Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar in Northern Oman has strengthened its commitment to wellness taking it beyond the spa and into its restaurants with recipes created by German celebrity chef, Gabriele Kurz. The luxury resort in Oman’s Green Mountain two hours from Muscat, has launched healthy wellbeing menus at its two main restaurants and a brand new spa menu with personalised wellness programmes that combine pampering with long lasting benefits for body, mind and soul.
Chef Gabriele Kurz is a healthy eating expert and author of several celebrated vegetarian cookbooks, one of which was honoured with the ‘World Cookbook Award’ in Paris in 2011and she is a former patron of the German Obesity Association. Offering an innovative approach to healthy eating, the new wellbeing menus focus on fish and fresh vegetables and fruits, many of which are grown in the Chef’s Garden. All the new dishes will be steamed, blanched, baked or cooked sous vide to preserve nutrients and avoid additional oil. Balanced and full of flavour, the quality of produce is of the upmost importance.
Dishes include Watermelon and Tomato Ceviche using local watermelon, cherry tomatoes, organic basil, lime and avocado with baked tortilla chips; Truffle Beetroot Tartare using local beetroots, potato rosti and cauliflower remoulade; Citrus Steamed Seabass fillet served with steamed vegetables and a tomato caper salsa; and vegan tropical cheesecake made with mango, passion fruit, local dates, cashew nuts, tofu and agave syrup.
The wellbeing menus are available in Al Maisan, an all-day dining restaurant and Bella Vista that serves contemporary Mediterranean cuisine. Guests can also choose a healthy menu option as part of a bespoke Dining By Design experience which allows guests to eat in unique locations around the hotel, such as by the canyon’s edge. The resort’s cooking school Spice Spoons will also introduce two dishes for guests to learn how to cook – beetroot tartare and sweet potato medallions.
The new spa menu features, indigenous treatments using local ingredients, Thai and Ayurvedic treatments. For a more comprehensive spa experience, guests can choose wellness programmes that start with a consultation with Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar’s wellness expert, Khem Raj. In the consultation Khem will discuss lifestyle and health goals in order to tailor treatments to guest needs. The resort’s signature three-day wellness programme includes three yoga or meditation sessions and four spa treatments, which will be decided on during the consultation with Khem.
Highlights from the new spa menu include:
The ‘Al Jabal Delight’ massage that uses Moringa peregrina, a white and pink flower that blooms naturally in the wadi. Its lightly fragranced oil treats aches and pains, and has been used by Omani healers for centuries (90 mins/ 100 OMR).
The Luban Ritual’ harnesses the healing effects of frankincense. The oil relaxes and soothes the skin, while a heated compress promotes healthy circulation and eliminates negative energy (90 mins/95 OMR).
An Ayurvedic therapy, during the ‘Shiradohara’ spa treatment a soothing flow of warm oil is applied to the third eye to induce deep relaxation and awaken the energy of the inner mind. Recommended for stress, insomnia and mental fatigue (45 mins/ 60 OMR).
Situated 2,000m above sea level, Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar has long attracted health-conscious guests who come to climb the Via Ferrata’s, hike in the mountains or simply relax in the spa. The resort is the highest five star resort in the Middle East with 115 rooms and villas Lead in rates at Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar during low season start from OMR 160 (£309) per room per night with breakfast. To book or for more information, please visit www.anantara.com/jabal-akhdar