The Phat Chameleon restaurant at Pullman Maldives Maamutaa resort has elevated its gastronomic experience for the plant-based community. With 17 vegan and 10 vegetarian items from starters to desserts, the restaurant offers guests a destination dining experience rooted in sustainability, creativity and inventive cuisine.
The only vegan/vegetarian restaurant in the Maldives with a live kitchen concept, Phat Chameleon’s dishes are made in-house from scratch, including spice mixes, seasonings and flavourings. Each dish takes at least three hours of prior preparations. Some of the best-sellers on the latest menu include butternut tortellini, aubergine parmigiana and spinach and ricotta gnocchi.
Ingredients are sustainably-sourced cultivated organically on the island. Diners can sit beneath the flowering trees while relishing a delightful dinner with the gentle breeze flowing through patches of herbs and vegetables, which travel from garden to the plate.
Chef Junaddy “Eddy” Petrus, the young, inquisitive mind behind the new menu and in command of Phat Chameleon, took inspiration from his earlier culinary experiences in some of the best professional kitchens.
Phat Chameleon launched in September 2019 as a predominantly Asian-inspired restaurant. Curiosity struck Chef Eddy to explore different tastes by integrating multi-cultural cuisines. It took him two months of experimentation and collaboration with the team before he ultimately concocted the well-curated menu that continues to evolve today.
Chef Eddy has ten years working in the kitchen under his belt. Born and raised in Malaysia, Chef Eddy had the best education when it came to fusion and invention. An expert in Italian, Continental, Chinese, French and Southeast Asian cooking, he joined Pullman Maldives Maamutaa in 2020 to take charge of Phat Chameleon’s distinctive vegan and vegetarian cuisine.
“Utilising his Asian roots, heritage and multi-national culinary expertise, Chef Eddy is an integral leader helping to drive Pullman Maldives towards sustainability through his excellence in making healthy and delectable dishes and continually developing menus for all Pullman guests,” the resort said.
