Escape to the Maldives and eat like a king or queen in paradise, courtesy of Soneva Jain’s collaboration with renowned Swedish chef and restaurateur Mathias Dahlgren. Chef Mathias previously ran the legendary Bon Lloc in Stockholm, and is still the only Swedish chef to have been awarded the internationally-acclaimed ‘Bocuse d’Or’ prize. With a name inspired by its breath-taking location in Soneva Jain’s lagoon, Overseas by Mathias Dahlgren celebrates the seafood found in the surrounding Indian Ocean, and the produce grown in the resort’s organic gardens. The over-water, al fresco restaurant and kitchen has a laid-back vibe made all the more beautiful with uninterrupted views towards the horizon.
Open for both lunch and dinner, Chef Mathias focuses on a pescatarian, vegetarian and plant-based menu, with the fish and seafood featured on the menu sustainably caught in local waters. The organic vegetables, herbs and fruits and all freshly picked from Soneva Jain’s own organic gardens, too.
With an ethos of taking pride in one’s plate, rather than overwhelming with portion size, the menu has an emphasis on small plates or sharing plates, while a pre-set menu of Chef’s Choices is the highlight.
So, what’s being served? There’s soy roasted Macadamia nuts, and chickpea crisp and oyster leaf emulation for snacks; Asian mango and buffalo mozzarella and sashimi of raw smoked tuna with soy mayonnaise for sharing plates; and charcoal grilled fish and salad wrap, and black fermented bean stew as signature dishes; and fried shrimp with spicy glass noodle salad, hot and sour tofu with grilled boy choy for mains. Now to dip into dessert, and things like vegetarian cherry sorbet or dulce de leche promise to round things off nicely.