Five Ways to Dine on Farm-to-Table Cuisine At Laucala Island

Guests can enjoy world-class gastronomy by acclaimed international chefs at a choice of five classic dining options for privileged guests to 25 luxurious villas.

Every culinary wish is catered for and only the best is good enough – from romantic candlelight dinners on a private beach and elegant fine dining in Plantation House to, authentic Asian delicacies and teppanyaki grill at Seagrass restaurant, barbecues at the Beach Bar, and spectacular sundowner cocktails at Rock Lounge and avant-garde finger food beside the Pool Bar.

Starting with the dining offering at Plantation House, an airy replica colonial mansion,open for breakfast and dinner, the restaurant serves classical à la carte breakfast from fresh fruits and juices to homemade marmalades and jams, fresh cold cuts, selection of cheeses and a variety of fresh and smoked fish alongside freshly baked breads. Gourmet dinners are prepared according to a farm-to-table philosophy, using daily fresh vegetables, herbs, meats and seafood.

Executive Chef Anthony Healy's daily menus are based solely upon fresh island crops and seafood caught locally the same morning. Signature dishes from the à la carte menu include Laucala cured beetroot and line caught Walu, and roulade of free range chicken, wild pumpkin, and pumpkin seed granola. Premium old and new world wines as well as cigars are on offer in the adjoining Plantation House Bar.

The scenic Rock Lounge overlooking Seagrass Bay welcomes the guest in the late afternoon for tropical cocktail sundowners and tasty assiette-style finger food with relaxed seating high up on the mountain to soak up the view and watch flying foxes coming out to play at dusk.

Past Seagrass Bay perched on a hilltop and with its ocean access by 60 steps into the blue lagoon below, perfect for pre-dining snorkelling and swimming. The Seagrass Lounge & Restaurant offers the finest Asian and Fijian cuisine, set against panoramic views. While menus change regularly to take advantage of seasonal produce, signature dishes include Geang Kua Sapparos Gung (pineapple curry with lobster), Poo Jaa (deep-fried crab cake and chicken with sweet & sour sauce) and Tom Kha Gai (coconut cream soup with chicken and palm heart).

Degustation tasting plates are paired with a thoughtful selection of wines, while one private dining deck is devoted entirely to teppanyaki specialties, complemented by a thoughtful selection of wine, beer and sake.

In a dramatic open-air wooden structure made by classic Fijian methods, the Pool Bar which resembles a extravagant shell, showcases unusual modern Mediterranean cuisine with shared tasting dishes in amuse bouche-style all served beside the Southern hemispheres largest swimming pool, a 3,000 sqm lagoon-style pool. Fresh fruit juices, coconut milk and coconut water is made daily all produced on the island, bottled and served to guests lounging by the water, accompanied by cool scented towels and vitamin shooters.

The Beach Bar features casual BBQs on the sand day and night, with grilled fresh seafood and meats, and Fijian specialties such as Kokoda, a traditional raw fish salad marinated with lemon, chili and coconut.

Finally, private dining is also always available - amid the jungle, on a jetty or in your villa – ordering from any of the restaurants.Bespoke dinners and private BBQ's are available on request and can take place outdoors, on the elevated wooden dining areas that accompany every luxurious villa. Also available anywhere and at any time are Laucala ‘classics' from a simple club sandwich to a plate of fresh pasta.

The island hideaway lives up to its name as the most exclusive retreat in the world even as far as self-sufficiency, producing much of its fresh ‘farm-to-table' fresh produce grown and reared organically at its own 250 acre farm. Crops and livestock are cultivated by traditional methods. The hydroponics garden and greenhouses shun pesticides or herbicides. Poultry from chicken, ducks and quail are reared in free range pastures and barns. Cattle, sheep and pigs also graze naturally.

Visit website: www.laucala.com