Les Roulottes: Papeete’s famed food
night market is located by the city’s cruise
terminal and features a bustling al fresco
dining rooms dotted with food trucks. The
diversity of food here was what impressed
me most: French creperie, American burger
joint, Italian pizza pie and Polynesian roast
pig, which I found rotating over a spit.
Locals will tell you that the most iconic
Tahitian street food can be found at the food
trucks owned by Chinese immigrants.
Les Roulottes is open until the wee hours of
the morning and the classic “must try” dish is
best enjoyed after dancing yourself silly on
the weekend: a sizzling plate of beef and
bok choy tossed chow mein.
Le Ohiri at Relais & Chateaux
Le Taha’a Resort: Six tables sit in the
fine dining room at Le Ohiri, offering an
intimate setting for those looking to romance
themselves over pretty on the plate.
Chef Julien Roux got his start in Nice and
spent time honing his craft in the kitchens of
Chef Jacques Maimin and Joel Robuchon.
Le Mahi Mahi is served as ceviche muddled
in local Taha’a vanilla and tart lime, which is
grown in Marquesas. L’Agneau is served a
la roasted canon and paired with zucchini
cannelloni stuffed with fresh goat cheese and
sharp black garlic confit. A playful pavlovla
offers a sweet finish featuring essence of
strawberry and jasmine with floral lychee
sorbet.
Arii Moana at the Four Seasons
Bora Bora Resort: My journey through
Chef Frederic Angevin’s Polynesian modern
begins with a refreshing chilled cucumber
and coconut soup quickly followed by
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glistening carpaccio of Mahi Mahi adorned
with citrus, pink pepper served alongside a
petite glass of iced lemon vanilla granite.
I encounter a marvelous muddling of flavours
while spooning through a bowl of sweet
potato gnocchi which arrives at the table
tossed in wilted arugula, confit tomato,
shaved parmesan and sweet Taha’a vanilla
sauce. Milk chocolate is the feast’s finale, a
perfect cocoa sphere filled with caramelized
banana and ice cream which melts before
your eyes as a petite pot of molten chocolate
drizzles from above.
Polynesian BBQ on Private Motu:
Circumnavigate Bora Bora in a day via
outrigger boat while making three splashy
stops: feed a few friendly manta ray (they eat
through their nose you know!), swim with a
school of sharks where the reef and ocean
meet and snorkel across a lush coral garden
where a multi-coloured aquatic community
waved hello with tiny fish fins.
The unforgettable sun-soaked adventure ends
on a high-note: a traditional Polynesian BBQ
lunch served as pretty picnic on a private
motu. I poured a glass of oaky Chardonnay
from New Zealand before nibbling through
a feast served on a traditional plate which
locals weave together using fronds of palm.
I sat on the dock, my legs dangling over
colourful coral while devouring a BBQ trilogy
(steak, chicken and Mahi Mahi) served
alongside raw tuna coconut salad, roasted
sweet potato, sticky banana poe and sweet
slices of pineapple.
Andrew John Virtue Dobson
@dobbernation
www.dobbernationloves.com