APART from offering diners a stunning view of over-water bungalows and a white sandy-beach ringed lagoon, Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay’s Goji Restaurant also cooks up some of the most interesting meals on this side of Viti Levu.
Every Friday night, executive chef Christian Knecht and his kitchen crew whip up an amazing German buffet featuring a range of authentic dishes from the heart of Deutschland.
On offer is the Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat — a German Potato Salad from the Swabian region of Germany that features sliced potatoes, minced onions, hot broth, oil, vinegar and fresh parsley — right through to sour cabbage sauerkraut and a range of traditional German sausages flown in from a specialised butcher in Sydney, Australia.
Chef Knecht said the key to providing an authentic German dining experience was having the right ingredients.
“You need to stay true to the original German recipes,” he said.
“There are a lot of chefs these days who take traditional dishes and do a modern twist.
“There is nothing wrong with that if you want to do something contemporary.
“But if you want to create something that is authentic and genuine — you have to try and reproduce that country’s food by staying as close as possible to the traditional recipes.
“German food is not the hardest to do but you need the right ingredients and fresh produce.
“And some of the dishes like braised cabbage takes a long time, there is a marination process over four days — it’s not hard to do, it just needs patience and time.”
And, like everything else in life, a good outcome depends on how much is put in throughout the process.
“People everywhere, including Fiji, don’t mind paying for good food.
“You can pay hundreds of dollars for something that looks pretty on a plate but lacks taste or pay a modest price for something that is new and exciting — the choice is yours.
“Here at the Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay, we are all about presenting something new for guests to enjoy and also for locals to discover.”
Chef Knecht said since the introduction of the German themed buffet, a growing number of locals have sampled the European cuisine. He said the homely taste of German food came through in the way it was prepared.
“When you cook, you need to cook with love and you need to cook with heart.
“You must love preparing it and be passionate about it if you want to make great food.
“And every dish we create is made from the heart — you can’t compromise on passion.”
