Wakaya Cuisine: Philosophy
Fish from these bountiful waters. Fruit from these laden trees, sweetened by the sun. Here, you begin to remember that food is your connection to the earth as, day by day, the bounty of the island nurtures your body and soothes your soul.
On Wakaya, the notion of locally grown organic food is a given. Your first day here, on the way in from the airport, you’ll notice an abundance of lush gardens and groves.
The Wakaya Club & Spa specializes in Pacific Rim cuisine inspired by the island’s plentiful resources. There is locally grown venison and pork, and shellfish and fish drawn from the Koro Sea. Pacific green lobster, shrimp, swordfish, tuna, wahoo, waloo and mahi mahi all show up on the daily changing menu.
There are organic herbs, lettuces and vegetables planted by moon phase. And fresh fruit ripened in season by the Wakaya sun; avocado branches so heavy with fruit they touch the ground; and bushels of mangoes, kumkuats and guava.
The Wakaya Club & Spa has recently added microgreens to its range of ‘home grown’ organics. Microgreens are tiny delicate plants; the first few leaves developed after sprouting are eaten usually at 8 to 14 days old. They come in just about any variety an edible plant does - mild licorice-flavored microfennel, nutty, peppery microarugula, sweet microspinach, feathery intense microcelery. There are earthy bulls blood beet greens and spicy hot microradish. Delicate light green cress, mizuna, Japanese sprouting radish, golden Swiss chard, sweet purple basil.
Microgreens are smaller and more tender than baby lettuces, yet more robust and flavorful than sprouts! They add texture, architecture and bursts of flavor. Microgreens are considered to be in the group of what are newly referred to as “functional foods” which are food products that contain particular health promoting or disease preventing properties that are additional to their normal nutritional values
Here, dining is a distinct pleasure, prepared in a state-of-the-art kitchen by four Fijian chefs (and two pastry chefs) who understand the simplicity that underlies sophisticated cuisine. Every meal includes wonderful choices, and the kitchen staff is adept at accommodating dietary requirements without compromising flavor or presentation.
The cost of your meals—including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages—is included in your stay, so you never have to worry about signing a bill or looking at prices while you’re enjoying Wakaya's fine cuisine.
In addition to the extraordinary local Chefs, The Wakaya Club & Spa has an International Guest Chef program that brings highly acclaimed talent into the Wakaya kitchen for exciting intervals of creative collaboration resulting in many festive occasions of exciting dining. For more on our International Guest Chef program, please click here.
