At Amilla Maldives, guests who join the Maldivian cooking class step into more than a simple kitchen experience, they step into a living story. It is an experience where guests become part of the Maldives’ culinary heritage, guided by Chef Fathimath Nafha Ismail (Chef Naf), who began her journey as an intern and has risen to the role of Demi Chef de Partie, becoming one of the resort’s most passionate guardians of Maldivian cuisine.
Today, her cooking class is one of Amilla’s most meaningful guest experiences, inviting guests to discover flavours deeply rooted in memory, culture, and family. Every moment, whether learning a traditional technique or tasting a flavour for the first time, becomes part of a shared cultural exchange.
Chef Naf’s culinary journey began during her hospitality studies in Malaysia. After returning to the Maldives, she joined Amilla as an intern, unaware she would later lead one of the resort’s signature guest offerings. Though she originally aimed for the hot kitchen, she embraced the cold section and eventually mastered it, growing steadily into her current role.
Her time at Amilla expanded her skills far beyond technique. Early in her journey, she immersed herself in understanding dietary needs such as gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, keto, and paleo. This knowledge opened new possibilities, allowing her to adapt Maldivian dishes for a wide range of guests while still preserving authentic flavours, an invaluable asset when guiding guests through personalised cooking experiences.
When it came to her award-winning dish at FHAM 2025, Chef Naf turned an unexpected challenge into a win. With only thin tuna steaks available instead of the thick loin she had planned for, she improvised and re-created Kandu Kukulhu by hand. The highlight of the dish was the curry, based on her mother’s recipe, which impressed the judges and has since become one of her signature creations.
Chef Naf is now preparing to publish her first cookbook, an effort rooted deeply in heritage.
Readers can expect:
• Authentic Maldivian flavours
• Recipes adapted for home cooks around the world
• Stories from her childhood woven into each dish
She balances tradition with accessibility, ensuring her recipes remain true to Maldivian flavour while being achievable for anyone, including guests eager to replicate what they learned in her class.
Among all her recipes, Havaadhu, the base of many Maldivian curries, holds the most meaning. It was the first recipe she was determined to perfect, learning it closely with her mother. Her memories of “Havaadhu Hadhaa Dhuvas”, when the community gathers at dawn to grate coconuts, roast spices, and prepare curry paste together, remain vivid and continue to inspire her cooking today. These stories often become part of the class, allowing guests to taste not just a dish, but a memory.
In her cooking class, Chef Naf guides guests gently through Maldivian cuisine, starting with accessible flavours before moving into deeper, more intense taste profiles. For first-time tasters, she introduces:
• Rihaakuru Dhiya (a milder version of the traditional tuna broth)
• Rihaakuru (rich, concentrated tuna broth unique to the Maldives)
• Kirugarudhiya (a fragrant coconut and turmeric based broth)
• Mashuni (tuna mixed with coconut and spices)
Kirugarudhiya, Rihaakuru, and Mashuni are dishes found only in the Maldives, and she sees them as essential expressions of local identity. She introduces these flavours gradually, guiding guests through each taste so they can connect with the cuisine in a way that feels both approachable and meaningful, turning the class into an immersive journey rather than a simple demonstration.
Looking ahead, Chef Naf hopes to bring Maldivian cuisine into the fine-dining world, exploring deeper flavour profiles and creating modern infusions with global influences. Her passion for experimentation began during her university days in Malaysia, where she combined Maldivian masuni with Malaysian sambal, wrapped it in roshi, and deep-fried it, an unexpected fusion that quickly became a favourite.
She also recalls attending TTM Maldives in 2018, her first real glimpse into resort life, making this feature with us a meaningful milestone in her journey.
What Chef Naf offers is not simply a lesson in preparing curry or traditional dishes, it is an invitation into community, childhood memories, and the heart of the Maldives. Guests leave not only learning recipes, but understanding the culture behind each ingredient: the early-morning coconut grating, the communal fire, the passed-down secrets, the pride in tuna, and the gentle process of introducing a foreign palate to something deeply local.
As she prepares to publish her cookbook, Chef Naf continues sharing her heritage one guest at a time, from the warmth of her kitchen at Amilla Maldives.
