The imaginative new menu at Aqua highlights a global cuisine with a Maldivian touch and island-inspired ingredients.

Komandoo Island Resort & Spa’s over-the-water à la carte restaurant Aqua has debuted a new dinner menu. Starting today, resort guests will have the opportunity to experience an imaginative menu, where the best of international favourites are infused with local Maldivian flavours and island-grown ingredients. 

Conceptualised by Executive Chef Christian Wiedenmann, the menu highlights a global cuisine with a Maldivian touch. All-natural, fragrant herbs and aromatic spices are sourced much from the island’s bounty, with seafood freshly caught within the atoll and delivered by island fishermen and produce from trusted local suppliers. 

“Each dish is elevated with a local Maldivian twist, and a dash of island’s spice served in an inspiring setting over the turquoise lagoon. Dining at Aqua is truly an immersive culinary journey through the region’s unique flavours,” said Chef Christian. 

Kicking off the menu are dishes like‘ihi homos’, which comes with curry leaf tempura lemongrass and scented seafood broth; ‘sustainable pole caught yellowfin tuna’ with beach herbs and pickled white radish; ‘Hinnavaru fisherman’s catch of the day’, served with Thai salad and steamed jasmine rice, and ‘kukulhu riha 1.0′, sous vide corn-fed chicken breast, enriched with Maldivian coconut curry sauce and served with steamed broccoli.

To complement the dining experience, guests can indulge in freshly-baked bread with special ‘curry leaf  butter’, served at the beginning of a meal and choose their favourite bottle from the restaurant’s specially selected collection of premium wines. 

Diners can finish their meal on a sweet note with ‘coconut bavaroise dome’, a luscious medley of mango fruit leather, mango coulis, mango sorbet coconut crumble, and meringue and a tempting ‘mishti doi’, combining Bengali-style baked yoghurt and caramelised Lhaviyani Atoll banana.

Commenting on the new menu, Dustin Kennedy, Komandoo Maldives’ Resident Manager, said: “Guests can truly connect with the local Maldivian tastes and flavours through the fine-casual dining experience at Aqua: the welcome traditional ‘kurumba’ coconut drink, the Maldivian background music, regionally-inspired décor, and the inventive gourmet cuisine that offers a new twist on local and international fare – lovingly prepared and mindfully plated. Additionally, our team of Champions have an abundance of captivating stories to tell about the food and the Maldivian way of life, including customs and traditions. We cannot wait to share the experience with our guests.”

Resting on stilts over the famed Maldives lagoon, Aqua’s location provides guests with the chance to dine under a blanket of starry skies and appreciate glimpses of the spectacular sea life that thrives in the beautiful warm waters. 

Aqua Restaurant is open daily for dinner from 19:30 – 21:30. For reservations, which are recommended, please email reservations@komandoo.com. 

For more information about Aqua Restaurant at Komandoo Maldives, please visit https://www.komandoo.com/aqua/.