After a recent vacation to the Maldives Feel I have to tell people about the amazing Restaurant Zero on Sun Island Resort and Spa.
Having arrived on Sun Island in the
Maldives the largest tourist island in the Republic of the Maldives I
was intrigued to see a restaurant named Zero, advertised as an
ecologically zero impact restaurant serving up ecologically
sustainable food from its menu.
After a brief chat with Aurine from
guest services I asked if I could take a few photographs and if there
was any more information that she could give me regarding how the
restaurant worked.
The following day Aurine escorted me to
the Zero restaurant where I was met by Abdulla Mausoom Ph.D. The
General Manager of the island. (+960 7791001 gm@sun-island.com.mv)
We sat down for a chat and he explained
a little more about how the restaurant came about and how it has
developed.
This unique restaurant has been running
for around four years now in it's current state with tree top
alfresco dining and whilst it's humble roots started as a team idea
for growing coconuts, bananas and other agricultural products it is
now a fully fledged eco friendly restaurant. The only one of it's
kind in whole Republic of the Maldives.
Guests can walk through the gardens and
select their own produce which the experienced chefs then prepare for
them.
There are several different types of
lettuce to choose from, basil, rosemary and other fresh herbs are
also grown in the solar powered hydroponic buildings.
Not all produce served at Restaurant
Zero is grown on site and this is a conscious decision from the
management team so that some produce from other local farmers can be
purchased which helps the local economy.
It's all about balance Mr Mausoom
explained.
“The local economy benefits we
benefit and the guests benefit from a great tasting dining
experience.”
Zero restaurant offers a healthy menu
which can be combined with fish or meat dishes should the guests so
choose.
As I sipped on some fresh coconut milk
a waiter delivered 3 stunning plates of food for me to sample.
The
flavours were exceptional and the fresh tuna in the “All greens
with Maldivian Tuna Chunk Salad” simply bursting with flavour. The
chicken in the “Zero Special” just makes the mouth water
with
flavour and taste and the Fresh Herb Marinated Chicken Winglets are
quite simply to die for.
As I explained to Mr Mausoom that they
beat KFC hands down he joked that he likes KFC, Pizza Hut and Burger
King when he visits Europe.
The chicken comes from a poultry farm
dedicated to rearing chicken and producing eggs just for restaurant
zero.
All produce is grown using organic
fertilisers and the whole production is self sufficient.
The restaurant has set opening times
but guests can request special opening times for romantic dinners if
they so choose and they always try to accommodate any reasonable
requests.
Mr M, Waheed the Executive Chef has
been in the food industry for over 40 years and has 23 years working
with the Villa chain under his belt.
He is responsible for engineering the
menu and bringing about any changes.
Each meal is individually prepared,
there is no mass production of anything.
In 2016 Sun Island won an award for the
most eco friendly island in the Republic of the Maldives.
The large banana plantation and the
production of water melons which is a project being run by the
chairmans daughter must go someway towards helping towards a Zero
carbon footprint.
The water melon plantation has sun
flowers growing throughout to attract bees to help with pollination.
There has been a lot of thought gone
into Restaurant Zero and if you ever find yourself on Sun Island I
strongly recommend a visit here. It might not ease the guilt of 3
aeroplanes and a boat worth of carbon footprint to get here but your
taste buds will thank you for weeks to come.
Peace out Y'all, The BagstaXXX
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