NH Maldives Kuda Rah Launches Malaa – A Celebration of Maldivian Flavours

Saturday 19th of July 2025

NH Maldives Kuda Rah has introduced a new culinary destination: Malaa – The Maldivian Café, now open to guests looking to explore the country’s local flavours. The café is dedicated to showcasing authentic Maldivian cuisine and offers hands-on cooking classes for an immersive food experience.

Guests have the chance to learn about traditional recipes directly from Executive Chef Farish Mukhthar, a seasoned culinary professional with over 22 years in the industry. Chef Farish has worked at several top-tier Maldivian resorts and trained under notable European celebrity chefs. His knowledge and passion for local food play a central role in shaping the café’s offerings.

Malaa focuses entirely on dishes rooted in the Maldives’ heritage, using ingredients sourced from nearby islands and even the chef’s personal garden within the resort. Through interactive cooking classes, guests can learn how to prepare local favourites—like Maldivian curries and salads—before enjoying a meal they’ve made themselves.

Maldivian cuisine features fish as a main component—often cooked fresh or smoked and combined with coconut, rice, or roshi (flatbread). Other staples like breadfruit and sweet potato also feature prominently. One of the key elements in many dishes is the Scotch bonnet chilli, locally called githeyo mirus, known for its bold heat and fruity taste. This, along with home-grown herbs, adds a distinctive flavour to Maldivian cooking.

While most resorts in the Maldives offer a range of international cuisine, Malaa stands out by focusing solely on the local food culture. It gives guests a rare chance to engage with the traditions behind the island nation’s cuisine.

The launch of Malaa is part of NH Hotels & Resorts’ Live Local initiative, under the Minor DISCOVERY loyalty programme. The aim is to offer authentic, locally rooted experiences that allow travellers to connect more meaningfully with their destination.

Through Malaa – The Maldivian Café, NH Maldives Kuda Rah invites guests not just to taste the Maldives, but to understand it—one dish at a time.