What is the local food scene like in Maldives?

Julien Royer (JR): The local food scene in Maldives is extremely vibrant, with 6 restaurants serving different cuisines from all over the world and unique dining experiences that we’ve never encountered before. Surrounded by the ocean, the local cuisine consists mostly of seafood and is heavily influenced by Sri-Lankan cuisine.

We were also fascinated by the native ingredients, from the spicy Maldivian chilli to their local rose apple that we got to incorporate into our menu in Soneva Fushi. To be able to work with the farmers’ fruits of labour allows my team to develop a greater appreciation for nature, and everything nature has to offer.

Can you share more about your experience during your 10-week culinary residency?

JR: This 10-week culinary residency was an inspiring experience that brought me and my team closer to nature. Majority of ingredients that we used in our dishes were either grown by hand or caught from the sea. Our team even brought seeds of the likes of marigold, ulam raja and blue pea flower that we could grow, harvest and incorporate into our menu.

We were inspired by the farmers and producers who take pride in their craft. For instance, we were taught how to cold-press coconut flesh into sweet and aromatic coconut oil, which we used in our Soneva Garden Salad and Basmati Donabe course. Being able to transform fresh produce directly into meaningful dishes was very meaningful to me.

What attracted you to do a collaboration with Soneva Fushi?

JR: Soneva Fushi has always been an incredibly exciting place to collaborate with. I was initially attracted to their mission on environmental responsibility and the dedication of the founders who started it. During our time there, what was very fulfilling was being able to meet many new guests, chefs and producers. We learned about working with native ingredients and left with greater respect for the Maldivians’ expertise.

In case you missed it: Chef Julien Royer teams up with Soneva Fushi for a 10-week culinary residency in Maldives

Can you share more about your experience in Maldives?

Saurabh Udinia (SU): During our time there, we did multiple events, including taking over Teppanyaki Japanese restaurant, Fire, where we provided our guests with an authentic Revolver experience. While intense, we had a lot of fun.

Apart from our takeover, we also went deep-sea fishing where I caught a massive Wahoo that weighed about 20kg, and cooked it on Gaathafushi, W Maldives’ private island suspended in the middle of the turquoise blue waters.

What attracted you to collaborate with W Maldives?

SU: Fire and fresh produce. W’s restaurant, Fire, really resonates with Revolver’s ideologies. That inimitable, visceral art of cooking over open fire, using fresh produce that’s literally plucked from the surrounding seas is extremely compelling to me. Plus, the opportunity to go fishing in the middle of the Indian Ocean, wood-fire cooking right there on the sand, and all the beautiful things that attract anyone else to the Maldives were all good reasons for me to collaborate with them.

Were there any obstacles faced? 

SU: Fortunately for us, everything went smoothly. Our hosts at W Maldives are a well-oiled machine. Everything was ordered and procured on time. When you’re in the middle of the ocean, careful planning is important because if you miss something, it can’t exactly be delivered to you urgently. It’s not like in a city where you can just rush to the nearest supermarket to get what you need. So, we are very grateful that W Maldives took care of all that and so much more without a snag.

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