So you’ve come to Fiji. You’re staying at a lovely resort overlooking the warm blue water, enjoying the relaxation you’ve so desperately yearned for. You’re probably near Nadi (pronounced Nandy), since that’s the major airport. Heck, you might even be staying on Denarau Island, a private enclave hosting several resorts and a bunch of luxury villas. It’s a quality existence for a few days, or even more.
What would make this even better? Right, some good food. And while most resort fare is relatively generic, you might want to try things that are specifically Fijian. Fortunately, the area has some options, even if you don’t want to leave Denarau Island.
To be clear, this is not a delve into truly local food options in Nadi. Though I passed through the town, I didn’t spend time there, and the safety reputation is not a good one. So while I chuckled at Fierce Chicken as a name, I can’t tell you what it’s like to eat there. Rather, this article will give you an introduction to the Fijian cuisine you can easily experience at – or from – your resort.
Fijian food is based on a few things. Fresh seafood is an obvious one, given that we are on an island. Coconut is prominent, though more as milk than flesh. Roasting or steaming in banana leaf is common, especially for meat. Other things have also influenced the cuisine, especially the huge Indian minority that lives here, which also means beef is a bit less common. It’s a fairly light cuisine, reasonably healthy, and without a ton of sweets (although since tourists like desserts, there are some obviously, but more French classics with tropical fruits).
I actually explored Fijian food back during the pandemic, with one of my weekly travel-themed date nights. You can read about that here.
At the resorts, even takes on Fijian food will be mild. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some good ones. At the Hilton Fiji on Denarau Island, their Koro restaurant serves up awesome barbecued prawns over taro cake, a modern interpretation of absolutely island ingredients. (The bar next to Koro also has a solid happy hour from 5pm, with affordable drinks. Get a passionfruit daiquiri and grab a lounge chair. Sunset from here is a gem.)
Next door to the Hilton is the Sofitel. As you’d expect from a French hotel chain, the food here is good, with some awesome French takes on local dishes at their Solis restaurant. I absolutely loved the paka paka, a local fish, with coconut buerre blanc, fresh turmeric, and greens. On Fiji, this sort of fish/coconut/greens dish is called lolo, and while they don’t use the local term here, it’s the essence of that.
The bar next door to Solis was also my favorite spot for a drink, with great cocktails and a huge list of homemade infused rums. So arrive early for a seat outdoors and a sunset drink.
It is my guess that most resorts in the area have at least one restaurant with at least one or two takes on Fijian food. It is an introduction, and I hope tourists choose to try those things rather than just to stick to steaks and burgers.
Of course, leaving the resorts is also fun. For as close to an authentic Fijian cultural experience as you can have on this part of the island, you can try spending an evening at Fiji Cultural Village. (I wrote all about the overall experience here.) Here, you’ll get traditional Fijian food served from a lovo, an earthen oven covered with banana leaves. I was served chicken, fish, and vegetables from it. The remainder of the buffet was a bit less authentic, although things like fried rice and chow mein are apparently ubiquitous here.
However, my favorite Fijian culinary experience came right on Denarau Island. Port Denarau Shopping Center is easily reached by walking or shuttle from the local resorts. Here, you’ll find shops, restaurants, and boat excursions. (Pro tip: there is a spa here as well. If you want a massage, buy something small from Jack’s, one of the souvenir stores. You’ll get a 20% discount on spa treatments with your receipt. My $11 purchase was good for a $24 discount on a massage. Score!)
The shopping center is also where you’ll find Nadina. I don’t say this often, but if you want to try local food – authentic local food – this is truly a must-visit. The menu is huge, and the hardest part for me was deciding what to try. After all, with one meal for two, there was a limit to the number of things I could taste.
More than anything, I wanted their signature kovu, a Fijian yellow curry (lemongrass, ginger, and turmeric are the primary ingredients) steamed in foil inside of banana leaves. Wow doesn’t begin to describe it.
Since there were too many other things I wanted, we opted for two starters. The first was kokoda, which might be considered Fiji’s national dish. Think of kokoda as Fijian ceviche. Local whitefish is marinated in citrus, coconut milk, onion, and cilantro. Sometimes ginger or turmeric is included. The kokoda here has probably the most flavorful coconut broth I’ve ever tasted, so much so that I finished it with a spoon when the fish was gone.
The last dish was called ota miti, and is a salad (again with coconut milk, but also with diced tomato) of bush fern from the rain forest interior of Fiji. I’d never eaten bush fern before, but it is awesome. It reminded me of a cross between wild spinach and bok choy, tender but with a little bitterness the coconut milk offsets.
You could, however, get any of a dozen or more dishes only found in Fiji, and I’m guessing you’d walk away incredibly happy.
It just goes to show: even in an area so heavily dominated by luxury resorts, tourists to Nadi, Fiji can find some awesome local food, getting an introduction to what Fijian cuisine can be. So come, enjoy the sea and the pools, but try something you haven’t had before. You just might love it!
Like it? Pin it!
