Saturday, October 23, 2010
Maldives Live
A pearl- untouched, pristine, unique and enfolded in the ocean’s womb- is certainly the right analog to Ithaa, the world’s first underwater restaurant brought forth by the Hilton Maldives Resort. Putting all the false “underwater” claims of other restaurants surrounded by aquarium views to shame, Ithaa stands ,majestically, submerged in the deep blue belly of the Indian Ocean, five meters below sea level. Hilton Worldwide Resorts, with their wide global network of resorts in exotic locales like the Americas, the Arabian Gulf, the Asia-pacific, the Caribbean, Europe, Egypt and the Indian Ocean, have invested a whopping sum of five million US Dollars to create the most sensational experience of dining amidst the dazzling wealth of the Maldivian sea life.
Mr. Ahmed Saleem, one of the owners of the Hilton, conceived the idea in Bali after a stay in a room that was built in the side of a hill, overlooking a river. Coming to fruition three years later with the completion of its installing process in November 2004, and with its grand opening on April 15th 2005, the underwater Ithaa restaurant is an experience beyond the wildest dreams of an avid diver. Designers, MJ Murphy, New Zealand take great pride in calling it their own creation, and so does the construction firm in Singapore.
Offering 270 degrees of panoramic sea view, the curved transparent acrylic walls sit upon a bed of timber, supported on four concrete-filled steel piles driven into the seabed. A top-notch air conditioning system operating at 60% humidity and varying temperatures throughout the day was next in order, and followed up with installation by a team of divers and 50 natives for approximately thirteen hours, the job was done. Now, the restaurant is truly a pearl perched amidst the resort’s renowned house reef and the electric blue lagoon.
The restaurant is reached by a wooden walkway from the nearby overwater Sunset Grill Restaurant. After a session of drinks over the water, the guests may descend to Ithaa via a spiral staircase and ogle at the five-by-nine-meters-large intimate little setting, seating only fourteen people at once. Exclusivity and romance are key points against the backdrop of the really aquatic beyond-the-glass jaw dropper!
As expected, the cuisine served in the dazzlingly unique restaurant is just as delectable as the novelty of the experience of dining with the ocean’s denizens milling around. Playing up the theme of Contemporary Maldivian cuisine, the chefs take native spices and traditional flavors and turn them around to whip up fusion dishes that are at par with some of the best restaurants in London or New York.
The kitchen does not fail to catch your attention with starters like pan-fried vegetable Samosas, duck and fish dishes, smoked salmon and Maldivian herbal tea. Keeping up with the fusion spirit are selected Maldivian flat breads and main courses that include red snapper, vegetables in mild curries, baked duck and roasted lamb in Maldivian preparations, reef fish and lobster with delicate sauces and served with Maldivian rice on the side. Desserts such as candied mango mousse, or frozen yoghurt, or muffins or tropical fruit would surely not fail to end the finest meals in a befitting style. The wine concept titillates just as much, coming as the drinks are from the fine Champagne estate Louis Roederer.
The stirring picture of chicken roll filled with lime and dates on a curry paste sauce on your plate, a tall flute of champagne on the side, and sharks and rays lazing over the wide coral reef or staring you in the eyes, just a tilt of the head away, should be quite enough to call an abstaining saint on for a visit, surely!
Mr. Ahmed Saleem, one of the owners of the Hilton, conceived the idea in Bali after a stay in a room that was built in the side of a hill, overlooking a river. Coming to fruition three years later with the completion of its installing process in November 2004, and with its grand opening on April 15th 2005, the underwater Ithaa restaurant is an experience beyond the wildest dreams of an avid diver. Designers, MJ Murphy, New Zealand take great pride in calling it their own creation, and so does the construction firm in Singapore.
Offering 270 degrees of panoramic sea view, the curved transparent acrylic walls sit upon a bed of timber, supported on four concrete-filled steel piles driven into the seabed. A top-notch air conditioning system operating at 60% humidity and varying temperatures throughout the day was next in order, and followed up with installation by a team of divers and 50 natives for approximately thirteen hours, the job was done. Now, the restaurant is truly a pearl perched amidst the resort’s renowned house reef and the electric blue lagoon.
The restaurant is reached by a wooden walkway from the nearby overwater Sunset Grill Restaurant. After a session of drinks over the water, the guests may descend to Ithaa via a spiral staircase and ogle at the five-by-nine-meters-large intimate little setting, seating only fourteen people at once. Exclusivity and romance are key points against the backdrop of the really aquatic beyond-the-glass jaw dropper!
As expected, the cuisine served in the dazzlingly unique restaurant is just as delectable as the novelty of the experience of dining with the ocean’s denizens milling around. Playing up the theme of Contemporary Maldivian cuisine, the chefs take native spices and traditional flavors and turn them around to whip up fusion dishes that are at par with some of the best restaurants in London or New York.
The kitchen does not fail to catch your attention with starters like pan-fried vegetable Samosas, duck and fish dishes, smoked salmon and Maldivian herbal tea. Keeping up with the fusion spirit are selected Maldivian flat breads and main courses that include red snapper, vegetables in mild curries, baked duck and roasted lamb in Maldivian preparations, reef fish and lobster with delicate sauces and served with Maldivian rice on the side. Desserts such as candied mango mousse, or frozen yoghurt, or muffins or tropical fruit would surely not fail to end the finest meals in a befitting style. The wine concept titillates just as much, coming as the drinks are from the fine Champagne estate Louis Roederer.
The stirring picture of chicken roll filled with lime and dates on a curry paste sauce on your plate, a tall flute of champagne on the side, and sharks and rays lazing over the wide coral reef or staring you in the eyes, just a tilt of the head away, should be quite enough to call an abstaining saint on for a visit, surely!
Posted in 
No Response to "Ithaa, Hilton Maldives – the First Underwater Restaurant"
Post a Comment