ISLAND TAKEOVER
What happens when Three Blue Ducks take over the kitchen at W Maldives? As editor-in-chief Kerrie McCallum discovers, it’s an epic island party, and a menu not to be missed.
MARK LABROOY STRETCHES his long frame and casts the lure wide into the ocean. The Three Blue Ducks chef is fishing for his dinner – and ours. Conditions seem perfect, the ocean a glossy blue, but the fish aren’t biting. For two hours we’re without luck (could it be the disco beats we are blaring from the boat?) until our jovial Maldivian skipper decides to halt and drop handlines. Success is quick – LaBrooy reels in 15 sizeable specimens in rapid succession, identifying each like a pro, while the crew chip in to catch dozens of red emperor, coral trout, pearl perch, mangrove jack and jobfish. A feast is imminent, although no thanks to me – my contribution, a puffy little lemon-coloured triggerfish, unsurprisingly doesn’t make the cut for tomorrow’s menu!
When the Three Blue Ducks launched their restaurant at W Brisbane last year, little did they know the global waves it would make. Hotel management were impressed with their laid-back luxury ethos, and takeovers of the W Maldives and Bali ensued. LaBrooy’s laconic response to the idea: “Cool, let’s get tropical!”
Yet while their relaxed surfer reputation may be deserved, the Ducks crew are equally a hardworking, driven bunch. It’s why they’ve come so far from the little Bronte cafe they opened in 2010 (with chefs Darren Robertson and Andy Allen joining to make six ducks along the way).
An avid hunter, diver, surfer, fisherman and all-round modern-day Alby Mangels, LaBrooy is clearly in his element in the wild. While at sea he spots schools of bait fish, pulls on his diving gear and jumps out in the middle of the ocean as the rest of us quaver nervously on the boat. “You could drop me anywhere and I’d be able to feed myself and survive,” he says.
Luckily for us, that includes the W Maldives – a compact, picture-perfect island in North Ari Atoll (one of 26 atolls and nearly 1200 islands in the Maldives) with 77 villas dotted over the beach or ocean with incredible views, private plunge pools, thriving reef, six eateries and bars, and a ‘Whatever, Whenever’ philosophy. It’s an atmosphere of decadent fun, with a resident DJ playing tracks throughout the day or manning the private yacht, music pumping as you motor onto a deserted sandbar in the middle of the ocean for a sparkling swim. Staff dance and laugh, and our W Insider (a sort of super-charged concierge) Chunky, who was named after a Bollywood superstar, happens to magically appear whenever you so much as think about needing him.
At the outdoor Kada restaurant, resident head chef Norberto Palacios, an Argentinian by way of Macau, recycled an old fire pit to build a large open barbecue and uses it once a week for a big cook-up on the sand. We eat wahoo, a fish related to king mackerel, that has sweet, mild white flesh. It takes less than an hour to cook over the coals, flavoured simply with lemon and olive oil, and served in tacos with spritzes.
“THE WORD ‘MAGIC’ ARISES A LOT, AND IT’S APT FOR THE EXPERIENCES WE HAVE.”
Outdoor dining is a large part of the appeal in the Maldives. With soft, powdery white sand, crystal-clear water and balmy temperatures, it makes sense to soak up every last minute of the sunset. On another evening, we travel via speedboat to the W’s nearby private desert island, Gaathafushi, for a beach feast of suckling pig, vegetables roasted over the fire and Argentinian dishes. We finish with grilled passionfruit and roast our own marshmallows while reclining on beanbags on the beach. At high tide you can kick around in the sand to see bioluminescence – the natural phenomenon of iridescent plankton that sparkle in the dark, unique to the warm coastal waters of the Maldives. Private cook-ups happen most nights on Gaathafushi, with everything from couples proposing, to families on the trip of a lifetime making the most of the unique experience.
The word magic arises a lot, and it’s apt for the experiences we have. But none so fine as the final night, when LaBrooy takes over the kitchen. The team set up on the beach again, but this time with a giant fairy-lit curtain sparkling overhead. The green jobfish from our fishing expedition lands on the menu, cooked over coals with “turmeric, ginger, garlic, chilli and galangal,” says LaBrooy. “Spear fishermen really value jobfish,” he says, as it melts in my mouth. But it’s his Maldivian chilli lobster (also caught by LaBrooy) with roti and coconut sambal that has the guests in raptures. The flesh bathes in a delicate curry that is cut perfectly by the zing of a spicy sambal. “This is a traditionalist’s sambal, how my Sri Lankan Nan cooked,” he explains of his part Swedish, part Sri Lankan heritage. The wind changes suddenly and a storm rolls in so quickly it’s like an ink spill staining the sky. The practiced staff jump into action, change the setting, and usher us quickly inside to continue the feast. Pineapple tarte Tatin appears, with a lemongrass caramel and custard, plus sorbet made from local fruit. And just as quickly, as we are wiping the last crumbs from our plates, the storm passes, leaving us wondering if, indeed, the whole magical experience was really just a dream. W Maldives guests will be able to experience the Three Blue Ducks menu from November through to January. LaBrooy, along with Ducks’ chefs Andy Allen and Darren Robertson (who took over the W Bali) have each contributed recipes for guests to experience at ‘Fire on the Beach’ through summer, including charred octopus, jalapeño and salsa verde, Maldivian chilli lobster, roti and coconut sambal and pomelo, grapefruit and bitter green salad. Visit: