Soneva Fushi's zip-line restaurant Flying Sauces unveils new chef residency

Maldivian resort Soneva Fushi has teamed up with the chef Pascal Barbot to bring France’s acclaimed two Michelin-starred Astrance restaurant to its kitchen. The hotel’s Flying Sauces restaurant – a fine-dining venue accessible via zip-line – welcomes the culinary talent this month for a 12-week pop-up that will run until January 2023. 

Barbot’s virtuoso cooking skills earned him his third Michelin star in 2007, which he held consecutively for 12 years, and garnered his restaurant the 18th spot on the coveted World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2011.  Having trained across some of the best restaurants across Europe and Australia, he is set to put a distinctly Maldivian twist on some of Astrance’s signature dishes during the pop-up, infusing his quintessentially French creations with local ingredients picked from Soneva’s organic gardens. The approach places a strong emphasis on zero waste, in line with Soneva’s philosophy of sustainable luxury.

Astrance’s chef Florence Stevenson will helm the residency, with Barbot curating a delectable seasonal menu in the open kitchen, paired with a selection of over 9,000 fine wines from Soneva Fushi’s extensive cellar. Highlights include slow-cooked shrimp with peanut paste, cucumber and chili, as well as caramelised toothfish with tomato sambal, pineapple et ginger. 

“It is a wonderful creative challenge for me, in line with my own culinary identity that was forged during my travels across England, Asia, Australia and New Caledonia,” says Barbot. “Maldivian cuisine features many fruits, spices and raw fish, and reminds me of my previous travels. After visiting the gardens of Soneva Fushi, the ideas were flying! Every ingredient inspired me.”

The 12-week residency will take place from 23 October 23 – 23 January at Flying Sauces, the only fine dining zipline experience in the world. Here, the evolving multi-course menu is enjoyed from an open treetop kitchen 12 metres above the ground, which boasts views of the island’s lush jungle and the ocean beyond.