Yatule – secret playground of Fijian gourmets

Psst! Want to know where’s the secret playground of Fiji’s epicureans? Fellow Instagrammer and foodie, Krishan Raj and I were promised a scoop when we tagged along with Fiji Plus’ publisher, Julian Moti QC to let that proverbial cat out of the bag. Arriving an hour later than we were expected at Yatule Resort & Spa at Natadola Beach, John Ambler was waiting patiently to welcome us and introduce himself as the Resort’s new manager. He wasted no time in organising our check-in while we were seated with him at Na Ua Restaurant for the choreographed arrival of its signature dishes.

John, a Kiwi, has spent enough time in Fiji’s tourism industry to qualify as a local bird – well-versed with Fijians’ appetite for flavoursome food too. Sharing a common beachfront and picturesque setting with its neighbouring 5 star resort, Yatule (says John) is in the business of ensuring guests get all of that and much more than they’d get anywhere else! Everything that is standard fare everywhere else can be taken for granted at Yatule. They are not the reason it is a mecca for Fiji’s gourmet travelers.

Na Ua Restaurant’s menu of Indian tandoori and Asian delicacies – prepared and served nowhere else so perfectly – places Yatule at the centre of the nation’s gravitational pull and at the top of 3 special memories to make and click there. Julian reckons the tandoori walu (Spanish mackerel) served with either mint or tamarind chutney, salad and garlic naan is incomparable with all the mouth-watering and -melting tikkas he has ever tasted.

Krishan also adored the tandoori chicken (which I devoured with cheese naan) and salt and pepper prawns. My favourites from the Asian menu were the duck spring roll served with sweet chilli sauce; sizzling Mongolian beef; and sweet and sour pork. Breakfast’s highlight was Yatule’s classic eggs benedict (with spinach and smoked salmon). Seafood pizza and satay chicken left us yearning and yawning for a nap on the beach after lunch. Choosing between absorbing the serene surroundings on nature’s tropical playground, after an irresistible dip in the ocean or the swimming pool – or pampering yourself at the Vishala Spa are 2 popular pastimes between meals at Yatule.

Each picture we’ve taken to capture fantasy’s reality sacrifices a thousand more words that could be written to tempt you there. Yatule is not just idyllic but ideal as a venue for conferences and gourmet cooking classes.