One & Only Resorts' Culinary Expert Series
The One & Only collection of resorts is synonymous with a James Bond-level of luxury, exclusivity, and white-glove service. So it should come as no surprise that they have international culinary experts in their (temporary) employ.
Three of the resorts around the world — Maldives, Palmilla, and Cape Town — are hosting a series of culinary "schools" that invite guests to learn more about local flavors, participate in cooking classes, and take tours of local gardens and markets.
At the One & Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives, guests can learn the art of food presentation and take cooking courses in a range of cuisines (Maldivian, Chinese, Arabic, Japanese, Italian, Thai, and even French desserts). It starts with a tour of the chef's on-site garden, where guests get to pick their ingredients before learning to cook a chosen dish in the chef's kitchen; the day ends with a luxe lunch of all the homemade dishes and guests go home with a recipe card and a One & Only
In Mexico, the One & Only Palmilla boasts its own herb garden and outdoor kitchen, which are both used in daily and weekly guest culinary programs. But one of the best parts of their program is the Iron Chef-style cook-offs led by on-site and visiting chefs from around Mexico. Hotel guests can pick their own ingredients from the garden before learning to cook authentic Mexican dishes with them. Then, the meal is enjoyed with wine and tequila pairings. (Photo courtesy of One & Only Resorts)
Lastly, the One & Only Cape Town ups the ante on the classic local "sundowner" experience for hotel guests, with Wine and Dine Evenings. The hotel has an enormous three-level wine "loft," which houses more than 5,000 bottles of wine to choose from. The hotel's head sommelier opens up a few bottles during each Wine and Dine Evening to pair with local celeb-chef Reuben Riffel's five-course meal served to 30 of the hotel's lucky guests.