Javvu Cafe @ Shangrila Maldives

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We opted to go ala carte on the first night and full board on the second just because it was raining too hard on the first to even leave our villa.

In Room Dining

From the kitchens of Javvu, our room service arrived within 45 minutes after ordering.

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All room service came with a basket of bread and dessert even. I loved their bread basket so much, it was definitely a huge pity I could not stomach all of it - huge props go to that olive foccacia, mighty fragrant and pillowy!

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Yellow Fin Tuna Carpaccio (USD 18)

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Seared tuna and a fruity salad that tasted so good - Mafuushi must have starved us bad that a simple fruit toss can make us that happy.

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Vilingili Fish and Chips (USD 28)

Even when it was not served with crispy edges, it was so hearty. So were the chips that made us both wonder what addictive did they put in it. Maybe it was the extra fresh fish or the chips, or even the rain but this had to be the best fish and chips eaten in a darn long while. They were so good, I was so tempted to order seconds!

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Mashed peas that I usually ignore but these were extra yummy. 

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Dessert of grated coconut balls was acquired, almost too sweet for my liking.

For USD 50, this was definitely pricey but proved to be the cheapest meal supplemented by cup noodles we had over the next couple of days.

For the full board option we opted for came with a 3 course set lunch at Javvu and dinner credits at either Dr Ali's or Fashala.

Javvu had a BBQ Seafood Dinner that particular weekend and hearing seafood, we leapt at the chance. USD 110++ per head was terribly exorbitant, I even rationalised if the spread could even match up to what we had locally - and then the island logic set in - there was not much choice afterall. Note that for HB and FB options, there are top ups (in our case, it was an additional $80++ per pax) required for the buffet which did not quite make much sense to opt for either.

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We had live entertainment for the night! Nonstop music for the whole time we were there - and locally, musicians do music in sets.

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This does not get fresher than fishing my own seafood!

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If seafood does not appeal, there are boxes and I mean boxes of meats ready to be flamed.

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We were greeted by an aromatic grill line of lobsters, king prawns, fish, steaks and even chicken wings. These were grilled on demand and came with a mind boggling array of sauces.

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The spread lasted for another room full including plates of salad. Thank god for these morsel portions, there was no way I could have eaten my way through all the dishes!

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And there were so many plates to try. At some point, I think I gave up trying to try all.

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Still on the cold dishes, there was sushi for those who did not know what else to eat.

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Fruits, badly bruised ones somehow made it to the table too. I wish I had space for these but I had bananas in the villa so why waste the space at our expensive buffet?

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Hummus that was lipsmackingly yummy, and strange when I did not fancy it too much in Turkey.

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Desserts always make every living cell in my body smile. I could really live off desserts.

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Red velvet and cream cheese, the colours itself was sucha temptress.

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Sugar overdose.

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I took a liking to the chandelier, rather it wasn't a chandelier per se but the Middle Eastern looking light in a room with high ceilings.

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I usually start with the cold courses, to whet the appetite and these were decent.

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Grilled BBQ feast indeed - well I had to pile my plates high to make sense of the USD 110 price tag per head.

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The BBQed crayfish were the best somehow, succulent and full of bite. I drool even as I type, the rest were unfortunately quite ordinary.

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I took a liking to their Maldivian curries, a must try even on a resort though they are miles off from the real deals.



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Badly plated but decent tasting pasta and steak.

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I stole bites from the kid's section just for the fun of it and I say stick with the adult's food.

Breakfast was also at Javvu and there was the option of dining outdoors with a sea view - the only grouse then was the heat that was radiating all over. 

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The same fruit table greeted me at breakfast, a clear case of deja vu.

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I spotted a noodle station too, hand pulled and seriously, this dude had so much talent but was probably the most underrated stall in the room of live stations.

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Being greeted by freshly baked goods is one of the best deals on earth.

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I made a nosedive for their Maldivian breakfast, complete with curries, fish fritters and flatbread.

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Tuna is a staple in Maldives and in that one week I possibly ate the most tuna and exceeded the quota even. Their traditional breakfast is sufficient and really wholesome, in fact I enjoyed this best.

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There was a decent spread of cold cuts too.

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Next to the crepes, the egg station had to be the most popular.

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None of the complex poached eggs or even frittatas, omelettes were already causing a long queue with 101 other permutations.

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Guest relations officers were all on standby to ensure our breakfast service was efficient and pleasant.

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These cute jars of preserves were at every other table, these only tempted me to indulge in their baked goods to be able to smear them all over with it.

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My heart went out to the chef whose station was hardly patronized and gamely ordered a bowl of noodles and they were really delicious - that density and chewiness that made store bought noodles look so bad.

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I too, succumbed to the long crepe queue and killed my diet there and then with a nutella and peanut butter crepe. Well go big or go home right? Mighty delicious and just sooooo good, I wish I were an adolescent all over again, eating crepes for a meal would not even tilt the scales a wee bit.

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Freshly made mango juice.

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Breakfast sported a more limited spread with a number of live stations - handmade noodle, egg, waffles and crepes. The only time that beverages beyond water was on the house, due to miscommunication we ended up with double portions of pineapple and mango juice!

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I could live with a view like that for the rest of my life, really I can.

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Lunch was as mentioned, an easier affair with ala carte options and we had a good idea of what Javvu was capable of on top of that memorable salad and fish and chips.

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A bread basket brimming with aromatic carbohydrates. I suppose the chefs deliberately delayed the serving of courses so we had no choice but to finish these devilish buns - on a side note, they were crazy delicious.

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Even the gym bunny had nothing but praises for these bread buns.

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Seafood Ceviche (USD 22)
Indian Ocean citrus marinated seafood, tomato, coriander, lemon, vinegar, potatoes, black olives and banana chips


A tangy prawn-squid-fish combination that had vinaigrette hints and makes this extra appetizing.

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Indian Ocean Seafood "Caldeirada" (USD 20)
Saffron-flavoured mixed seafood soup with garlic croutons

A tomato based soup with chockfuls of seafood and to end off with a crunchy toast.

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Buffalo Mozzarella (USD 24)
Dressed with rocket leaves and aged balsamic dressing

While it would take an Italian to perfect this, this dish was not too far off. Refreshing with milky hints.

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Pan-Fried Grouper Fillet in "Guazzetto" (USD 38)
Red Cherry Tomatoes, Black Olives, Capers, Parsley, Saffron Potato

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Barramundi Fillet (USD 34)
Fries and Mixed Salad

Both very well executed fish dishes, coming from me a non-fish fan it definitely says volumes. I renewed my love for my friends of the sea this trip and sheds light on how fresh seafood changes ones perspective of acceptance in general, the usual fishes I have encountered back home tend to be fishy if they are pan fried and hence my preference for cod and barramundi, hardly dory or salmon.


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Pineapple Bombay (USD 14)
Pear Cream, Pineapple Chip and Mandarin Sorbet

Exquisitely done with a play on all the fruity flavours, they complemented each other so well.

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The thoughtful service staff brought us lemongrass candle to chase away the pesky houseflies.

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Coconut trees swaying and waves crashing, Javvu Cafe impressed us from breakfast to dinner. Very child friendly too.

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