Niyama Private Island Maldives has launched a new Chef’s Garden and dining experience with Executive Chef Luke Borg at the helm. Dedicated to sustainable fresh healthy ingredients, Niyama’s new 1600 square metre organic Chef’s Garden provides herbs and vegetables to the resort’s restaurants and cooking classes and is home to a new highly personalised private dining experience highlighting Maldivian flavours and local produce.
Niyama Private Islands is a collection of 134 villas and pavilions, many with private pools, located either over a lagoon or dotted along the beaches of two islands – Play and Chill, which are connected by a bridge.
The Chef’s Garden is located on Play Island and can seat up to 12 people on a family style dining table with a row of different varieties of herbs growing down the centre of the table. The private fine dining evening experience starts at 5.30pm to coincide with sunset and guests eat surrounded by nature and in a relaxed, peaceful environment. Guests receive a menu for inspiration before meeting with Chef Luke to decide on a menu tailored especially for them, focusing on ingredients that are in season in Dhaalu Atoll and available in the garden. Example dishes include; local turbot glazed in juniper in caramelised buttermilk and local grouper, Maldivian crabs, sea urchin and crayfish; and ginger smoked local coconut & La Chuorsa gold plated chocolate.
The Chef’s Garden further strengthens Niyama’s commitment to offering responsibly sourced produce using fresh local ingredients that support the community and highlight Maldivian flavours. The resort aims to increase awareness of clean and sincere dishes with a low Carbon footprint. Ingredients grown in the garden include hot basil, sweet basil, almonds, lemongrass, aloe vera, marjoram, lettuces, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and sugar cane.
The new Chef’s Garden is spearheaded by Chef Luke Borg who joined Niyama in July 2022. Originally from Malta, Luke has worked in some of the best kitchens in the world, including the two-Michelin-star Gleneagles in Scotland. Since 2018, Chef Luke has worked with sister brand Anantara, developing the culinary offering including growing gourmet concepts in elevated street foods, farm-to-fork produce, vegan and plant-based dishes. As Executive Chef at Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara in Oman, he brought together Michelin starred-chefs in a world class food festival and he was part of the pre-opening team at The Plaza Doha by Anantara. In 2014 he was named European Chef of the Year by the World Association of Chefs’ Societies.
Commenting on his inspiration for the Chef’s Garden, Chef Luke says “The vision for the Chef’s Garden is to highlight ingredients that are sustainable, seasonal, responsibly caught and support the local community. We want our dishes to taste of the place they are created, with a focus on local farms and fishermen.”
The Chef’s Garden private dining experience also brings a new dimension to the overall dining options at Niyama, adding to what is already a very wide and varied selection of cuisines, with restaurants located in the trees, on the beach, under water and above the ocean.
Niyama Private Islands Maldives is a 40-minute seaplane flight from Malé or a 30-minute domestic flight to Dhaalu Airport followed by seven minutes speedboat ride to the resort. Nightly rates start from USD 910 based on two sharing a Beach Villa with breakfast and dinner including taxes and fees. For more information visit https://www.niyama.com/en/offers/the-niyama-luxury-experience or to book visit www.niyama.com.