PURA VITA, ANYONE!

Natural haute cuisine, luxe setting and fab experiences make Atmosphere Kanifushi an ASMR haven

- Juhi Shah

CHEF FABRIZIO MARINO watches zen-like as his sous-chef assembles the cold soup for us, gently stepping in to add that special flourish to “Pura Vita”, his cherry tomato gazpacho. I am at JUST VEG (Maldives’ first exclusively meat-free restaurant), fully revived from the excesses of the afternoon by my Balinese massage, and raring to sample the vegetarian burst of flavours and textures I have been promised. And when my refreshingly cool gazpacho hits the senses with its avocado pesto, melon sorbet and coconut sauce, I am lit!

Hitting the Maldives for veg fare, even epicurean vegetarian fare, may be rather outré for many. But, pour moi? Increasingly gravitating towards planet-friendly, plant-based eating for the last two years, it comes as manna for my first proper holiday post-Covid. And having Chef Fabrizio cooking for us… I am in ASMR haven!

Guest chef at Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives (simply put, AKM) for eight years now, the Italian is a poster boy for an exciting new wave of Italian natural haute cuisine that is delicious, healthy and leaves an important ethical imprint. Every year, Fabrizio comes back to AKM to play with flavours, textures and colours to create dishes as simple as they are surprising, as contemporary for the palate as they are traditional in their approach to sustainability — dishes that go on to integrate with the year’s menu at this popular restaurant that has always been ahead of the curve from its conception. Au naturel, would you say?