Previous Trip Notes
A Private Island on Points – Part 2: Calala Island (The Island)
A Private Island on Points – Part 1: Calala Island (The Setup)
There is always an expectation that an all-inclusive resort is going to have either mediocre food, or if it is an upscale all-inclusive, good food. But almost never great food. Al Maha is one of the exceptions to that rule. And so is Calala Island. While I had read everything there was to read about Calala prior to our trip, I wasn’t prepared for the truly unique culinary experience. And that’s really what it was. Now, that’s not to say that it was perfect, but any area of opportunity with the food offering is simply to elevate it from great to perfection, not that it was ever something I was disappointed in.
The best way to dissect the food offering is to go by meal period. So we will start with breakfast. Our breakfast started every morning at 7am, when two of our amazing staff members would bring us French Press coffee (you chose your bean selection from a wide array of options the night before) and biscotti (a different flavor every day), for NSPwife and I to enjoy, and the breakfast NSPpeanut and NSPpeanutToo had ordered the night before. It typically consisted of eggs, bacon, and pancakes.
Morning Ritual
The staff would setup the breakfast on our porch overlooking the water, and we would meander out and start to wake up. After the kids were sunscreened up, we would make our way to the breakfast area, where we would meet up with the rest of our group.
We always ate under the canopy, but had great weather every day. There were bottomless coffees, water, tea, and orange juice, and of course Tona or Victoria beer (my drink of choice was a Tona with a splash of orange juice). The menu did not vary, and was the same everyday. This would be the only opportunity I would see with the menu; however, if you wanted something, you could always ask and the chefs would try to make whatever you wanted, and they would happily oblige.
Pancakes and Bacon
Eggs Benedict
Bacon Sandwich
French Press Coffee and a Mimosa
Fresh Fruit
Tona and OJ
The uniqueness of having the entire island simply elevated everything. There was no competing with others for seats or a table. We simply walked to breakfast when we were ready, and had a relaxing meal. If we wanted to eat and hit the pool, we did. If we wanted to hang out for an hour or two, we did.
Snacks and lunch could be ordered at any time. This was one thing I was nervous about before the trip. Trip reports and reviews had only talked about breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And candidly, while I’m on vacation, I like to eat. All the time. Great news for me, that was no problem! You could order almost anything, any time during the day. I usually ordered from the swim up bar. This was my first experience with Ghost Peppers. And. I. Am. In. Love. Their ghost pepper ceviche was out of this world. I ordered it every day. Sometimes twice. And the snapper that was served in it? Sometimes they quickly fished them out of the water and cooked them right up. That freshness even beat out Al Maha’s daily shipment of sushi from Tokyo! Lobsters were no different. They’d pull them right up from the dock!
Ghost Pepper Snapper Ceviche
Of course you could order a wood-fired pizza at any time as well:
Wood-Fired Pizza
Dinners were as unique as the island, with each night being completely different than the night prior. We would typically agree on a time for dinner around early afternoon so that the chefs could begin to prepare. The first night was a “normal” dinner. We showed up, and the menu consisted of an Amuse Bouche, Salad, Lobster, and Dessert:
Night 1 Dinner Menu
Amuse Bouche
Salad
Lobster
Dessert
The sticky toffee pudding gives Gordon Ramsay a run for his money. We returned on night two expecting something similar. Instead, we found the table set up under the stars, and a huge traditional BBQ buffet set up. There was enough food to feed 20.
BBQ Buffet Menu
Table Setup Under the Stars
BBQ Buffet
BBQ Buffet
Dinner Under the Stars
Night 3 consisted of a Surf & Turf Dinner:
Surf & Turf Menu
Sushi Starter
Steak & Lobster
Mango Dessert
Night four offered the largest production of the week: a seven-course tasting menu:
Seven Course Tasting Menu
The Formal Setup
Covered Dinner Area
Seven Course Dinner
Seven Course Dinner
Seven Course Dinner
Seven Course Dinner
Seven Course Dinner
Seven Course Dinner
Seven Course Dinner
Seven Course Dinner
This was special. The Executive Chef and Executive Sous Chef came out after dinner to talk about their training, and the dinner they had just prepared. Culinary experiences are so much more than taste. It’s about the creativity. The presentation. Textures of the food. Alinea is an extreme example of this, with their insane gastronomic experience as it relates to food (even though their dishes tasted mediocre at best when we went). This dinner hit on all of those notes, and was a truly memorable experience.
We invited the General Managers to join us for the final night’s meal. We had fun conversations about their experience as GMs on various remote islands.
Final Night GM Dinner – Amuse Bouche
Final Night GM Dinner – Appetizer
Final Night GM Dinner – Soup
Final Night GM Dinner – Entree
Final Night GM Dinner – Dessert
In short, the culinary experience was nothing short of phenomenal. I can’t describe how special each meal was. It wasn’t just about the food. And the resort knows it. They truly make each day and night special. A final example based on a salad I wanted one afternoon. Just your basic run-of-the-mill lobster Caesar salad. Never-you-mind that once I ordered it, they grabbed a lobster from the water and cooked it up. Unbelievable.
FRESH Lobster Caesar Salad
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