IN TOUCH magazine - Baros Maldives

5 downloads 200 Views 1MB Size Report
The resort will actually have been in existence for 42 years on 7. December 2015. .... Eringi Mushrooms,. Szechuan Peppe
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2015

IN TOUCH magazine

IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives. Welcome to this edition of IN TOUCH, our magazine created to keep you “in touch” with Baros Maldives. All of us at Baros Maldives look forward to being in touch with you every few months in this manner so we can provide you with valuable information on the Maldives and on our luxury boutique island resort. Imagine, we are even going to share some of our most delicious recipes with you and tell some of our best kept Spa secrets. We hope you will enjoy being reminded about Baros Maldives and that you will want to be in touch with us too. ©2015 . Contents and photos are owned by Baros Maldives and should not be reproduced , distributed , transmitted , or displayed for any commercial use.

CONTENTS 3

10 years of Luxury — A Brief Maldivian Language Guide

4

Bon Appetit! Beef Tataki — Let’s Cocktail Blue Maldives

5

Spa Secrets What is a Poultice?

Once again we are celebrating a major milestone in the history of our small island. On 26 December 2015, we are not only commemorating 42 years of Baros Maldives but also ten years since the resort was completely rebuilt and refurbished with the concept of understated luxury and timeless elegance.

6

Underwater Hawksbill Turtle

Over the past year we have welcomed many new guests as well as several returning guests who seem to be increasing in number every year, to our great delight. We have also seen three Hawksbill turtle hatchings as the season has changed.

7

Baros Maldives Hotel Asia Culinary Challenge

We have been fortunate in yet again receiving the prestigious title of “Most Romantic Resort in the Indian Ocean” from World Travel Awards.

8

Festive Season — Get to know Musthafeez Executive Assistant Manager

9

Did You Know That...

Dear IN TOUCH Reader,

For guests’ enjoyment, we have enhanced the Lime Restaurant menu and now offer an even wider selection of international delights with an Asian twist. During the year we celebrated each full moon in white style under a sky filled with stars and now we are looking forward to an even more enchanting Festive Season. On behalf of all of us at Baros Maldives, we wish you a perfect ending to 2015 and look forward to a New Year with memorable moments together on our small island. Warm regards Shuhan Resort Manager 2

IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives

10

Get in touch

10 years of Luxury

A BRIEF MALDIVIAN LANGUAGE GUIDE

We are proud to announce that on 26 December 2015, Baros Maldives is celebrating 10 years of both romance and luxury. The resort will actually have been in existence for 42 years on 7 December 2015. However, in 2005 we closed for seven months of refurbishment and major changes, both in terms of facilities and concept, reopening on 26 December.

EATING & DRINKING Tea – Sai Biscuit – Biskodhu

This is the date when we completed the transformation that began when Baros was a small, informal dive resort with simple facilities where guests mingled with staff like a big family. From the beginning, guests felt at home on Baros Maldives.

Sugar – Hakuru Milk – Kiru Coffee – Kofee

Even before the major changes introduced in 2005, Baros Maldives had been through various improvements to the facilities, with thatched cabanas becoming bungalows and, in the 1990s, bungalows being replaced by villas to meet the increasing expectations from our guests and to create a welcoming ambience. When discussions regarding the refurbishments took place, the most important criteria was to keep the authentic Maldivian feeling, preserving the timeless romance of a small, palm fringed island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The accommodation was completely rebuilt with 75 elegantly style furnished villas with higher ceilings and more space. However, the original vegetation was retained to enable us to keep the old coconut palm trees that were here before the island became a resort. A new idea was the creation of the overwater Lighthouse Restaurant with its conical tent-like roof that can be seen for miles. This has become the signature landmark of Baros Maldives and its elegance and timelessness represents the concept and heritage of the resort.

Snacks – Hedhikaa Roasted Peanuts – Badhan Spoon – Samusa

The Gueridon (trolley) service at the Lighthouse Restaurant symbolises the epicurean standards of attention to fine dining, complementing the ethos of Baros Maldives. It is one of the many details that make the Lighthouse Restaurant unique and legendary, combining the best of contemporary dining with traditional concepts. Baros Maldives will continue to evolve to meet the demands of the modern tourist but the essence of the resort and the core philosophy of warm and genuine hospitality will remain even as trends and times change. We hope you will join us in celebrating this latest milestone on 26 December 2015 and we look forward to providing many more years of holiday relaxation under the swaying palm trees.

3

IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives

Cup – Joadu Fork – Oo Knife – Valhi Plate – Thashi

Let’s cocktail Blue Maldives • Add the mirin and lemon juice and then strain into an airtight jar and refrigerate until ready to use • Ponzu sauce can be stored for up to 10 days For the beetroot: 500 g beetroot 10 g star anise 8 g coriander seeds 5 g cumin seeds 3 g Maldon sea salt

Bon Appetit! Beef Tataki with Beetroot, Sizzled Eringi Mushrooms, Szechuan Pepper, Sesame, Apple Blossom This Japanese beef dish is served cold as an appetiser. Sashimi-grade tuna fillet can be used instead of beef in this recipe but it will need to be seared very briefly before serving. Serves 2 For the beef: 250 g beef tenderloin, trimmed 25 ml sesame oil 20 ml soy sauce 15 g Szechuan pepper, crushed • Marinate the beef tenderloin with the soy sauce and the Szechuan pepper • Heat up a pan and sear the beef tenderloin for a few seconds on each side • Take it out and let the meat rest in room temperature • Keep the pan on the fire to sear the Eringi mushrooms straight afterwards For the ponzu sauce: 125 ml shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) 6 g bonito flakes (katsuobushi) 15 ml mirin (sweet rice wine) 60 ml yuzu juice • Put the shoyu in a stainless steel saucepan and bring to the boil • Add the bonito flakes, then turn off the heat and leave to cool

• • • • •

Wash the beetroot with a brush and under running water Wrap in aluminum foil together with coriander and cumin seeds as well as some star anise Bake in an oven for about 90 minutes until completely cooked Take the beetroot out from the foil and peel while it is hot Crush the beetroot with a tablespoon and marinate with a few drops of the Ponzu sauce and some Maldon sea salt

For the sizzled Eringi mushrooms: 200 g Eringi mushrooms • Clean the mushrooms with a kitchen towel and cut off the bottom part • Slice the mushrooms lengthwise and sear in the same pan used for the beef tenderloin, to get the maximum flavour • Sprinkle with some ponzu sauce For the garnish: 80 g crunchy vegetable, cut in fine strips (carrots, capsicum, spring onions, ginger, red chilli) 25 g fine herbs and cress (bean sprouts, coriander, mint, chives, shiso cress, frissé, Thai basil, Thai parsley) 15 g apple blossoms 5 g white and black sesame seeds Plating: • Cut the seared beef tenderloin in fine slices • Dress the beetroot, Eringi mushrooms and vegetable as a beet in the middle of the plate • Place the fine slices of beef on it • Arrange the herbs and cress decoratively around it • Sprinkle the whole dish with the Ponzu dressing and garnish with the white and black sesame seeds and a bit more Szechuan pepper CHEF’S TIP To be completely authentic in making the Ponzu sauce, you have to use original yuzu juice. Should the yuzu not be available, combine lemon juice, lime juice and a little grapefruit juice; this makes a very acceptable substitute.

4

IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives

Since this issue of In Touch Magazine has a focus on the 10th anniversary of the new Baros Maldives, we have chosen to highlight the most popular cocktail of 10 years ago, the Blue Maldives. Cocktail fashions have changed since then, and we no longer have this cocktail on the drinks menu but let’s travel back in time to enjoy this extraordinary and colourful tropical delight.. Ingredients 40ml Bacardi 20ml Baileys 10ml Blue Curacao Liqueur 80ml Pineapple Juice Glass Poco Grande Garnish Fresh Pineapple slice Method Shake all the ingredients together in a shaker with ice for 30 seconds and pour into a poco grande glass; garnish with fresh pineapple slice.

YOGA Bow Pose - Dhanurasana This pose is so called because it looks like an archer’s bow, the torso and legs representing the body of the bow, and the arms the string. Benefits • Stretches the entire front of the body, ankles, thighs and groins, abdomen and chest, and throat, and deep hip flexors (psoas) • Strengthens the back muscles • Improves posture • Stimulates the organs of the abdomen and neck

Spa Secrets What is a Poultice? The word poultice is used to describe any soft, moist substance (usually warm) that is used for medicinal or other useful purposes. The word actually comes from the Latin puls or pultes, which means “porridge.” Indeed, it’s possible that porridge may have been the first poultice used for topical skin treatment, or derived its name from similarities to porridge. Either way, the name suggests that making a poultice is an age-old natural remedy. Poultices have a similar action to compresses but involve applying the whole herb, rather than a liquid extract, directly to an affected area. Poultices are used to ease nerve or muscle pain, sprains or broken bones, and to draw pus from infected wounds, ulcers, or boils. They are also effective in drawing out such foreign objects as splinters. One of the most popular poultices is the Thai Herbal Poultice. The blend of herbs used in these compresses has simultaneously a relaxing and invigorating effect on the body and mind. It can increase blood flow, draw out toxins, pus and embedded materials from wounds and abscesses, reduce

swelling and relax tension in the muscles. It is no secret that hot compresses are excellent for stiff, sore or pulled muscles and ligaments, back pain, arthritis, chronic pain or injury, disorders of the internal organs, skin diseases, migraines, and chronic stress or anxiety. In The Spa at Baros Maldives we offer one of our Signature treatments: Sand Poultice. This is an authentic Maldivian poultice comprising heated fresh white sand from the beach, grated ginger and warming black pepper. The poultice is steamed in seawater to enhance the healing properties.When pressed to various parts of the body and energy centres it improves circulation, relieves stiff muscles, alleviates stress, draws out toxins and brings relief to joint conditions while reducing water retention. Our signature Sand Poultice is recommended for everyone. It is a good choice for those who enjoy massage but would like a different sort of experience, and it’s especially good for individuals with poor circulation, tired overworked muscles, stiff joints, aches and pains.

5

IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives

1. Lie on your belly with your hands alongside your torso, palms up. Exhale and bend your knees, bringing your heels as close as you can to your buttocks. Reach back with your hands and take hold of your ankles (but not the tops of the feet). Make sure your knees aren’t wider than the width of your hips, and keep your knees hip width for the duration of the pose. 2. Inhale and strongly lift your heels away from your buttocks and, at the same time, lift your thighs away from the floor. Burrow the tailbone down toward the floor, and keep your back muscles soft. As you continue lifting the heels and thighs higher, press your shoulder blades firmly against your back to open your heart. Draw the tops of the shoulders away from your ears. Gaze forward. 3. With the belly pressed against the floor, breathing will be difficult. Breathe more into the back of your torso, and be sure not to stop breathing. 4. Stay in this pose anywhere from 20 to 30 seconds. Release as you exhale, and lie quietly for a few breaths.You can repeat the pose once or twice more. Beginners: Sometimes beginners find it difficult to lift their thighs away from the floor.You can give your legs a little upward boost by lying with your thighs supported on a rolled-up blanket. Advanced: You can increase the challenge of Dhanurasana by performing the pose with your thighs, calves, and inner feet touching.

UNDERWATER Interesting facts about the Hawksbill Turtle • Baros Maldives is the only island in the North Male Atoll with recordings of Hawksbill turtle nests. • The hatchling's gender depends on the sand temperature. Lighter sands maintain higher temperatures, which decreases incubation time and results in more female hatchlings. • The carapace (shell) of marine turtles is made from keratin, the same materials as our hair and nails. This material grows over the spine and between the ribs to form a solid shell in which the spine and ribs are encased.

HAWKSBILL TURTLE (Eretmochelys imbricata) Baros Maldives has for long been a breeding ground for Hawksbill turtles. This year there were three turtle nests in June and July. Some guests were fortunate to witness a hatch of around 80 baby turtles taking their first steps towards the Indian Ocean. The Hawksbill turtle can be distinguished from other marine turtle species by the sharp ‘hawk-like’ beak, the overlapped pointed or jagged scutes on the carapace and the four square prefrontal scutes between the eyes. The Hawksbill turtle is predominantly found in tropical reefs, like the Indian Ocean. At the Baros House Reef we are privileged to count at least 13 Hawksbill turtles, all officially identified and named by the Marine Centre team. Recordings of sightings of the turtles at the house reef are made on a daily basis. Reproduction

• When they are active, sea turtles must swim to the ocean surface to breathe every few minutes. When they are resting, they can remain underwater for as long as 2 hours without breathing. • If you bully or scare a turtle, they are likely to dive without taking the appropriate breaths and this can cause great stress and in extreme circumstances, drowning. • Food: Hawksbills diet mainly consists of sponges, their sharp beak being used to tear at sponges and reach into crevices in the reef. • Size: Average length is 65-70cm but can reach up to 115cm.

Female Hawksbills turtles breed every two to three years, migrating from their foraging grounds to beaches near their original place of hatching. Upon reaching the breeding grounds, females will mate with multiple males storing their sperm within their body and fertilising clutches of eggs internally. Once the eggs have developed enough to be laid, the female comes ashore (generally during the night), selects a nesting site towards the back of steep beaches amongst the vegetation, digs an egg chamber and lays between 80-140 eggs. She then covers the eggs and returns to the sea. Hawksbills nest approximately two or three times in each breeding season so once the female has returned to the sea, she will fertilise a new clutch of eggs with the stored sperm from her earlier mating and begin the process again.

6

IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives

• Weight: 45 – 70 Kg. • Lifespan: Range from 30-50 years

Baros Maldives BAROS MALDIVES CULINARY SUCCESS Baros Maldives is proud to announce that the resort was awarded with an astonishing 22 medals at the International Culinary Competition held as part of the Hotel Asia Exhibition in Male’, capital of the Maldives, in September.

The Culinary Competition encourages young and upcoming chefs to pursue a career with passion and excitement, by competing side by side with other professionally qualified chefs.

Over 450 chefs comprising 14 nationalities working in 50 resorts in the Maldives took part in the Culinary Challenge. The chefs and their creations were judged by 13 chefs from the World Association of Chefs with judges coming from Switzerland, Philippines, Germany, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Australia, India, South Africa and the Maldives.

Baros Maldives Executive Chef, Stefan Goehcke, expressed his pride at the success achieved by the members of his brigade. “This is especially rewarding,” he said, “as it shows the diverse talent of our culinary team and the flexibility of their skills as cooks.”

The competitors were judged in 18 categories, with Baros Maldives winning medals in 10 categories with four gold, four silver, and 14 bronze medals, including first place in the Hot Cooking - Lamb, Fish Fillet, and Bread & Pastry categories. Ibrahim Nathif of Maldives took as much as five medals, and Krishantha Alahakoon, of Sri Lanka, took four, making Baros Maldives stand out as one of the highest awarded resorts in the Maldives. 7

IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives

GET TO KNOW Musthafeez

Executive Assistant Manager

live bands in the evenings as well as special gala dinners for this Unique Celebration. On Christmas Eve, the Palm Garden lights up with decorations for a special Christmas Dinner; a band will be playing so guests can dance under the stars and the brightly lit palm trees.

Festive Season At Baros Maldives, we have plenty to celebrate this year including our anniversary and, of course, the Festive Season of Christmas and New Year. The theme of this Festive Season is “A Unique Celebration” because of the uniqueness of the events we are commemorating this December. As always, our guests will travel from near and far to spend this special time of the year with us. We are delighted to meet new guests choosing Baros Maldives for the first time as well as being honoured to welcome the many repeat guests who stay regularly with us. Every day from Tuesday 22 December to Saturday 2 January there will be special excursions and happenings. Events vary from our classic glass bottom boat rides and dolphin cruises to different

On Christmas Day, Santa Claus will make a guest appearance, perhaps looking for a relaxing tropical Christmas, rather than the cold North Pole. The evening will finish off with a lovely jazz night. On Saturday 26 December, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the new luxury Baros Maldives in unique style, with a special celebration to which all guests will be invited to enjoy both classical Baros signature dishes as well as new delicious creations before dancing to the tunes of the talented band Detune. To mark the end of the year on Thursday 31 December and welcome the New Year, we plan a grand start to 2016 and are confident that this year’s Festive Season will be A Unique Celebration that will be enjoyed by all here at Baros Maldives.

8

IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives

Joining in April 2015 Musthafeez, our new addition to the Baros Maldives family, has 20 years’ experience in luxury tourism, both in the Maldives and abroad. Born in the most southern atoll of Addu, Musthafeez moved to the capital Male’ when he was seven years old. His motivation to work in the Hospitality Industry led him to pursue a twoyear professional course at the School of Hotel and Catering Service in the Maldives. His journey in the Hospitality industry began in 1995 with Yacht Tours Maldives as a Reservation agent. During his long career, Musthafeez has worked in various luxury establishments around the Maldives. His career has taken him not only around the islands but also to Thailand, Indonesia as well as Bangalore, India. One of his biggest passions is travelling and his favourite destination so far has been Barcelona, Spain. Before joining Baros Maldives he was Reservations Manager, Front Office Manager and Executive Assistant Manager on both Banyan Tree and Angsana luxury properties. We are delighted that Musthafeez is a part of our team. He says one of his main reasons for choosing Baros Maldives was the reputation the resort has for commitment to customised and personalised service. He is not only excited to be a part of the team but also delighted about the close connection established with guests, making sure that every guest’s experience of Baros Maldives becomes as memorable as possible.

Did you know that... … When Baros opened it took 90 minutes to travel from Male’ by motorised dhoni? …In the first few years, Baros was only open during the European winter months, as guests came only from Europe? …the resort first opened all year round in 1983 when guests began to come from Africa, Australia and Asia, as well as from Europe? … Nearly 50% of staff members have been working on Baros Maldives for more than five years, while several have been at the resort for more than 20 years? … Baros Island is traditionally known as Kodhdhipparu-Baros?

9

IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives

∙∙

Get in touch

Any questions, suggestions, comments? Get in touch with us on Baros Maldives, we are looking forward to hearing from you.

∙∙ Shuhan, Resort Manager [email protected] ∙∙ Musthafeez, Executive Assistant Manager [email protected] ∙∙ Chef Stefan, Executive Chef [email protected] ∙∙ Lisa, Quality Assurance Manager [email protected] ∙∙ Shanoon, Sales & Marketing Manager [email protected] ∙∙ Shijah, Front Office Manager [email protected] ∙∙ Abdulla, Food & Beverage Manager [email protected] ∙∙ Ron, Spa Manager [email protected] ∙∙ Elisa, Marine Biologist [email protected] ∙∙ Karin, Dive Manager [email protected] Tel: +960 664 26 72 [email protected] . www.baros.com

10

IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives

PO Box 2015, Malé 20-02, Republic of Maldives Tel: + 960 664 26 72, Fax: + 960 664 34 97 [email protected], www.baros.com

11

IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives