Iniala Harbour House and Residences, Malta has announced that acclaimed British Chef, Alex Dilling, will begin a 100-day residency at ION – The Harbour, from 18 June 2021.
Dilling, previously Executive Chef of two-Michelin-starred restaurant, The Greenhouse, Mayfair, and widely seen as the UK’s next top chef, will be bringing a new level of culinary skills to both Malta and ION – The Harbour.
During his residency in Malta, Dilling will make the most of local, seasonal and artisanal ingredients that are full of Mediterranean flavour. He will be presenting a couple of his famous signature dishes, including Hunter Chicken and Andignac Foie Gras with Black Truffle, and giving some dishes a local touch by using produce he has already discovered in Malta whilst visiting producers, artisans and local fisherman.
Using only the finest ingredients, Dilling’s cuisine is precise, inventive and deceptively simple. During these 100 days, ION – The Harbour’s evenings will feature two menus of different lengths, both with a strong focus on seafood. There will be a few dishes on the menu that can be interchanged, allowing the chef to adapt to what is available day-to-day.
Brought up surrounded by traditional French cooking, Dilling owes his love of fine dining to his early years working for Alain Ducasse. The chef started his career in London and then moved to New York to work for Alain Ducasse under the direction of Didier Elena and Tony Esnault at Adour, New York City.
He then joined Caviar Russe in Manhattan, where he gained their first Michelin star. He moved back to London and worked as the Executive Corporate Chef at The Connaught Hotel, where he helped maintain their two Michelin stars. Dilling then took the opportunity to become the Executive Chef at The Greenhouse in London, also maintaining their two Michelin stars.
“Meeting the fishermen and seeing their excitement with what they have to offer is a huge inspiration for me,” comments Alex Dilling. “After an extremely challenging year, I am very excited to step back into the kitchen in a completely new environment and, more importantly, a new terroir.”
Mark Weingard, Founder of Iniala adds: “ION – The Harbour is the Crown Jewel of Iniala, the first super luxury hotel in Malta. We took our first step by achieving the Michelin star and now we hope to be taking another by bringing in one of the UK’s leading chefs to our rooftop restaurant overlooking Europe’s most beautiful harbour. This gives everyone another fantastic reason to come to our stunning, sunny island.”
