Press Releases

AKM Just Veg Hosts Chef Fabrizio Marino

As plant-centric cuisines gain global popularity, this exclusive four-day culinary extravaganza allows guests to savour a limited-edition gourmet menu curated by JUST VEG restaurant along with Guest Chef Fabrizio Marino.

Travellers are far more conscious of their impact on the planet now, with environmentally conscious dining, meat alternatives, and nutritious plant-based cuisines gaining ground in the global culinary scene. There is a new energy, a new focus on vegetarian fine dining.

Way ahead of the curve, five-star resort Atmosphere Kanifushi has been home to the Maldives’ first exclusively meat-free restaurant, JUST VEG, since 2013. This exciting restaurant returns with the second edition of its unique culinary extravaganza.

Celebrating contemporary plant-forward cuisine, the four-day event will be held from 28th July – 1st August 2022, with lunch and dinner hosted by renowned Italian Chef Fabrizio Marino.

Guests have a unique opportunity to savour finest Italian and French dishes while enjoying the restaurant’s brilliant turquoise ocean views. Fabrizio brings a rhythmic and playful table that blends traditional and modern food, with an authentic occidental focus.

This exciting four-day JUST VEG culinary celebration is in line with Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts’ philosophy, ‘Joy of Giving’, and is included in the generous Kanifushi PlanTM — it is available to all guests staying at the resort.

An Elevated Plant-Based Menu
Chef Fabrizio Marino’s limited-edition menu comes from a deep knowledge of natural, vegetarian ingredients and a recognizable quality of simplicity. Each dish is a culmination of this painstaking creative process that ends on a high note of culinary delight. Service, music and language, every aspect is calibrated for a balanced experience.

Glimpse of the menu that will be served at JUST VEG restaurant from 28 July to 01 August 2022.

  • Fresh tomato soup with avocado, strawberries, and fruit sorbet
  • Italian and French cheese mousse with pear terrine and mustard
  • Potato gnocchi topped with butter and sage and served with asparagus
  • Risotto seasoned with parsley and a side of artichokes and olives (evoking the Tuscan
    tradition)
  • Roasted mushrooms served with crunchy and soft polenta and aromatic sauteed chard
  • Refreshing lemon curd served with vanilla ice cream

Chef Fabrizio Marino says, “For several years now, I have been collaborating with the exciting JUST VEG restaurant. Meeting returning guests is always a delight and their smiles inspire me to excel each time. This year’s specially curated menu brings the restaurant’s focus back to subtle flavours through refreshing, Western dishes.”

Chef Fabrizio Marino is famous for Italian natural haute cuisine that is delicious, healthy and leaves an important ethical imprint. He has worked for many years with the well-known Chef Pietro Leemann, who gained the first Michelin Star for a vegetarian restaurant in 2015. Chef Fabrizio Marino recently launched Maggese, his revolutionary veg restaurant in the heart of Tuscany.

A short 35-minute sea plane ride from Malé International Airport brings guests to the ever-beautiful Atmosphere Kanifushi. Off the beaten track at a secluded edge of the Lhaviyani Atoll, is the pristine tropical getaway. The resort offers 162 stand-alone beach and water villas. With the premium holiday plan, Kanifushi PlanTM guests enjoy a hassle-free five-star resort experience.