (he is the mind behind Eat Me! and Esenzi in Thailand), Tim has been cooking up a storm in one of Malta’s most beautiful destinations – Verdala Palace, in Buskett – quickly proving that he didn’t make it to Asia’s Top 50 Restaurants list for nothing.
“We wanted to create a high-end pop-up concept that raised money for charity,” Tim explains. “So that’s exactly what we did, and we raised over €100,000 across 21 dinners in June for the Malta Community Chest Fund.”
Now, Tim is turning his sights to his next Maltese milestone – the local opening of Esenzi, within the upcoming Iniala Hotel, which will be located along the beautiful St Barbara Bastions in Valletta. The hotel is the vision of international entrepreneur Mark Weingard, the man behind the Iniala hotel in Thailand and local foodie experience Dinner in the Sky. This new restaurant will be a partnership between Mark and Tim.
“I have been getting to know Malta better in the months since I started coming here to work with Mark on what we wanted to achieve with our local branch of Ezenzi,” Tim continues. “Even in that time I have seen that huge strides have been taken in the food scene – both in Valletta and Malta in general. Many dynamic places have opened up – Noni, 59 Republic and Artilgio, as well as other places in the Gut and on Strait Street. It’s an exciting time. I have also really enjoyed working with some up-and-coming local chefs on our pop-up and the results were very positive.”
With all of that in mind, Tim recommends trying to get to know Maltese food during your stay here. “There are some fabulous ingredients to try – rabbit, red prawns, scorpion fish, potatoes, herbs, olive oil and sea salt have been delicious. The local wine is good too. My recommendation would be to put your map away and just wander the backstreets to find little restaurants, art galleries and bars. That’s definitely the Malta I have fallen in love with.”
Finally, I ask Tim how he would spend his ideal day in Malta. “At sea!” he grins. “Swimming, drinking, eating, sightseeing and fishing. I really like this island.”