The Art of the Table: Chef Letizia Vella’s Five Acts at The Supper Club | Malta
- May 20
- 5 min read
Updated: May 21
There is a particular kind of focus that settles over a kitchen when everything matters, every garnish, every second on the pass. On the night of The One at the Hollywood Theatre, that focus belonged to Chef Letizia Vella.
Trained at Malta’s Culinary Institute and refined in the exacting worlds of The Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Letizia has built a reputation for precision, imagination and quiet determination. After honing her craft, she realised a long-held dream in 2019 with the opening of The Golden Fork. An incredible part of Chef Letizia Vella’s story is not only her talent, but the context in which she has risen.
Globally, only a small fraction of Michelin‑starred restaurants are led by women, and an even smaller number are owned and helmed by the same female chef, placing her among a very select group of chef‑patrons worldwide.
Her journey to success, against those odds, makes her presence at The Supper Club | Malta all the more remarkable.
Her dedication has not gone unnoticed. Chef Letizia became the first Maltese chef to receive “The Knife” award from The Best Chef Awards in 2024. The Golden Fork has been consistently recommended by the Michelin Guide since its arrival in Malta and now brings her critical eye and generous spirit to television as a judge on MasterChef Malta. It was this combination of discipline, creativity and warmth that made her an ideal featured chef for The Supper Club | Malta.
For this edition of The Supper Club, Chef Letizia Vella composed a menu that began in Maltese soil and sea. Working with fresh, local ingredients and produce sourced through the Malta Food Agency, she crafted a farm‑to‑table journey that honoured our island’s growers and fishermen while speaking a refined, contemporary language on the plate.
The evening opened with a playful, textural introduction: Pani Puri, Kapunata, Fish Tartar and Black Garlic Pie Tee with Mediterranean Red Prawn & Trout, followed by an airy Foie Gras Meringue, each matched with Antinori's ‘Conte della Vipera’ IGT 2023 – Umbria (Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon).
A delicate Cured Seabass with Black Radish, Scallop & Fish Marinade continued the dialogue with the sea, again paired with ‘Conte della Vipera’ IGT 2023 to echo its freshness and mineral line.
The fish course brought a quiet crescendo: Line‑Caught Fish with Vadouvan, Sorrel & Smoked Ginger, its gentle spice and lifted aromatics mirrored by ‘Mezzobraccio’ IGT 2020 – Antinori ‘Tenuta Monteloro’, Tuscany (Riesling Renano).
From land, Letizia celebrated local farming with Locally Sourced Chargrilled Pork, accompanied by Crispy Maltese Sausage, Onion Relish, Parsnip & Vanilla, a dish that found its perfect counterpart in ‘Marchese Antinori’ Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2022 – Antinori ‘Tenuta Tignanello’, Tuscany (Sangiovese).
To close, a bright, nuanced finale: Kalamansi Baked Cheesecake with Blood Orange & Buttermilk Ice‑Cream, paired with ‘Kaloro’ Moscato di Trani DOC 2022 – Antinori ‘Tenuta Bocca di Lupo’, Puglia (Moscato di Trani), a dessert wine that echoed citrus and florals while gently softening the curtain on the night.
From the first bite to the last sip, the menu stood as a tribute to local provenance and thoughtful pairing — a shared creation among Chef Letizia, our partnered producers, and The Malta Food Agency’s support for Maltese agriculture. From the hangars of the Malta Aviation Museum on the 30th of March 2026, as the last glasses were cleared and the final notes of the evening faded, we sat down with Chef Letizia Vella to look back on the night she orchestrated for The Supper Club | Malta. Here is what she had to say.
She described the menu as a thread of familiar flavours elevated through a refined, contemporary lens. “We wanted to take elements that feel comforting and recognisable,” she explained, “and reinterpret them with precision, balance, and a touch of creativity.” Harmony was her guiding principle: each dish needed its own identity, yet still felt undeniably part of the same story. When asked which course delighted her most in its preparation, she returned to the quiet poetry of simplicity: the rose of cured seabass and radish, with a bright, citrus‑lifted fish marinade.
“There’s something incredibly satisfying about taking a few high‑quality ingredients and treating them with respect, allowing their natural character to shine,”
The dish, for her, was less about complexity and more about intuition, timing, and attention to detail. Seasonality and provenance sat at the heart of her choices. Working closely with local suppliers and fresh Maltese produce, she let availability and ripeness lead the way. “Seasonality played a central role,” she noted. “It encouraged a lighter, more thoughtful approach — letting ingredients speak for themselves rather than overworking them.”
In this sense, the menu became not just a performance, but a quiet tribute to the farmers and producers behind each plate.
The moment that lingered most for Letizia was not a single course, but the room itself: guests leaning in, eating, reacting, and talking together. “Seeing people fully engaged — not just eating, but experiencing the menu, discussing it, connecting over it — that interaction between food and people is always the most rewarding part. It’s where all the work in the kitchen translates into something meaningful.”
When we asked her to distil the evening into one dish that could stand as a signature for The Golden Fork, she returned to a philosophy rather than a recipe: elegance balanced with comfort. “A plate where every element has purpose, showcasing quality ingredients with clean, confident execution,” she said. Thoughtful, ingredient‑driven cooking with a modern, expressive touch, that, for her, is the essence of The Golden Fork, and the spirit she brought to our table‑as‑stage.
As the lights dimmed over the wings and fuselages at the Malta Aviation Museum, it was clear that this Supper Club had been more than a dinner; it was a conversation between a chef at the height of her craft, a room full of guests, and an island’s produce at its best.
We attended The Supper Club Malta event featuring Chef Letizia Vella, and the food was genuinely exceptional from start to finish.
Each course felt carefully thought through, with a clear focus on fresh local ingredients, balance, and presentation. The menu had a lovely flow to it — refined without feeling overly complicated, creative while still letting the ingredients speak for themselves.
The cured seabass and the line-caught fish were particular highlights for us, but the entire experience felt elegant, seasonal, and beautifully executed. The wine pairings also complemented the food very well and added to the overall experience.
It was clear that a lot of care, precision, and passion went into the evening. A memorable dining experience and a lovely…
Stepping into collaboration with a Supper Club is no small ask for any chef, let alone one who leads a Michelin‑recommended restaurant. Chef Letizia Vella not only accepted the challenge of becoming our featured chef — she embraced it with grace and quiet courage. Taking The Golden Fork out of its own dining room and into an unfamiliar setting, then serving a five‑course dinner to fifty discerning food lovers, is a test of nerve as much as skill.
Letizia passed that test beautifully. Each course was delicate, poised, and deeply respectful of the freshest local produce; every ingredient felt seen, understood, and given its rightful place on the plate. The Golden Fork’s refined, ingredient‑driven identity translated effortlessly onto our…