honest, humble, and down-to-earth critic – bringing you the best and worst of food in the maldives.
upstairs at moti mahal in maafannu’s depths, i take a seat without being shown a table. as is the way in male sometimes. i’m waiting for moosaalhu and his girlfriend…5 MIN READ
by Dethu I’ve been feeding people since I’ve been getting a steady income now. Every little amount counts. From selling small artworks to big artworks etc. and people have been…4 MIN READ
i first tried ‘cafe mint plus’ a few years back. it’s the bangla cafe next to red banana near bihuroazu kamana miskiy. the place made an impression on me because…4 MIN READ
moka is the cute little cafe that haseena has opened up near customs. i’ve been there a few times just to have their thai iced tea, which is cheap at…3 MIN READ
‘brother!’ hasanfulhu exclaims over the phone. ‘what’s up brother?’ i ask, eating a piece of cinnamon that i got from pick n save, the cornershop near holm deli. although it…5 MIN READ
‘you’ll love their new stuff man, i’m telling you,’ i say to shaari as we meander through keneree magu towards scoop on his girlie turquoise scoopy. ‘girlie?’ he asks. ‘just…4 MIN READ
stepping into ranch, sampaafulhu and i are met by the full force of the restaurant’s bad plumbing. what a greeting. samfa wades through this to the counter and asks for…4 MIN READ
me and my comrade caramel suttaa are heading to henveiru after he mistook ‘the bakery’ on ameenee magu for soho. and on our way, we pass a BML ad that…5 MIN READ
it is almost the end of the day, and what a day it’s been. i’ve done nothing but shiver fearfully, reading headlines on the screen. ‘you should get out of…4 MIN READ
i’m climbing the steps to the second floor of opa, the mediterranean restaurant that’s opened near raalhugandu at the old tuskaloosa’s spot (as millennials will recall). manike and moosaalhu are…4 MIN READ
i find myself nodding thoughtfully while an old schoolmate in a grey tux and a pale blue shirt speaks to me with the enthusiasm of a long lost friend reconnecting.…6 MIN READ
by Ibrey reporting from Singapore Ah, Singapore. The gleaming metropolis where East meets West, and Maldivian presidents travel to get their suits tailored and new Ferragamo shoes. As for me?…7 MIN READ
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
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
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
