VALLETTA: Jonathan Brincat had everything going for him. Three weeks ago, riding the crest of the wave as chef-owner of Noni, he was chef of one of the first three restaurants in Malta to clinch a Michelin star.
Three weeks later, he has taken the decision to close the Valletta restaurant Noni, despite the fact that the Maltese government had not (at the time of writing) decreed that restaurants should be closed.
Like many other restauranteurs on the island, including the two other restaurants that clinched a Michelin star (Grain and De Mondion) when the Guide came out late last month, many restaurant owners have unilaterally decided to close their restaurants and urge their clients to stay at home.
“I am not one for long posts but I feel it is due now that I have more spare time on my hands,” Jonathan said on Facebook.
“Less than three weeks ago, we were celebrating our biggest achievement as yet, winning our first Michelin star. There was not even time for the plaque to arrive and to hang it up on our walls that we have to close down till everything related to coronavirus is over.”
He said it was hard to put a lifelong dream on hold but it was the right thing to do for the staff, the customers, their families and for mankind. “We will come back stronger, more united as a whole team with new menus and dinner surprises,” he said.
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