Joanna James
It isn't just sand and crystal clear waters that this beautiful collection of islands hosts. Let's also look at some of the most noteworthy restaurants on offer.
The soothing rustic emotions are nothing new to Muraka, a wooden restaurant that is built on the end of a jetty over the Mirihi Island's lagoon. Located in the idyllic South Ari Atoll, This restaurant serves up an international menu with a special focus on seafood. You'll find delicious dishes like pink peppercorn-crusted Maldivian tuna loin along with crispy potato wanton and fried bok choi, as well as a flavourful lobster bisque with papaya salad and a papaya seed dressing. A key highlight at Muraka is a special dining experience known as the Whole Fish Delight. As the name implies it involves the chef preparing and filleting a whole fish of your choosing at your table. You'll witness some stunning views over the Island and the beach and an open floor section with views of the sea below as well.
The Shell Beans café company operates two branches on the island and has been in operation in Male for over ten years. You'll find one on the northern edge of the island, overlooking Male's jetties and the other one on the opposite side of the island on Ameenee Magu. Shell Beans offers a relaxed, friendly and comfortable atmosphere that brings in an entirely diverse crowd comprised of expats, young local Maldivians, and sightseers. You'll also enjoy their free Wi-Fi facilities. The café serves some delicious food items with main courses from all over the world that include salads, teriyaki beef, tandoori chicken along with the café's signature 'croissantwiches' which are croissants served with a sandwich filling. Coffee from the café is widely known as the best coffee found in Male, which you can enjoy alongside a range of their enticing cakes.
The Aioli Restaurant is situated in a quiet alleyway of Ameer Ahmed Magu. The restaurant boasts an immense and impressive range of mouthwatering South Asian food with a special Mediterranean twist. Aioli is a very stylish restaurant that features tasteful dark wood furnishings and upholstery and walls with contrasting cream shades. While the restaurant features two large dining rooms, guests can always check out the outdoor balcony seating area, where you can enjoy your meal under the gorgeous Maldivian sky. Some of the best dishes on offer here include the Addu Kukulhu Reha, which is a traditional Maldivian chicken curry served with steamed rice and bread, or the fried cuttlefish served with spicy Spanish saffron rice all served in a relaxed and inviting environment. While you embark on your journey of sampling all of Maldives restaurants you could kick back and relax at any of Maldives all inclusive resorts, like the Kuramathi Maldives for example.
Palace Sichuan is a beautiful and elegant Chinese restaurant that was opened in 2011 by Terence Tsui, who dreamed of bringing quality Cantonese food to Male, all served by warm and friendly staff. This large restaurant seats over 80 people in a sitting, with private rooms on offer, all named after Chinese cities and are decorated in tasteful, authentic oriental styled furnishings. Following the restaurant's name, its menu consists of dishes all from the Sichuan province of western China, well known for its spicy, yet sweet and sour flavours. The dishes on offer are made by well experienced Chinese staff who import their ingredients directly from China. Notable dishes here include the sweet white fungus served with pawpaw sauce and the steamed wax gourd with shrimp.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
