MALDIVES, June 2018: This summer, Gili Lankanfushi heralds a dynamic new culinary direction with the relaunch of its signature island restaurant as Kashiveli — showcasing locally-sourced, nutritious ingredients and vibrant Maldivian flavours. Overseen by executive chef Aldo Cadau, the restaurant will celebrate the bounty and abundance of the island’s lush tropical location, marrying the very best produce from land and sea.
Located where the island meets the sea, Kashiveli is named after the coralline white sand which fringes the shoreline and plays a central role in traditional Maldivian home life. For generations, islanders throughout the archipelago have collected the brightest kashiveli sand and used this to decorate their homes, changing the white sand floors every Ramadan to represent the new beginning.
To celebrate the restaurant relaunch, the island is set to introduce the Gili Culinary Journey, a rotating selection of international dishes which offer guests a global tasting tour without stepping foot off the spectacular beaches of the North Malé Atoll. Offered three nights per week at Kashiveli, the Gili Culinary Journey will celebrate the heritage and talent of Gili Lankanfushi’s culinary team with a diverse range of signature dishes, including handmade culurgiones pasta with lobster, artichoke, Vermentino wine and saffron, inspired by Cadau’s home town of Cagliari, Sardinia, and richly spiced lamb aatukkari kuzhambu, hailing from executive sous chef Harinath Govindaraj locale of Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu. The rotating menu of signature dishes will touch upon nine global gourmet hotspots in all, reaching from Alicante, Spain to Nosy-Be, Madagascar and Padang, Indonesia.
The island’s vast organic garden — amongst the largest in the Maldives — will provide an abundance of fresh produce for Kashiveli, from herbs and spices to fruit and salad leaves. Additional fresh, seasonal produce, including reef fish, meat and vegetables, will be sourced sustainably through local Maldivian suppliers, fishermen and farmers.
Kashiveli joins the island’s two existing dining options — By the Sea, serving delicious Japanese fusion dishes using locally-sourced seafood and reef fish overlooking the calm waters of the island’s northern shore, and the Overwater Bar, offering lighter lunches and sundowner cocktails with a view of visiting sharks and rays. The island also offers an enticing array of destination dining locations, from BBQ dinners on secluded sandbars to lantern-lit feasts amongst towering palms.
To book: Rates at Gili Lankanfushi (www.gili-lankanfushi.com / +960 664 0304) start from $1,400 per night on a room-only basis, based on double occupancy. Rates are subject to taxes.
Call +960 664 0304 / Email [email protected]
www.gili-lankanfushi.com
For media enquiries:
Gili Lankanfushi: Tammy Gan, Marketing Communications Manager
at [email protected]
BIRD Travel PR: [email protected] / +44 (0) 20 7112 882
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Editor’s Note
Gili Lankanfushi: Located in the North Malé Atoll, Gili Lankanfushi opened in 2000 as the original over-water resort, Soneva Gili. In 2012, the island was acquired by HPL (Hotel Properties Limited), a Singapore-based company investing in hotels, lifestyle and properties around the world. Voted number one hotel in the world by TripAdvisor in 2015, Gili Lankanfushi is an easy 20-minute speedboat transfer from Malé international airport. Set in the middle of its own lagoon, guests enjoy a barefoot existence with 360-degree views of the Indian Ocean. Gili Lankanfushi’s 45 overwater villas, including the vast and secluded Private Reserve, offer unrivalled privacy.
