Best of the Maldives: Cold Brew Coffees – Soneva Jani

\ Leave a Comment \ by

Soneva Jani - cold brew coffee

[photo credit:  Jai Lam]

One doesn’t typically think about a “cold brew” first thing in the morning to start your day. But cold brew coffee is a made by using time rather than heat to coax the coffee flavour out of the beans. Using cold water can take between 18 and 24 hours, in fact! The result is a brew which is a bit lighter, more floral, less acidic and more caffeinated than hot brewed coffee.

Soneva Jani not only offers cold brew, but actually has a collection of cold brew concoctions:

  • Tropical Pandan Brew – fresh banana, coconut milk, cold brew pandan coffee
  • Sparkling Brew – cold brew esperesso, homhade hibiscus syrup, top with tonic
  • Tumeric Latte – cardamon, cinnamon, honey, coconut milk, turmeric, top with espresso
  • Lemon Grass Cold Brew – homemade lemon gress syrup, top with cold brew coffee
  • Cold Brew Latte – cold brew coffee, top with milk
Posted in: Best of the Maldives \ Tagged: , ,

Best of the Maldives: Coffee Cafe – LUX North Male Atoll

\ Leave a Comment \ by

LUX North Male Atoll - cafe 2

International Coffee Day. And really who else could we feature but those boss baristas at LUX (this is the 6th “Best of the Maldives” recognition for LUX just in the area of “coffee”?

This time a shout out to their Coffee Cafe. Take-away coffee from 6:00 am through 10:30 am. This is just perfect for me. I often get up early for the quiet morning time to catch up on some email and web surfing. I like to leave the villa because my shuffling around can disturb Lori who likes to savour her opportunity for a lie-in. But I do want a coffee as soon as I get up. I’d rather not go into a restaurant, but just find some quiet corner of the island to stretch out on. LUX North Male Atoll was about the first island I could easily do this with their take-away service. Also, the more insulate, tall thermal cup keep the coffee hotter than a conventional ceramic cup (and the serving is larger too).

And extra bonus, the café offers 4 types of sweetener (see photo below). If this seems like a trivial detail, then you are not a sweet tooth aficionado like me.

LUX North Male Atoll - cafe 1

Posted in: Best of the Maldives \ Tagged: , ,

Best of the Maldives: Biogradable Coffee Cup – LUX South Ari Atoll

\ Leave a Comment \ by

LUX south Ari Atoll - biodegradable coffee cup

For short lattes or long, LUX South Ari Atoll offers eco-friendly coffee cups that allow you to have your coffee and take it away too…

  • “Coffee lovers can also have their favourite ice blends to-go in a biodegradable bamboo cup at the resort’s signature Café LUX*. Made of bamboo fibre with biodegradable silicone lids that are dishwasher-friendly, these cups are also in their retail shop for guests to bring home a piece of eco-friendly memento of their tropical getaway.”
Posted in: Best of the Maldives \ Tagged: , , ,

Best of the Maldives: Cold Drip Coffee – LUX North Male Atoll

\ Leave a Comment \ by

LUX North Male Atoll - cold brew coffee

LUX* North Male Atoll’s “LUX Café” features a non-electronic way to start your morning detox after a night of a few too many pina coladas – cold drip coffee. Cold drip is a technique where coffee is immersed in cold water and left to ‘brew’ over a number of hours. At LUX, water drips through for 6-8 hours to make one 1 litre (also 14 hours for 3 litre version). The result is a concentrated coffee where more of the flavour is preserved with a richer fuller body. It is especially good for preparing ice coffee – Lori’s favourite.

Posted in: Best of the Maldives \ Tagged: , ,

Best of the Maldives: Coffee Drinks – Kuramathi

\ 1 Comment \ by

Kuramathi - coffee 4

International Coffee Day today. I remember when we first started going to the Maldives in the nineties, as much as we loved it one of the biggest (if not *the* biggest) negative and thing we missed from home was a good cup of coffee. Eventually, the espresso machines made it over and the resorts figured out how to brew some enjoyable cups. For the 5-star luxury resorts, the Gaggia machine is table stakes and most have pretty fine personal coffee makers in room.

Kuramathi continues the trend to ever finer roasted blend concoctions putting its entire F&B staff through coffee guru training…

  • “The resort completed a comprehensive course in advanced barista techniques and coffee beverage. The training was conducted by skilled coffee artisan; Giorgos Atsopardis who is a Certified Specialty Barista & Certified Specialty Brewer. Originally from Greece, he contributed his 20 years of expertise and wisdom in the coffee industry to participants from our Food and Beverage team in a dedicated workshop. Giorgos’s expertise in coffee has also earned him finalist positions in the National Barista Championship of Greece in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Coffee produced by the iconic brewing method of utilizing a ‘Syphon Filter’ was also demonstrated during the training session, and it’s no surprise the specialty is available for guests to try.“

Amongst the few additions to the hot drinks menu are…

  • Kuramathi on Ice – Espresso, Cold Chocolate, Scoop of Vanilla, Cinnamon powder, Caramel syrup
  • Freddo Cappuccino – Espresso poured in iced and creamy milk
  • Cold Mocachino – Espresso with cold chocolate

Kuramathi - coffee 3

Kuramathi - coffee

Kuramathi - coffee 1

Posted in: Best of the Maldives \ Tagged: , ,

Best of the Maldives: Biodegradable Coffee Pods – Park Hyatt Hadahaa

\ Leave a Comment \ by

Park Hyatt Hadahaa - biogradable coffee pods

Park Hyatt Hadahaa introduces the eco-friendly coffee with its Ecocaffe coffee pods on its villa’s mini-bar.

  • “The world’s only certified biodegradable coffee pods for Nespresso machines to Maldives resorts. Almost all resorts are using plastic or aluminium pods in their rooms.”

Not having to leave you room for a tasty brew in the morning also makes it ‘low miles’ to converse your own personal energy.

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , , , ,

Best of the Maldives: Turkish Refreshment – Ayada

\ Leave a Comment \ by

Ayada - Turkish lounge

Today is International Coffee Day. And for those who want to celebrate with a cup of extra high test, the quintessence of caffeinated elixir is considered by many aficionados to be the Turkish concoction where the consistency is more stew than broth.

The Turkish even have a traditional saying which underscores the sanctity of this buzzing beverage – “Bir kahvenin kirk yil hatiri vardir.” It means “A cup of coffee commits one to forty years of friendship.” It is used to remind us that friendships should not be taken lightly and we should invest in them for a long term commitment.

And an afternoon refreshment at Ayada’s lounge is just the place to leisurely enjoy that friendship. Packed with Ottoman ottomans and the Turkish delights of Turkish Delight, you can also partake of a wide range of teas and shisha as well.

Posted in: Best of the Maldives \ Tagged: , , , ,