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One of Chef Wilco Berends’s creations.
If you were planning on travelling to the Maldives in October, between the 21 and 25 October, you are in for quite the treat, in addition to the pleasures that come with being in a gorgeous island paradise, obviously. Soneva, the luxury resort group, is collaborating with Dutch chef Henk Savelberg to host six Michelin-hatted chefs at its Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani properties in the island nation.
The sandy shores of the Noonu and Baa Atolls, where these two resorts are located, will host six Dutch chefs who, between them, helm eight Michelin-star properties. The culinary festival will have chefs André van Alten, Edwin Vinke, Jos Grootscholten, Andre Van Doorn, John Alexander Jarno Eggen and Wilco Berends will host a variety of events.
On the first day, they will take over every restaurant at the two properties and cook up a delicious storm. On 24 October, the party moves to Soneva Fushi. The resort will be lined with food stalls serving cuisine from around the globe, prepared by the star chefs. On the final night, three of the culinary masters will try to outskill each other in a battle that will showcase their talents to a group of hotel guests.
Chef Edwin Vinke
Wilco Berends whose restaurant, de Nederlanden, takes inspiration from its scenic surroundings in the lakeside hamlet of Vreeland, will be bringing typically Dutch flavours to this culinary event. “I will surprise the guests at Soneva Jani with one of my signature dishes,” says Berends. Unsurprisingly, Jos Grootscholton of Perceel is championing seafood in the dishes he is serving up. “We’ll begin with thinly sliced raw corvina, slightly picked with salt and some lime zest,” he says. “We’ll combine this fish with sweet and sour tomatoes, avocado, corn and oregano. The dish will be finished with gazpacho made of turnip and some jalapeño oil, topped with crispy corn. For me the fermented gazpacho of turnip is very special; it is aged for three months and this gives it a very deep and intense flavour but it is still fresh and light. It has got so many flavour profiles, all in one.” Two-time Michelin-hatted Edwin Vinke of De Kromme Watergang, though, can’t pick a special dish. “Every dish has to be a star dish, otherwise we don’t have it on our menu,” he says. “My plan for the meal is to use a lot of fish, shells and scales, just like we do at home. The sea is around us, so we will be able to source these products quite easily.” And why did he choose to come to the Maldives to cook? Because why not, says Vinke. “How many times in a lifetime do you get the opportunity to cook in the most beautiful place in the world?”
Full details are available from the link below:
