A sea of blue. That’s as close as one can get to describe the first impression of the Maldives. The dark sapphire tones of ocean punctuated by lighter aquamarine hues, ocean as far as the eye can see, it’s breathtakingly beautiful.
Only 1% of the Maldvies is above water, that small percentage of land is enough to hold over a 100 resorts.
The Muslim country might be small, but one thing that isn’t small is the variety of food on offer when choosing to stay at one of the many resorts there. This journalist was offered a trip by the Maldvies Tourism Authority, as part of its campaign to showcase to the world that they’re ready to welcome tourists again.
And they’re committed to safety, I underwent a Covid-19 PCR test every second day of my six-day trip while there and was required to take one before boarding the plane to the country.
As part of a media group, we visited three resorts; Seaside Finholu, Hurawalhi and Dusit Thani, all a fine example of what the Maldvies has to offer.
Being a foodie, I, of course, asked what delicacies were on offer and what the Maldvies was unmatched in, and the answer is tuna. Maldivian tuna is tuna like no other, and during the course of my stay, I enjoyed tuna in whichever way it was offered.
The food in the Maldvies is fresh, flavourful and fulfilling; this is due, of course, to how much care is taken in choosing menus, hiring chefs and kitchen staff to, most importantly, sourcing ingredients.
Once guests are on a resort there really isn’t an option of going elsewhere for food, so all offerings have to be top quality.
Seaside Finholu resort boasts four restaurants and bars – ocean-facing Beach Kitchen, where you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast, Kanusan, where you can get modern Asian-influenced cuisine and, for a bit more culture you can eat at Arabian Grill, which serves North African dishes. And last, there is the Crab Shack which serves fresh seafood and is situated on a sandbank, a quick speedboat trip from the main resort.
All fresh ingredients are flown in from Melbourne, Australia, weekly.
“We let the food speak for itself… food is really big, it has to be. I’m probably a little bit biased but I think every general manager in the Maldvies should have been a chef before, because I think it’s really important,” says Marc Reader, general manager of Seaside Finholu.
Dining is a huge part of being on vacation, so the resorts always make sure to impress and impressed we were when we got to Hurawalhi. It was on this resort that we experienced dining in the world’s largest all-glass underwater restaurant, 5.8 Undersea Restaurant. This is a bucket list item, the fine dining establishment boasts a seven-course meal with an optional chargeable wine pairing.
The restaurant is accessible via an overwater bridge, at the end of which is Kashibo restaurant and bar, accessed by a spiral staircase.Patrons and staff are required to be barefoot. Taking the stairs down to the restaurant was exciting. It is an intimate space. The service was excellent and the experience unparalled.
Watching schools of fish go about their colourful business while munching on skillfully prepared dishes which included pan-seared red mullet on an arame seaweed bed, with a saffron tumeric and beluga coconut broth and dashi bean puree with an asparagus and fennel bulb confit. Just for this experience alone, I recommend you fly yourself to the Maldives.
We went from dining underwater to getting a taste of the local cuisine at Dusi Thani, our third and final stop on our tour of resorts. The resort is a slice of Thai heaven in the Maldvies, with restaurant Benjarong serving authentic mouthwatering curries that’ll have you wanting more, especially if you have a taste for some lovely heat in your food. It also makes them mild for those who prefer it that way. At this resort we spoke to American-born chef Richard Thompson on what makes up Maldivian flavours.
“Maldivian cuisine is very similar to Sri Lankan and Indian food and has over the years changed to what is available to them.”
We were able to taste staple local dish garudhiya, a soup made with tuna, curry and rumba leaves with some Maldivian chillies which resemble a Scotch bonnet.
The 27-year-old server Mafrooh ‘Obbs’ Zakir has been working at Dusi Thani since he was 20 years old and says mostly it is women who make the food in the Maldvies.
“I can make my own food but, mom’s food is totally different,” he laughingly says. Obbs says the tuna soup we enjoyed as a starter at the resort is a main dish for locals. It is served with steamed rice, or dried fish to add flavour.
“We eat usually by hand, that is our culture, but now it is changing as some people use fork and knife. But when I go home I usually eat by hand.”
His home is a 20-minute speedboat ride away from the resort. He says the local dishes are changing, being influenced by spices from close-by countries such as Sri Lanka. His favourite food is the slow-cooked broth made from garudhiya soup, once the fish is removed, which he enjoys with steamed rice drizzled with some lime juice, served with a side of dried fish and chillies.
His favourite dessert is kirubokiba, made with coconut milk, flour and sugar.
There were so many excellent food choices in the Maldives. From the inspired menus, vegetarian or otherwise, to the local, you are absolutely certain to find something for your taste buds.
*Some restaurants at the resorts do not form part of the meal plans offered on packages and will be charged separately.
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