8 minute read
DINING
from Supper - Issue 23
Healthy Foundations
From plant-based plates to inflammatory-reducing diets, biodynamic wines to nutrient-dense dishes, new wellness resorts are pushing the boundaries of clean cuisine.
Words: Neena Dhillon
Look back through the ages to the centuries-old healing systems of Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine or to ancient Greek and Roman wisdom, and a common theme emerges when it comes to what we put in our bodies: diet is inextricably linked to long-term health. It’s an area in which more of us are investing today, and one likely to gain more traction as part of an accelerating interest in wellness post-pandemic. According to the Global Wellness
Institute, the healthy eating and nutrition sector now accounts for a US$702 billion share of the US$4.5 trillion wellness economy. With conscious eating recognised as a central tenet of health and wellness, including for its role in disease prevention, the hospitality industry is standing up and taking notice.
Dedicated wellness retreats have long incorporated nutritional expertise into their culinary offerings but the focus on cuisine is becoming sharper, more educational and scientific in approach. While any resort catering to today’s travellers is expected to accommodate food allergies, preferences and calorie counts, those with a specific wellness ethos are evolving to embrace foods that combat inflammation, improve immunity, slow decline in cognitive function, align closely to the needs of the body in terms of individual gut health, and which contribute to sustainability.
Serving award-winning cuisine at Nutrio Restaurant & Bar from its flagship Bali destination, Revivo Wellness Resorts specialises in retreats tailored to individual guest needs, with nutrition a core component. “Encouragement to eat consciously is addressed initially in the arrival consultation with our nutritional advisors providing guidance about our menus to help bring about the results the guest is looking for,” explains CEO Laurie Mias. “We also have DNA testing available so our recommendations can be more finely attuned to the physical wellness and emotional balance of the individual, with suggestions on which foods to choose and which to avoid.”
While the Nusa Dua resort is not meat-free, there is emphasis on plant-based dishes with the overall menu conceptualised by internationally renowned consultant Aliwalu Caparrós, alumnus of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and a raw food specialist. For Revivo, she focuses on high-protein, gluten- and additive-free gourmet dishes with a Balinese twist, using organic, sustainably farmed local ingredients. Additionally, many herbs and vegetables are grown in the property’s own hydroponic garden. Vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants are balanced, with inconsiderate manipulation of ingredients avoided. Grains such as amaranth, buckwheat and quinoa are accompanied by fresh vegetables and seeds, alkaline broths are a staple, and meat is either grilled or roasted slowly. Homemade flaxseed crackers pair with nut cheeses while the sweet tooth isn’t ignored but satisfied with raw desserts and sorbets.
“We have programmes that focus specifically on detox, vegan and keto diets so with our vegan yoga retreat, for instance, we aim to improve the health of guests with high-
The cuisine at Revivo Wellness Resorts focuses on high-protein, gluten- and additive-free dishes made using organic, sustainably farmed local ingredients
nutrient food that reduces blood pressure, excess weight and blood sugar levels while protecting against certain cancers and heart disease,” says Mias. “The menu is designed to show how a vegan diet can still nourish and energise without any animal products.”
Much of this ethos will be carried forward into Revivo’s first European destination, due to open in July at Château de Fiac near Toulouse. While food will be organic, process-light and homemade in the main, the French countryside resort will set itself apart with a Phyto Bar. “Plants have traditionally been used for physical and psychological wellbeing as a result of their healing, rejuvenating and therapeutic properties,” notes Mias. “So we’ll be infusing our own herbal teas as well as essential oils and herbal extracts for treatments.”
While vegetarian food plays a plum role in Thailand’s newest integrative wellness retreat, RAKxa, the approach here is guided by a strong anti-inflammatory philosophy, as Executive Chef Kien Wagner describes: “All our cuisine has been developed with a deep understanding of gut and body imbalances caused by the average modern diet. Each of our menu choices helps the body eliminate toxins and restores balance while honouring the traditions of our Southeast Asian ancestors. The regional gastronomy is designed to feed your digestive flame.” Once guests have their first consultations with health advisors and an onsite nutritionist, Wagner’s team kicks into action with dishes customised around the individual challenges facing guests.
Having grown up vegetarian and with a health-conscious mother, the German chef has researched the nutritional benefits of food during the course of his 14-year career in luxury hospitality. “At a retreat such as RAKxa, where detox symptoms experienced by guests can at times be uncomfortable, it is important for our chefs to have specialist knowledge,” he notes. His team delivers wholesome dishes that are, at the least, organic and seasonal, if not focused on specific concerns. Fermented foods are prized here including homemade kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, coconut yoghurt and apple cider vinegar. So too are bone broth and collagen protein, which feature in many dishes, plus RAKxa’s own pumpkin seed miso paste as a base for soups, and freshly baked bread containing Inulin, a type of prebiotic fibre. Chef explains that an organic farm is being developed onsite for homegrown produce while other ingredients are sourced from local Thai communities.
“We want our dishes to open up a new world of flavour and uplift the spirit,” says Wagner. “But they also have to be health-giving like our courgette lasagne, made with heirloom tomatoes in a spicy marinara complemented by basil mint pesto and macadamia ricotta cheese. Our beetroot carpaccio is marinated with orange and paired with wild longan honeydressed arugula, roasted walnuts and probiotic horseradish cream cheese, while our roasted cauliflower is enlivened with turmeric curry coconut crème.”
A regional focus is perfectly at ease with wellness cuisine, as will be showcased soon in
LAURIE MIAS, REVIVO WELLNESS RESORTS
the Middle East when Chiva-Som expands from its Thai roots to open and operate Qatar’s highly anticipated Zulal Wellness Resort. “Nutrition will be woven into overall wellness on multiple fronts,” confirms Chef Oscar Fernandez, a hospitality veteran of 30-years-plus who is leading the nutritional charge. “We’ll serve a range of raw food dishes, dehydrated foods and nutrient-dense plates but with a heavy influence of local flavours and textures, using cooking methods that allow us to retain as many minerals and vitamins as possible.” In step with Zulal’s status as the world’s first centre for Traditional Arabic Islamic Medicine, there is an opportunity to showcase the health benefits of herbs, seasonings and spices such as za’atar, cinnamon and turmeric. Signature no-bake dishes swerve sugar, finding sweetness in local dates and apricots instead.
Chiva-Som’s expertise in wellness cuisine is renowned in the industry so all members of the culinary team at Zulal attend the onsite Health & Wellness Academy to understand the effects of ingredients on the body and the processes that optimise nutrients in terms of preparation. Guests are offered personalised dietary plans following consultations and key information is shared on menus, as Fernandez explains: “All our dishes are processed through nutritional software, enabling us to list key components such as calories, fat, carbohydrate and protein.”
Zulal will feature six dining outlets and a demo kitchen set up for learning experiences, as the resort aims to facilitate lasting lifestyle changes, including easy techniques around cuisine for guests to take home. Health imbalances will be addressed by looking not only at quantities and types of food but the timing of meals too. “After every meal here, we want guests to feel energised,” says the chef. “This could be through dishes that incorporate maca or baobab powder for example, or raw chocolate packed full of magnesium. Since all dishes are made from scratch in-house, we can cater to food intolerances and address gut healing on an individual basis.” Naturally, vegan dishes will feature heavily at Zulal; sample plates include
KIEN WAGNER, RAKXA
At RAKxa, Thailand’s newest integrative wellness retreat, the approach is guided by a strong anti-inflammatory philosophy
raw fennel bulb accompanied by a puree and garnish of microgreens, lotus seed and beetroot powder; an antioxidant-rich tomato ice cream; and beetroot in multiple textures garnished with red chard and pea microgreens.
Global wellness hospitality receives another boost as Amrit Ocean Resort & Residences opens its doors on Singer Island in Florida this August with five F&B outlets. Each will have its own take on wellness but an overriding consideration will be the ratio of vegetables over animal protein – for Amrit, the balance struck is 70/30. Executive Chef Justin Vaiciunas, a native of Detroit, is passionate about clean cuisine: “Coming from the Midwest, I was raised on the meat-and-potato diet, but having moved around the county and become educated on food and nutrition, I started to implement this learning into the menus I created. I want a clean feeling after eating rather than a sluggish or tired sense.”
The resort will be offering Viome’s gut microbiome testing for wellness-focused guests who are seeking evidence-based nutritional recommendations. Equally, Ayurvedic principles will come into play through plates tailored to suit the individual dosha (the energetic make-up) of a guest. Personalisation of the culinary journey is, again, key. “My idea is to take healthy food and give it a cheffy spin so guests still have organic, seasonal and fresh dishes that are unique,” Vaiciunas says. “Our wine menu is compelling, broken down by health categories including biodynamic, vegan, organic and sustainable. We’ll further promote the idea of nutrition through tools such as a spice rack that is presented with dishes, allowing guests to select which they add for a particular health benefit.” Already attracting a buzz is Ayre, one of the resort’s restaurants for which celebrity chef Matthew Kenney has conceptualised and overseen menus. With its intriguing combination of vegan cuisine and Ayurvedic inspiration, the venue promises a new era of plant-based dining for Palm Beach residents and visitors.
