Eat and Drink

Shakil Zoro Bhamji, better known as Zoro, was an entrepreneur at an early age, selling fruit  by the roadside in Ba  to pay for his school fees and supplies. “I used to see all the ladies from across the village sell their mangoes on the roadside. So during school holidays and weekends, I used to […]

VegFest Fiji 2023 starts tonight, and at this year’s event you can learn how to make vinegar and kombucha, share brunch with your children, or go vegan at some of Suva’s most loved restaurants. This evening’s opening event, a dinner at Lami Novotel, is by invitation. But the rest of the program is open to […]

By Vittoria Pasca The plant-based dining scene has been steadily growing in Suva in the last few years, thanks to the opening of new vegetarian restaurants and eateries, and an increasing number of traditional restaurants adding tasty vegan-friendly dishes to their menu. Here are some options to check out. Health Veggie Restaurant  Equally popular among […]

By Kite Pareti As a teenager, Nilesh Chand dreamt of becoming a car mechanic. But life took a different route when he and his family left his hometown to find greener pastures. “I’m originally from Tavua. When we moved to Nadi, I joined the hotel industry and started working as a commis [novice] chef,” he […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti During the hottest months in Fiji, sometimes all you want to eat is something cool and sweet. Tasty Island Treats Fiji can satisfy that craving and help you revisit the simple childhood joy of enjoying an iced popsicle. Tasty Island Treats Fiji was founded by Nakita Irvin, who was inspired by her […]

By Samantha Magick The Urata lookout just outside Savusavu has long been a favourite place for travellers on the Labasa-Savusavu highway to break their journey for a spectacular photo and some fresh air. But its popularity meant that it had also become a place that was despoiled by the litter they left behind. Now the […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti Labasa town was established in 1922 and has a population of approximately 28,000 people. It is called the ‘Friendly North’ with good reason; it is home to one of the warmest, most welcoming people in Fiji. The indigenous people and the history they share with the descendants of indentured labourers are the […]

“Eating healthy can be a challenge these days because of readily available fast foods and processed products, available in shops and stores”, says Courtney Underwood-Dass.  “Whether it be going down to the market or growing things in your own backyard, I hope that our book teaches kids that eating healthy can be fun and worth […]

A day at Malamala Island By Ben Wheeler “Welcome to Paradise!” our sunny Fijian guide beams through the speaker system as our catamaran arrives at the picture perfect Malamala Island Resort. It’s a bold claim, but then Fiji has a habit of living up to this regularly-served slice of marketing jargon, astounding visitors with its […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti Tuna, a vital “blue food,” could be the answer to the Pacific’s growing challenge of food security. In an effort to highlight the significance of tuna as a source of protein in Pacific diets, the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the Pacific Community (SPC) have organised the “Tuna Bites“ campaign, […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti The last time we visited Vasaqa, they had a cool spot at the corner of Namaka Market, and their food was the highlight of my family’s stay in Nadi that weekend. Now I’m back, and a little birdie told me that Vasaqa has a new home in Wailoaloa, so I decided after […]

By Rajan Sami My first introduction to Kanalevu Kitchen, the popular eatery at Suva’s National Stadium, came by way of a younger colleague in 2020, who was then following the emerging food brand on social media. Following their trail of enticing food posts, we soon found ourselves at a tiny wooden cottage just outside Suva’s […]

Australian chef Matt Moran is bringing his iconic paddock-to-plate philosophy to Fiji next month. He will be taking over the kitchen at two of Fiji’s premium resorts – Sheraton Fiji Golf and Beach Resort and Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay. With a career spanning over 30 years, Moran’s passion for fresh and seasonal produce will […]

By Kite Pareti “Money is not the sole reason we exist. We exist to give people a hand up, to give people a better shot at life, to give people access to education, and to give them financial independence,” says Luke Fryett of Bula Coffee. Fryett launched Bula Coffee ten years ago.  “We started off […]

A new grab-and-go cafe, Mana Coffee, has opened on the ground floor of ANZ House at the capital’s bustling Victoria Parade, targeting busy working professionals in downtown Suva. “We’re thrilled to now be located in the heart of Suva, where the coffee culture is truly alive,” Mue Bentley Fisher, Co-Director of Mana Coffee said. The […]

By Leila Parina It’s an ordinary afternoon in Suva city, with school students flooding towards the bus stand and window shopping.  Car horns honk as drivers speed through the city or are stuck in traffic. Shop owners prepare to close up while market vendors call out to passers-by in a bid to sell their final […]

The third season of a popular South Pacific cooking show is set to be released in early 2023. With over 5 million weekly television viewers, Pacific Island Food Revolution is screened in 12 Pacific Island countries. PIFR chair and co-host Robert Oliver says production for Season 3 took three weeks, with five participating countries – […]

A brilliant Fijian Story from the Lighthouse Fiji team about Fiji’s longest serving bean peanut seller, a Suva bus stand icon Mausam Ali.

By Samisoni Pareti and Samantha Magick Kokomana is a small artisan ‘tree-to-bar’ chocolate maker and social enterprise run by Richard and Anne Markham in Savusavu, northern Fiji. The operation produces about 100 bars of high-quality chocolate bars—almost entirely by hand—each week, using cocoa beans from communities, particularly around Natewa Bay (including from Ana and Manoa […]

By Rajan Sami Photos by Chris Sharma/Gallery Fiji, Wendy King There was a ‘prodigal son returns’ quality to the one night only tasting menu that Fijian-Australian celebrity chef Louis Tikaram presented at Nanuku Resort in Pacific Harbour in late June. The Brisbane-based chef briefly regaled diners — many of whom, like myself, had made the […]

By Rajan Sami “I’ve always been obsessed with chai,” says Nikhat Khan, the twenty-six-year-old environmental scientist behind Chaiwala, the specialty tea brand she founded under lockdown in Suva in 2021. “I think chai is very comforting,” she says of the often sweet milky, spiced tea that’s cooked in stovetop kettles in Indo-Fijian households. Working from […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti It’s been three years since we last travelled down to the western part of Fiji, so the Easter long weekend was a great opportunity for my little tribe to explore Nadi. After a small detour (thank you Google Maps for getting us our hotel) and some time exploring town we were famished. […]

The first VegFest dinner of 2022 prepared by Niu Grillz was a sold out event. Dish of the night for us; the generous chunk of pumpkin topped with creamy palusami. The Niu Grillz team soldiered on in difficult conditions (a blackout, dramatic thunderstorm) but managed to get the meals out in the end. Next time […]