Cuisine of Vanua Levu Island for gourmets. Places for dinner - best restaurants

You have to make considerable efforts to try traditional cuisine of the aborigines. The fact is that today the cuisine of the island has largely changed due to the influence of Chinese and Indian culture. Locals eat cassava and tapioca, bananas, lime and fish. Seafood and fish are usually baked or cooked on an open fire. The food is quite bland here. It includes only a small amount of the simplest spices. Be sure to try a traditional local dish called rourou. It is a traditional salad, made of leaves of local plants colocasia. It is served with a special sauce or lime juice.

Try kokoda, a dish made of fish marinated in lime juice. This marinade makes the meat tender, soft and, what’s more important, safe to eat. The dish is served with stewed vegetables and rice. If you can find a cafe or a restaurant where dishes are cooked in lovo (a traditional earth oven), certainly stop there for dinner or lunch. Meat, fish, and vegetables baked in this way have an unusual taste, and this is exactly what can be called aboriginal cuisine. The dishes are called «lovo».

Don’t miss a chance to try asparagus-like vegetable called duruka. It is served boiled. Be sure to taste food made of breadfruit. A dish of fried sea worms, palolo, will please true gourmets. More often you will find fish and seafood in the menu, all the products are fresh and usually caught in the morning. Try different types of gifts of the sea. If you love meat, try baked or stewed meat with a side dish of vegetables or curry served with rice. Meat is offered in different restaurants, it is mainly lamb, goat meat or poultry. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Indian dishes such as curry or roti cakes are very common on Vanua Levu. Moreover, curry has acquired national notes due to the use of seafood and fish in recipes. Unusual local dishes are made of cassava. One of them, pakalolo, is something like an English pudding. It's sweet, but you can't call it dessert. The dish appeared under the influence of English immigrants, but today you can find it in many cafes and houses of local residents.

You can find desserts for every taste here. First of all, they are fresh fruit, various cakes and jelly. You can find Asian sweets, very popular Indian sweet balls of chickpea flour called - suji ladoo. The balls taste incredible and melt in your mouth. European desserts are served in most of the cafes here, and you can easily find candies, eastern baklava and more delicious desserts. The local dessert, cassava, is made from tapioca root pulp with the addition of sugar, coconut milk and bananas. Most restaurants serve European or Asian dishes.

Coconut milk, juices, tea and coffee are very popular local drinks. It is customary to drink sweet coffee with vanilla and black tea with various fruit additives. Water is quite a popular local drink, including mineral water of local production «Fiji Water». It is considered to be one of the best in the world. Every tourist should try kava-a national drink. The name «kava» comes from the Polynesian word "awa," which means bitter. In the South Pacific, kava is a popular social drink, similar to alcohol in Western societies. It is prepared in any village, it is served in special vessels made of wood. In fact, kava is more relaxing than an alcoholic drink. There is no drug effect if you do not drink it often.

There are local brands of beer – «Carlton» and «Fiji Bitter». This beer won’t please connoisseurs, but it is inexpensive, so it is popular with tourists and locals. The Island even got its own wines, the best are red «Suvanna Moselle» and «Meridan Moselle». Bars and restaurants offer a large selection of imported alcoholic beverages. There are not many restaurants on the island, they are mostly located on the territory of the hotels or in the centre of the cities. It will not be difficult to find them, because there are only two large cities on the island.

In Savusavu, all the catering establishments are located along the main street. We can recommend Captain's Cafe, which offers national cuisine. Vegans should visit Surf and Turf, there is a large selection of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes. Asian cuisine is served in the café Snowy House & Grace Road Kitchen and Taste of Hidden Paradise Restaurant. If you are staying in Labasa, take a look at the Banana Leaf Restaurant, there is a very pleasant atmosphere and a friendly hostess. The cuisine is mainly Asian and there are served delicious local dishes. Govinda's-Pure Veg Restaurant will appeal to vegetarians. Moreover, it is an inexpensive place with big portions.