The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands is to host an Easter for Epicures, closing the holidays with the maestro of ‘progressive dessert fine dining’, and two Michelin-star, Chef René Frank. A two-night takeover will unveil a tasting menu with Frank’s hallmark approach, encouraging diners to challenge the savoury-sweet structure of modern menus.

Guests will join Chef Frank’s multi-award-winning sweet revolution, as celebrated by The World’s 50 Best and Gault&Millau. Fresh from the urban pace of Berlin’s Neukölln straight to the crystalline waters of the Indian Ocean, the luxurious surrounds of the design-masterpiece resort set the stage for a unique sensory experience. The residency will be hosted at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands’ La Locanda restaurant, the hub of the resort’s dedicated Culinary Island, and an exquisite indoor-outdoor water-side space.

Chef René Frank’s visionary and rebellious culinary perspective, inspired by desserts and pastry, will be showcased a menu containing eight servings. Traditional taste profiles of ‘savoury’ and ‘sweet’ will be reimagined, and conventional menu distinctions of starter, main course and dessert put to one side. Demonstrating Frank’s awarded craftsmanship and pastry techniques, the flavour trail will include intense umami where protein-rich legumes, mushrooms and fermented rice meet the natural sweetness of vegetables and fruit, with tart notes from herbs balancing with the saltiness of cheeses and the acidity of citrus.

This once in a lifetime menu will include a careful edit of CODA signatures, from its candied lettuce palette cleanser with a cream cheese centre and dehydrated gherkin powder, Raclette Waffle Kimchi Yoghurt – a paper light waffle filled with raclette cheese, and Eggplant gently cooked served on a sponge cake with peanut ice cream, apple balsamic vinegar and a hint of liquorice salt. CODA’s Caviar Popsicle is a highlight, presenting Jerusalem artichoke and vanilla ice cream with a pecan core coated in 12 grams of Oscietra Caviar from Sturia, and the Cacao & Crispy, CODA’s in-house bean-to-plate chocolate philosophy, topped with crispy caramelized soy milk and cherries, finished with a cream of cherry pits.

Chef René Frank comments. “A perfect time to challenge our senses and perceptions! It’s about discovering what else dessert can be. With dishes that play on the traditional dessert form, we incorporate vegetable ingredients but treat them like fruits. At Easter we look to indulge in sweetness as a treat, but why do we save this for special occasions or something to be enjoyed at the end of a meal? Examining how different countries and cultures approach dessert has been foundational to my experience and I look forward to bringing Maldivian influences to our concept this Easter!”

The epicurean takeover concludes an enchanting Easter season at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands. From the 20th to 26th April, guests will indulge in traditions of Easter from across the globe with a taste of adventure, creativity, and holistic wellbeing.

Hosted by the resort’s Ladies and Gentlemen a festive programme will see guests of all ages inspired and satiated. From Easter egg hunts to festive feasting, experiences for sweet connoisseurs will include a discovery of chocolate at the Bean-to-Bar Workshop and Choco-Tini masterclass. Sandbank Easter picnics will entertain junior guests and the Champagne Gala and Starlight Concert Dinners mark celebratory highlights.

The holidays will also embrace active adventures with the Jean-Michel Cousteau Ambassadors of the Environment festive programme. Guests can dive into awe-inspiring snorkelling, an Easter ocean safari to discover the atoll’s diverse wildlife above and below water, coral planting and mind-expanding shark encounters.

For families and friend groups, The Ritz-Carlton Estate will be the residence of choice for Easter. A three-villa four-bedroom design-oasis by legendary architects Kerry Hill Studio, offers a private beach residence nestled within its own peninsula for up to 12 guests to enjoy. Imagined with celebration in mind, including a 19-metre infinity pool, outdoor entertainment pavilion, private chef, fire pit and direct beach access, this is the perfect base to enjoy the season’s programme, complemented by the exceptional service of the resort’s Aris Meeha butlers. Couples and smaller families will enjoy a sumptuous choice of the resort’s one or two-bedroom ocean and beach villas.

OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort is taking luxury dining to new heights with the introduction of five overwater dining domes at its signature dining experience Moodhu Grill. Designed to create an intimate and memorable dining experience, these private pods offer guests a chance to indulge in spectacular food whilst sitting above the coral reef, with breathtaking panoramic views of the horizon and the stars above.

Moodhu Grill is one of the resort’s five restaurants, other options for stunning dinners include Art-I-San, set at the highest point of the Island, with romantic tables on a balcony overlooking the moonlit ocean, while Koto offers Japanese fusion in an intimate restaurant over a sunset lagoon.

Moodhu Grill’s menu features fresh seafood and meat with a subtle Asian twist in a relaxed and inviting dining experience. The Chefs recommendation is the Kandu Kukulhu, grilled yellow finned tuna marinated in traditional Maldivian spices. Other highlights include Kandai chicken, Seekh Kebab and Tandoor baked gobi.

Each dome accommodates up to four guests, making it the ideal choice for couples or families with children.

Dome dining incurs additional charges and is available for dinner with advance bookings. Rooms at OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort from £574 ($728) per night.

From a strategic partnership for renovation in 2023 that introduced a vibrant make-over with new water villas, to ongoing collaborations ensuring continual improvement of the guest experience, DERTOUR’s specialist team at SENTIDO continue to play an instrumental role in driving the success of OBLU Nature Helengeli by SENTIDO.

To kick off the year in style and at peak occupancy, at the end of February two of the leading figures in SENTIDO’s culinary team flew out from Europe to host a creative culinary extravaganza for guests and specialist training for associates at OBLU Nature Helengeli by SENTIDO.

Sharing the inspiration for such collaborations with valued partners like SENTIDO, VP of Food & Beverage Anupam Banerjee stated, “At Atmosphere Core, we focus on crafting a food and beverage experience that cultivates an immersive journey, elevating guest satisfaction while honouring local heritage and sustainability”.

From SENTIDO’s headquarters in Germany, Corporate F&B Manager Chef Frank Funke took to the kitchens of the island to create Maldivian inspired dishes closely collaborating with island Executive Chef Ajay Sahoo, whilst behind the bar and ranked #3 in the world for Mixology, Manuel Perez foraged the island for fresh natural ingredients to add to cocktails paired with the flavourful cuisine.

The highlight of the three days featured a mouth-watering four-course degustation menu paired with cocktails organised by island F&B Manager Bishnu Bhattarai and team. Chef’s Frank’s starters included a “Hiki Mas” Maldivian-style diced tuna with coconut-lime dressing, whilst Caesar Salads took a twist with ingredients including charred coconut, crispy curry leaves, anchovy-lime dressing, and parmesan crisps with an added touch of crispy tinapa (smoked fish) flakes. For the mains, the finest Angus Beef Fillets were served with a Maldivian black pepper sauce and “Fish n Chips” were served pea mint Breadfruit (Banbukeyo) purée, turmeric pesto and ube (purple yam) fries. The most popular dessert of the night was the dark chocolate ‘Maldivian Bounty Tart’ with coconut ganache, vanilla cream and crushed cocoa nibs enhanced with polvoron shortbread.

Mixologist Manuel’s shaker never stopped as cocktails made from fresh island fruits and herbs paired each dish of the degustation. With combining flavours in mind, Manuel’s concoctions included Fresh Coconut-Lime Spritzer, Fresh Mango-Ginger Cooler, Black Tea & Date Infusion, Green Mango & Mint Iced Tea, Honey-Thyme Lemonade, Cucumber & Passion Fruit Iced Tea and a Spiced Hibiscus & Date Brew, the finale a Coconut & Vanilla Bean Iced Coffee to complement the Maldivian Bounty Tart.

Commenting on the three-day culinary journey, General Manager Alain Trefois concluded, “With a full schedule of activities set out over the three days including functions for both our guests and associates, this visionary duo entertained all with events ranging from mixology classes to a unique culinary journey through pairing Maldivian inspired food and drink.

“By partnering with both these acclaimed mentors, our F&B associates at Helengeli have not just learnt new skills, they’ve raised the quality standard for entertaining guests through the power of cuisine. From everyone on the island, we are indebted to Mr. Frank & Mr. Manuel for taking the time to travel and knowledge-share with our team, whilst also adding a magical culinary experience for our guests”.

Corporate F&B Manager SENTIDO Frank Funke also comments, “It was a unique experience, and I am very grateful to the entire team for helping to make this event so unforgettable”.