honest, humble, and down-to-earth critic – bringing you the best and worst of food in the maldives.
about 2km from our place in trivandrum is paragon restaurant, fabled in kerala for its leghorn chicken biriyani. but when our auto driver ullas, ibrahimdi, and i arrive at the…4 MIN READ
we’re riding with ullas, our crazed and perpetually cheerful auto driver who streaks like a demon through the streets of trivandrum. ‘can’t you drive slower?’ i ask him. ‘you’re in…3 MIN READ
my (real) brother ibrahimdi and i are roaming the streets of kumarapuram, trivandrum in the dark, trying to find a place that’s still open and serving food. we’ve passed some…5 MIN READ
‘where shall we sit?’ asks sampaafulhu as we enter DONS chinese restaurant at nasandhura. this evening, she’s in a tasteful wine-red dress with pale brown dots. the maitre d’, a…6 MIN READ
finally, i’m going to try patio’s sri lankan lunch special, this time with alifulhu, man of great talent and compassion. it’s been a few months since our last meal together,…4 MIN READ
it’s a beautiful afternoon in thoddoo and we’ve just been to the beach where women were bagging boli off the reef. closer to shore, children with nets were fishing for…4 MIN READ
by Ahanma, reporting from Tokyo It’s a nippy October evening in Tokyo, and Sameer and I are trying to keep pace with our 70-something hosts through some interesting throughways between…4 MIN READ
the day brings plenty of sun and wind. and i don’t mean samfa’s gas, but a strong breeze blows through the droopy trees on medhuziyaaraiy magu as samfa, our friend…3 MIN READ
‘how’s everything going?’ idris asks me as we hurry up the stairs to the first floor of roohi lanka, the (obviously) sri lankan restaurant near the FDA building on sosan…3 MIN READ
‘it’s tagine with a jeem,’ says abdurrahman to sampaafulhu as we walk into the restaurant. i walk ahead of them into the middle deck of the place, a newish moroccan…7 MIN READ
we’re broke as a bangladeshi in the days before his six months’ salary is finally paid. i have thirty MVR, deth even less. we’re at panini on chaandhanee magu, a…3 MIN READ
ah k cafe. i remember my first meal there – it was noon, i was hungry af. i ate a mee goreng and by god it was something else –…4 MIN READ
once more i’m at a restaurant. it’s opulent with a beautiful indoor garden and lavish dining rooms. already, a feast is laid out before me, a broth of beef, steamed…4 MIN READ
sometimes it’s alright to indulge in the finer things. by that i mean it’s OK to eat at sala thai, especially if you’re being treated by your sister. so here…4 MIN READ
‘how much further?’ samfa asks. she has injured her leg playing dodgeball with her colleagues, so each step is a tiny dose of hell for the tiny woman. ‘it’s right…3 MIN READ
someone’s decided that what hulhumale needs is another indian restaurant. and they’ve gone and placed it right next to bombay darbaar, how’s that for confident? and tonight, i’m here with…4 MIN READ
male experienced a boom in sri lankan cafes after covid, and now a new one, lanka café, has opened up in hulhumale phase one, near bombay darbar. tonight i’m waiting…4 MIN READ
hasanfulhu calls me up for lunch. it’s been a while since i’ve seen the guy and if he’s giving, why not? so we soon find ourselves at coffee shrub, and…3 MIN READ
kanduhulhudhoo it’s a cool place, kanduhulhudhoo. there’s nothing going on, time is a bullet that seems only to have grazed the island’s cheek. at the guesthouse, an old man stumbles…2 MIN READ
we’re in a car bound for mohonaa’s house in thinadhoo and dr boo is telling me about the time he jumped from the fourth floor of a building. no, he…5 MIN READ
ever since i came to thinadhoo, my friend thakuru has been trying to get me a jar of the atoll’s famous havaadhu. i’m not exactly in thinadhoo, rather, i’m on…4 MIN READ
