Local Bounty
The French Polynesian islands are synonymous with luxury resorts and A-lister glam. But Sarah Tuck dines like a queen in Tahiti without breaking the bank… by going where the locals go
Ah glamorous, tropical Tahiti, with its swaying palm trees, white sandy beaches, fine French food and five-star resorts – expensive and out of reach for most… or is it? I went on a mission to French Polynesia to explore, hang out and eat locally, to see if there is another way to visit.
But first, a little foray into the past. Tahiti has a rich history, beginning with the original migrating Polynesians from as early as 500BC and extending through its discovery by European explorers in the 16th century. There followed an extended wrangling between Britain and France for control – a matter settled finally in the 1840s by the Tahitian Queen Pōmare IV, apparently in some small part due to her love of refined French cuisine.
‘Tahiti’ refers to the main island and also the collection of 118 islands and atolls that form French Polynesia. These include the well-known Bora Bora, Moorea, Raiatea and Tikehau.
Tahiti island is made up of Tahiti Nui (the bigger, northwestern part), and Tahiti Iti (the smaller, southeastern part). With the balmy weather, melting-pot culture and stunning scenery it is no surprise that the region has become a hot spot for rich-listers and celebrities from around the world, from Marlon Brando (after filming Mutiny on the Bounty) to Johnny Depp. It has become famous for idyllic over-water bungalows and glamorous resorts – and has developed a reputation as a holiday destination that requires a hefty wallet. But I found it is possible to visit the tropical paradise in a more budget-friendly fashion. Thanks to Tourisme Tahiti I flew in for a whistlestop three days to explore, relax and, most importantly, sample the local fare.
Seventy per cent of the population is Tahitian Polynesian; the remainder is mostly European and Chinese – and the food reflects this diverse mix. There is still a predominance of traditional Tahitian dishes such as mahi mahi and tuna, suckling pigs cooked in a traditional ahima’a (Polynesian oven), and chicken or pork with fafa (spinach-like taro leaves). Poisson cru is on every menu, and coconut milk, pineapple, taro, breadfruit and bananas are everywhere. Tahitian food is abundant, filling, often starchy, rich and sweet. By contrast, the French cuisine is more restrained and, somewhat surprisingly, very authentic and incredibly popular, with steak tartare, spectacular French pastries and Nutella crêpes available almost everywhere. The Chinese food was developed to fill bellies with ingredients adapted to suit availability. Chow mein is a firm favourite.
EATING like a local
PAPEETE MARKET
Open daily, 7:30am-5pm
Best time to visit – early Sunday morning This bustling market comprises a main two-storey building surrounded by stalls, inside and out. You’ll find fruits, vegetables, fresh flowers, seafood and meat (inside), coconut milk, French pastries, fresh sugar cane juice (Sundays only), firi firi (long doughnuts) and sweet and savoury beignets. Upstairs are more shops and stalls selling souvenirs, local pearls and tattoos if you’re game! Credit cards are often accepted, but cash is the safest way to go.
RESTAURANT DU MUSÉE GAUGUIN Papeari
With colourful flower-patterned tablecloths and barefoot waitresses, the Paul Gauguin Restaurant is a great place to sample a traditional Tahitian buffet, although a European menu is also available. For lunch I enjoyed fafa, curried seafood, pork and poisson cru. I served myself po’e as a dessert, but was advised by my guide that locals often eat these starchy sweet treats alongside their main course. Pawpaw, banana, guava or pumpkin are mixed with coconut cream, brown sugar and cassava and baked into a toothsome, slightly solid mass, which is cut into squares and served with more coconut milk. Not remotely delicate, po’e are also absolutely addictive, but beware – a little goes a long way!
ROULOTTES
Place Vai’ete
Roulottes are food trucks with French flair. They’re open at this waterfront location every night from 6.30pm, but Thursdays to Sundays is when you’ll find more variety and buzz. There are plenty of tables and chairs to sit and enjoy your meals – everything from pizza, steak tartare or steak frites to chow mein, tuna poké bowls (absolutely delicious), sashimi and poisson cru, hot dogs and burgers. And of course the non-negotiable French crêpes, filled with Nutella and served with an indecent amount of whipped cream.
MOOREA FOOD ADVENTURES mooreafoodadventures.com
Heimata of Moorea Food Adventures has a range of tours available, and it is well worth the half-hour Terevau ferry trip to the beautiful island to sample local food, which you may not otherwise encounter.
We began my five-hour tour with fresh fruit from a seaside stall: sweet pineapple and the crunchy local mango dipped in a vibrant sour powder, and boiled chestnuts. A little further down the road we stopped for fresh coconut milk straight from the source – beautiful.
Our next snack was a truly local one (and apparently a great hangover cure) – ‘cassecroûte’, crunchy French bread loaded with pork and chow mein noodles; so satisfying.
Next up was a more refined selection of the always delicious poisson cru and raw fish on fried tostada crisps, then a more hearty serving of doubled-down pork chow mein with both thin noodles and macaroni.
We took a much-needed brief break from gorging to visit the local pineapple juice and (scrumptious) Manutea rum producing plant, before managing to squeeze in some utterly delicious ice cream from a charming French chef, Eric at Queeny. This was extraordinary stuff – we sampled several varieties – creamy and flavoured with frangipani flowers, rich and fragrant with local coconut cream, and a magical chocolate sorbet that somehow managed to be both smooth and luscious.
Just when I thought it was over, we added one more stop at Allo Pizza for a thin crust tuna and fresh pineapple pizza with a creamy base – which I grant you sounds pretty awful… and yet it was fabulous! Don’t bother with dinner plans for the evening after the tour…
HEI RESTAURANT
Papeete
A visit here is an absolute must. More expensive than many other dining options, it is well worth saving to enjoy a beautiful selection of dishes created by head chef Heiarii Hoiore and his pastry chef wife. With fine-dining skills honed in France, Heiarii has established a strong reputation on the local scene. For my lunch I was treated to an exquisite seven-course degustation. We started with an amuse bouche of yellowfin tuna tartare and belly tempura, followed by poached foie gras, then red snapper in a garlic and parsley sauce, Angus beef fillet with pepper crust and a pumpkin and vanilla purée. Dessert was a very clever banana custard encased in a ball of crunchy puff pastry. Each course was accompanied by a matching wine with a sneaky shot of Mana’o Tahiti rum to finish.
BLUE BANANA
Puna’auia
With a pontoon extending over a clear lagoon, and the option of indoor or semi-outdoor dining, the Blue Banana is open and spacious, but still packed with locals and tourists every night. A casual bistro, it was popular even before welcoming Johnny Depp as a guest, and now has achieved something of a cult status in Tahiti. Having eaten my way fulsomely around the island, on my last night I still managed to squeeze in a tuna curry while my guide tucked into a delicious-looking seafood risotto. The world’s most persuasive waiter convinced me to order a guava tart for dessert. My reward was a delicious, sweet, super-short pastry filled with luscious puréed fruit that I almost managed to finish. Almost.
WHERE TO stay
FARE YLANG YLANG
Puna’auia, Îles du Vent, fare-ylangylang.com
While in Tahiti I stayed at Fare Ylang Ylang, owned and run by the vivacious Mme Hirshon Tea. The bungalows are traditionally made and open to the air at all times, with bamboolined walls, traditional furnishings and full kitchen amenities. It is a short stroll through the garden to Tahiti’s only white sand, palm tree-lined beach, with crystal-clear waters and only a few fellow bathers. Only 20 minutes from the airport and town centre, my bungalow offered the perfect bach alternative and would easily have housed an extended family group or several couples.
To get there: airtahitinui.com