THAT DREAMY LONG, LAZY LUNCH
Right in the middle of Gili Lankanfushi lies one of its most distinctive features – a lush, organic garden. Bordered by towering palm trees and jungly vegetation, neat rows of washed-wooden boxes brim with an abundance of herbs, beach lettuce, morning glory, spinach, rocket, chives, fennel flowers, lemongrass, dangling bitter gourds, passionfruit vines and more.
No chemicals or pesticides are used by the gardening team. Instead, natural solutions such as fermented banana skin or rice-water sprays are used to ward off pests.
Compost is made from the resort’s kitchen wastage, dried and fresh leaves as well as treatment water which comes from a traditional Sri Lankan ‘recipe’. The result is healthy soil with happy worms, which apparently thrive on leftover watermelon skin.
When executive chef Harinath Govindaraj isn’t in the kitchen, you’ll find him in this picture-perfect playground – a place which he says provides him with continuous inspiration. And it’s there that you have to try his multi-course vegan lunch experience. Cooking right in front of your table, Hari will keep you entertained and enchanted with his stories about his background, his love of creating new dishes and about each course on this experience’s menu. The whole affair will easily stretch over a couple of hours. It begins with an unforgettable aloe vera coconut ceviche (deemed worthy of a gold award by Food & Hotel Asia) and is followed by the likes of a peppery green gazpacho, a crisp salad sprinkled with edible flowers, radish ‘scallops’, and mushroom risotto served on a zany purée, a simple but lip-smackingly good grilled aubergine ‘steak’ and fresh pandan leaf ice cream.
THE SPICE ROUTE
Eating local food when travelling abroad can offer a deeper and meaningful understanding of a country’s culture and its people. However, when holidaying in far-fl ung island destinations, opportunities to do so may sometimes be difficult. Fortunately, the chefs at Gili are happy to share a range of traditional dishes over and above anything already on the menus – so remember to ask for these. Even better – sign up to a cooking class and make a rich and velvety Maldivian reef-fi sh curry yourself. It’s great to experiment with regional ingredients. Follow this with a curry tasting experience, and, in addition to trying the fruits of your labour, a conga-line of curries from around the world will appear. The meal is a curation of colour and comforting flavours with each of the recipes inspired by staff members’ family recipes from India, the Philippines, Japan, Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Besides our own, home-made fish curry (we used meaty job fish) that was wonderfully aromatic and well spiced, we can’t stop thinking about the sticky, tangy Pakistani smoked beef curry, too.
SUSHI, SASHIMI, SEAFOOD AND SEA VIEWS
Gili’s Japanese intimate fine-dining restaurant By The Sea offers beautiful views from its terrace-style set up and consistently outstanding sushi, sashimi and Japanese fusion dishes using only the freshest fish. That’s because a local fisherman delivers his daily catch at 6 pm to Gili – and by 7 pm two types of tuna, snapper and an array of reef fish are prepared and ready to serve to guests. There’s also an open kitchen with a Teppanyaki griddle – if you’re after theatrics! We’ve tried a lot at the restaurant, on a few visits, and while everything is consistently good – we always go back for the chef’s selection of sushi and sashimi (many of which feature freshly caught Maldivian tuna); the glazed reef fish teriyaki with aubergine and black pepper and the juicy and succulent Hamachi kama with crunchy grilled vegetables and tama miso.
MATCHES MADE IN HEAVEN
Set at the bottom of a glass spiral staircase, you’ll fi nd another of Gili’s unique offerings – an underground cellar. It’s the perfect hideaway for private dinners or home-made chocolate tastings with premium grape pairings led by an expert sommelier. This cosy ‘cave’ was designed around a huge piece of driftwood that was once swept ashore. It now serves as a striking banquet table which is engulfed by upcycled wooden walls.
While hundreds of fine vintages are available to try, there’s also an impressive list of non-alcoholic beverages.
CHERRY ON THE TOP!
A must-do at least one evening during a stay at Gili, is to sleep under the stars. Your Mr or Miss Friday (Gili speak for private butlers) will curate this enchanting experience, setting up a pillowy soft bed surrounded by flickering candles atop your villa’s rooftop terrace. Bubbly is available on demand, and you’ll get breakfast in bed the next morning!
