Grain by Grain: the Destiny of Executive Chef Victor Borg
Malta voted No. 1 Readers’ Choice as Best European Destination
November 20, 2022
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November 23, 2022Going about a Chef’s interview, for me, is always a little bit intimidating. Truth be told, I’d much rather speak to the masterminds of a kitchen than a performer on a stage, a bold leader or a creative in their exhibition space. Perhaps that’s because my view of a Chef is a combination of all these vibrant qualities; and Executive Chef Victor Borg is one of those masterminds whose work in the kitchen resonates with the passions of the industry.
The recipe for an excellent Chef is unique. Much like the signature dishes that chefs develop through the years, their characters, principles and aspirations for their trade are moulded out of the experiences and lessons taught.
But one common ingredient, that I find essential to the recipe, is grit. Defining a Chef’s success by that pluck of courage is how the industry evaluates the character of a professional kitchen. A display that is entirely apparent when tasting menus are composed, dessert menus updated or wine pairings are reviewed; a process where character, opinion and taste are all laid down for judgement by its diner. Grain by grain, the character of a Chef comes together.
Character is built through experience and Victor Borg’s extensive portfolio of accomplishments has led him to Grain, the AX Hotels dining experience housed in the 5-star luxury boutique hotel Rosselli AX Privilege, Valletta.
Highlighted through Under Grain and Grain Street, Chef Victor’s kitchen was bold and tenacious enough to get two worthy stamps of approval from the MICHELIN Guide; a Bib Gourmand for Grain Street and a One MICHELIN Star for Under Grain. But to get all the way to the glamour of the Guide, there needs to be grit in your past.
Learning your trade young gives you the time to add embellishments to your art and for Chef Victor this started at the tender age of 15, when a summer job at the Dragonara Hotel paved the way for professional training at ITS - where the grains of Chef Victor Borg start to sprout.
“Enrolling in ITS in its second year of opening felt like destiny. I was a year short of enrollment age for the Institute’s opening year, so I used that time to gain some experience in the industry. Under the mentorship of Chef Victor Cassar, Silvio Briffa and Christopher Farrugia, I learned the basics, the hard work and the rush of the catering industry - taking their advice at such a young age is now a very proud moment in my past.”
Chef Victor’s two-year training; learning the ropes in the kitchen and service duities in the F&B Diploma course at ITS; was all it took to cement the ideologies and techniques of a Chef into the young cook; but perhaps it was his time outside Malta that soared him to levels of elite culinary performance.
“Your training as a Chef is actually never complete, you’re continuously learning the language of food - but the truest way to learn is to explore through travel. My training experience was mainly in the hotel industry; namely Dragonara Hotel and The Phoenicia. These opportunities gave me the experience and the know-how but my time overseas is what boosted me my confidence in the kitchen.
I first went to Bellevue Palace in Berne, Switzerland where my biggest challenge for the day was the language barrier. I steadily learned the ropes and kept my head in the game.” During this time, Victor Borg was already a celebrated Chef locally, but his name was not entirely new on the international scene either.
His talent and passion were recognised early on in his professional training, securing him a spot on the Malta National Team of Chefs, who showcased the island’s culinary talent - competing, coaching and judging have all been a part of his journey. But one year in London, where he was merely a spectator led him to an experience of, yet again… destiny.
“I was a young Chef, inhaling every aspect that had to do with the culinary world, I read all the books and I travelled to as many of the international events as I could. During the London World Association of Chef Societies (WACS) Competition in 1997, I managed to take a quick taxi ride to 11, Park Walk, where I stood outside a closed restaurant and studied the menu on the board outside, only dreaming that one day I would be able to visit as a guest. But the next day, my dream would change.
As I returned to the competition hall, I wandered through the sound of chopping and sizzling until a tall, rather confident figure caught my attention. I turned slightly and saw the Chef, whose restaurant I fawned over the day before. It was Gordon Ramsay, the then-Head Chef at Aubergine. I plucked up the courage and approached him, using my passion and determination to secure a job under his mentorship, which lasted six months.”
In 1997, Ramsay was working to retain his second MICHELIN star which meant the pressure was turned right up. “We’d start prep at 07:00 and work all the way through to dinner service with a short 30 minute break at 17:30. There were many who never came back after their break, or didn’t show up the next day. Chef Ramsay was focused, serious and intense - pretty much a younger version of the TV Ramsay we all respect.
He knew what he wanted and made it happen, and in a way, with every Chef that left his kitchen, I gained confidence that I was worthy and able. Worthy and able enough to open my own restaurant Mangetout in Xemxija when I was 25 years old.”
Mangetout was a crowd favourite, winning seven consecutive Definitive(ly) Good Guide Awards for Best Overall Restaurant and a space where Chef Victor Borg could begin his own journey in creating dishes that impress the palette and sooth the soul. Combining classical French training with Asian inspired flavours, Chef Victor brought something exciting and different to Maltese cuisine - something that is highly celebrated today.
Another, far more recent instance where Executive Chef Victor Borg celebrated his heritage through his own musings and flair was at the MICHELIN Four Hands event held in London, where Chef Borg worked alongside Chef Victor Garvey, SOLA’s One MICHELIN Star Head Chef. This was the first time MICHELIN invited a Maltese Chef to work on a Four Hands Dinner through which Chef Victor Borg was able to showcase his local gastronomy and MICHELIN prowess.
Life for a Chef is all about taking it to the next level - using that experience, confidence and, lest we forget, grit, to get you to where you need to be. Once Rosselli AX Privilege was in its stages of conception, the flair and accuracy of a Chef worth their salt was called upon and what a wonderful pairing it was, is and hopefully will be for a long, long time.
Pairing Chef Victor Borg with Grain just makes sense. His transformation of simple ingredients juxtaposed to his use of the finest luxurious produce, delicacies and culinary magic; give you the sense of whimsical eliteness.
There’s something special about being escorted to a table, treated like royalty from the moment you enter the restaurant and prepare yourself for each course to be better than the last. But ‘knowing’ the Chef, the bold and eager way in which he talks and the friendly, yet confident look in his eyes, makes you fall in love with the culinary experience even more.
Whether it’s a flowing conversation or an absolutely top-level quality meal, Victor Borg is a man of the kitchen, a Chef whose choices are fuelled by his unique palette and sheer grit that led him to a destiny that his diners are entirely fortunate to have.
Click here to see Horeca Issue 9 online
