At resorts, five-star or otherwise, the food offering is not usually the main drawcard. We may enjoy our club sandwiches pool side, but it’s not why we’re there. In the island nation of Fiji, where predictable culinary crowd-pleasers typically reign to please an international crowd, Australian chef Matt Moran has set out to change the game. 

Moran already has 11 dining venues to his name spanning New South Wales and Queensland. The iconic Aria is known for its fine dining while Chiswick, Opera Bar and North Bondi Fish, among others, make great produce, done well, their calling cards. Now, Moran has partnered with two of Marriott’s Fijian destinations, offering his take on the best of Fiji’s produce to intrepid gastronomes. Kitchens at Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort and Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay will serve a new dish by Moran for the upcoming months.

Matt Moran meets Marriott 

On the balmy opening night of the takeover at Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort’s restaurant Tatavu, guests dined on long communal tables sitting atop a sand-covered floor; a make-believe beach for the exclusive event to remind diners exactly where in the world they were. “Every venue has a narrative,” Moran told dinner guests — a group of international and local media dining alongside resort visitors.

A beautiful snapper ceviche, inspired by the national Fijian dish Kokoda, in which freshly-caught fish is modestly marinated in miti, a tangy combination of lime juice, coconut milk, and chilli. The delicate dish will be recreated by each restaurant’s inhouse chefs until August 31, 2023.

For the hotels, the temporary partnership with Moran is more than enlisting a big name to draw tourists to their island enclave amidst many five-star competitors. Moran for one says these “chef activations” can have powerful influence over the host’s kitchen long after the celebrity chef has left the shore. 

“I think it’s a good thing,” says Moran. “It shows the potential of what you can do with the local produce. Bringing in guest chefs inspires the locals. It opens their eyes to what can be done with their great produce.” Fiji has the weather to grow anything, and its marine bounty is exciting for even the world’s best chefs, he says. “We saw the fish and crabs they catch. Opening up their kitchens and inviting people to come allows them to showcase that produce, as well as lift the level of the cooking into the future.” 

It’s an idea even Moran has practised, most recently when three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park chef Daniel Humm and his team helmed the Aria kitchen alongside Moran and chef Thomas Gorringe over a two-week residency as part of the inaugural Vivid Food program in June earlier this year. 

“I learned this myself with Eleven Madison. The [host] team experiences a new thing … It’s a cooking lesson in some ways. As it was in Fiji, they may be intimidated when the guest chefs first arrive, but it gives them confidence around what they can do.”

Produce comes first

Moran described the process of bringing his culinary language to Fijian flavours. “Any menu starts with produce. What is in season and sustainable. You match things accordingly.” 

Earlier in the day visiting media were treated to a visit to Denarau Island Farm, which sits on a five hectare plot near Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort. Here we witnessed the resort’s efforts for sustainable, organic, locally-nurtured produce – a perfect match for Moran’s paddock-to-plate dining concept. Rows of endless mint, basil, Japanese eggplant, pawpaw, lemongrass, fruits and herbs are being grown in abundance by a small group of local farmers to serve the neighbouring resorts. And this fresh produce was on display throughout the menu: Purple-and-green dark opal basil offering an earthy, spicy freshness; edible flowers scattered across cocktails, salads and desserts.

“We let the produce speak for itself,” he said at the launch of the Fiji pop up. Canapes of yellow-fin tuna caught by local spear-fishers perched atop pickled cucumber. Then came roasted lamb loin served with zingy parsley-and-spinach mustard and umami-packed mushroom “ketchup”. Finally, artfully deconstructed coconut panna cotta was ingeniously crafted from various parts of the tropical staple.

“That snapper ceviche is an example of it all coming together. They have young coconut in abundance and snapper is caught fresh all day – put the ingredients together,” he says, playing down the incredible technique brought to the fore by his chefs, including Laura Baratoo, group chef across all Moran’s restaurants, who has worked with Moran for 16 years.

Moran flew in on the day of the opening night and confessed to the audience that he had played little part in preparing for the event. “I have three of my chefs here visiting … They make me look good really. I come in, wave my hand over it and there it goes,” he laughs.

Try it for yourself

To sample Matt Moran’s snapper ceviche and the full effects of his activation in Fiji, head to one of these two Marriott hotels now incorporating Moran’s farm to table philosophy into their own menus. Luxe destination Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay’s Fish Bar has breathtaking evening views and is perched on a hill beside the resort’s Sunset Infinity Pool. The hotel has a lagoon with a pontoon in the middle for jumping or sun-bathing, and there are luxurious beach huts as well as apartments and coveted overwater bungalows.

The newly renovated Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort is 20 minutes from Nadi Airport and offers family-friendly fun with a wide selection of leisure facilities, water sports, a kids club, and spacious rooms overlooking the ocean and gardens, with private balconies or patios. Visits to Denarau Farm are available, where you can experience family-style meals cooked in the traditional Fijian lovo (underground oven) method. The Sheraton also has a top-notch cafe called 28g for an excellent caffeine fix, as well as one of the extensive breakfast buffets available anywhere in the world. 

Matt Moran’s new menu inclusion will be available at Tatavu and Fish Bar until 31 August 2023. For further information and to book your stay visit Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort, or at Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay.

The writer travelled courtesy of Marriott International and Fiji Airways, however this article is not sponsored.