Showcasing The New Culinary Collaboration Between Chef Hari Nayak And Baraabaru At Four Seasons Resort Maldives On Kuda Huraa

The iconic Baraabaru restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa will engage on a year-long culinary voyage with Chef Hari Nayak, the renowned maestro of contemporary Indian cuisine.

From October 5 to 10, 2023, Baraabaru will welcome the visionary chef, restaurateur, author, and culinary consultant for the first time, with subsequent week-long residencies scheduled for the spring and summer of 2024.

Chef Nayak will bring his signature interpretation of contemporary Indian gastronomy to the award-winning Baraabaru – one of CNN Travel's top ten "Maldives' Finest Tables" – complementing the restaurant's 25-year reputation as the Maldives' premier Indian restaurant.

Didier Jardin, general manager of Four Seasons Kuda Huraa, comments,

"Our partnership is more than a marriage of ingredients and creativity; it is an alignment of philosophies and goals. Combining our shared passion for exquisite flavours and soulful, sustainably crafted cuisine, this partnership immerses our guests in the rich cultural and culinary heritage of both the Indian subcontinent and the Maldives."

A Tapestry Weaved from Indian Heritage and Maldivian Prosperity.Chef Nayak has carved out an extraordinary career that has taken him from Manipal, India to the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York and on to perfecting a modern interpretation of Indian cuisine that has captivated international audiences.

He is the author of six cookbooks and is regarded as one of the best Indian chefs in North America, Asia, and the Middle East.

Chef Nayak is the founding chef of the acclaimed restaurant Sona in New York and the chef-owner of JHOL, a coastal Indian restaurant with a Michelin star in Bangkok. He has honed his skills under the guidance of world-renowned chefs. In addition to having his own line of retail culinary products under the Cafe Spice brand, he also serves as a chef patron and consultant for a number of international hospitality groups.

One Heart, Two StomachsWhile Chef Hari's presence at Baraabaru will be a seasonal treat, his influence will permeate the restaurant's offerings year-round via a nightly set dinner menu that is inspired by his cuisine. Under the expert guidance of Baraabaru's Head Chef Kishan Singh – renowned for his passion for "the natural flavours of the food" and emphasis on fresh, authentic dishes – the two complementary menus will exist as a harmonious culinary symphony: two parts of the same shared values, dreams, and vision of Chef Nayak and Baraabaru's culinary artisans.

This shared vision extends to education and facilitating the exchange of cross-cultural knowledge, skills, and techniques. Chef Nayak's team will invite Baraabaru colleagues to India twice a year in order to investigate the intersection of Indian and Maldivian culinary traditions, providing valuable new experiences for all. It is a culture of learning and development that is not only ingrained in the Four Seasons philosophy, but also in Chef Nayak's desire to pass on the knowledge he has gained over a twenty-year career.

"When I first started out, old-school chefs kept their recipes a secret, but now I'm eager to share everything I've learned. I want to introduce the world to the Indian cuisine that I grew up loving, share what I've learned in the West, and collaborate with a team in the Maldives that shares the same vision." Chef Nayak says.

Guests at both locations will participate in interactive cookery classes and seminars to gain culinary and cultural knowledge.

A Dedication to Planet and Taste

This culinary alliance aspires to provide guests with more than just a meal, but rather a "home away from home." Within Baraabaru's pastoral ocean location, cherished by Kuda Huraa's renowned familial service, the maritime memories of Chef Nayak's youth find their counterpart.

Sustainability is the cornerstone of this sincere alliance, from the procurement of local ingredients from both regions to the exchange of information on reducing food waste and improving energy efficiency.

Chef Nayak's values are perfectly aligned with Baraabaru's unwavering dedication to sustainable practises, as he grew up in an environment where environmental responsibility was a way of life.

"Growing up, we utilised every part of the plant, coconut, and fish," Chef Nayak explains. This has always been the case in my restaurants – not because it is fashionable, but because it is the essence of home-style cookery, a practise that is highly prevalent in the Maldives.Combining expansive ocean views, carefully crafted dishes, and a genuinely visionary approach to the future of Indian cuisine, this is a culinary match made in paradise.

To reserve a table at Baraabaru during Chef Hari Nayak's first residency,

• Email Reservations.mal@fourseasons.com
• Call (960) 66 00 888.