Maldives, October 27, 2024: “People visit a restaurant because they want to experience something memorable – a story, a feeling, a connection.” So says two-Michelin-starred Chef Nino Di Costanzo, whose approach to his new collaboration at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru is grounded in a world of sensorial interaction well before a single bite has been taken.
From November 11, 2024, the renowned Italian chef will be bringing the visionary creativity of his two-Michelin-star Ischian restaurant, Danì Maison – one of Forbes “top ten restaurants not to be missed in the world” – to Landaa’s iconic Blu Beach Club in the Baa Atoll UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.
Uniting the island traditions of his native Ischia with those of the Maldives, Chef Nino’s inspiring vision for the new cross-cultural exchange weaves Mediterranean kitchen essences with Landaa garden produce; the chefs of Daní Maison and Blu Beach Club; and – in the words of the chef himself – sees “two beautiful nature-led islands coming together via a meeting of diverse culinary traditions grounded in soil, sea and surroundings.”
Chef Nino’s collaboration extends to sharing skills and expertise with the Blu Beach Club culinary team, with four members of the Blu team already having spent time training at Chef Nino’s Danì Maison restaurant.
Guests can savour Chef Nino’s inimitable gastronomy during two week-long residencies at Blu – the first from November 11 to 17, 2024, followed by another from February 13 to 19, 2025. Blu’s chefs will then serve a meticulously curated menu conceived by Chef Nino year-round to just two tables of four per evening.
Key to Chef Nino’s success is his artistry, which sees him envisioning the effect of each dish even before he envisions the food; each ingredient and process in tune with a respect for nature. It’s an approach that deeply resonates with the nature-focused experience at Landaa Giraavaru: a chance to collaborate and be collaborative with guests as well as the Blu culinary team; to bring emotions and amazement to the plate as much as food and flavour.
Chef Nino’s creative process begins six months before his food even reaches the plate. Starting with a fantasy of the emotion he himself would like to experience through each dish, the process painstakingly evolves through every detail, right down to the choice of plate – many also designed by the chef himself, from Venetian glass to Italian ceramic.
Chef Nino applies the same considered rigour to the process of sourcing products. At Blu, he plans to draw from Landaa’s abundant herb and vegetable garden in service to a Mediterranean kitchen. It’s an approach he sees as challenging yet one of “the best parts of the partnership,” inspired by the passion of Landaa’s wider behind-the-scenes team. “The only way to move forward with anything that is different or out of the box is for the learning to come from both sides and for it to be collaborative,” he adds.
Chef Nino’s childhood took place among Ischia’s bucolic vineyards and olive groves. Immersed in fine food from a young age through his family’s fishing and farming heritage, his dazzling career has led from directorships at global restaurants within the IT Group to his highly acclaimed Danì Maison in Ischia.
At Danì Maison he showcases a modern, creative interpretation of authentic Campanian cuisine in the stunning art- and nature-infused surrounds of his family home. Since opening in May 2016, the restaurant has garnered two Michelin stars, four Hats by Espresso and three Forks by Gambero Rosso.
“We are thrilled to partner with one of the world’s greatest chefs at Blu,” comments Landaa Giraavaru’s Regional Vice President and General Manager Armando Kraenzlin. “Collaborating with Chef Nino here at Landaa will not only offer an inspirational culinary experience to guests but expose our onsite team to unique career-advancing insights.”
Chef Nino Di Costanzo will be in residence at Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru from November 11 to 17, 2024 and from February 13 to 19, 2025.
