Gastronomic Experiences

Take a Food Tour on the islands of Tahiti or Moorea. This guided visit twill take you to the best addresses where you can enjoy sampling the culinary specialities of Polynesian cuisine. The price of the tour includes transport and food.

A motu is a small islet in the lagoon. Most are picture postcard settings with superb, white sandy beaches, coconut trees and crystal clear turqouise sea. Take a day trip to a motu and you’ll be treated to a picnic at a table in the shallow water. Poisson cru au lait de coco or grilled fish from the barbecue, served with tropical fish and rays swimming all around you.

For those looking for a gastronomic experience in The Islands of Tahiti, there are gourmet restaurants in Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Taha’a and Raiatea. The menus are a blend of international dishes and local cuisine revisited with that unmistakable French culinary flair.

Like a picnic on the motu, dinner at a foodtruck is an experience that every visitor to The Islands of Tahiti should try at least once. There are foodtrucks on all the main islands and they serve local specialities such as poisson cru au lait de coco, together with an assortment of other dishes, including sashimi, savory pancakes, pizzas, chow mein, and of course, steak with fries.

You don’t have to leave the beach to go for lunch, just sit at a table at a nearby fast-food restaurant or snackbar. Burgers, pizzas, Hawaiian poke bowl…there are all types of specialist fast-food restaurants in The Islands of Tahiti. Traditional Polynesian snackbars have a warm, convivial atmosphere and usually serve mostly fish dishes.

To prepare the oven, start by digging a hole in the ground. Fill it with logs and branches on which you place large volcanic stones. Set fire to the wood, cover the oven and let the heat build up overnight. The next morning, wrap your pork, chicken, fish, vegetables etc., in banana leaves, place them above the hot stones and leave everything to steam cook for a few hours. The result is a most delicious, succulent meal that you’ll eat to the sound of the ukulele. 

The best way to appreciate Polynesian cooking is to do it yourself. Cook Lab, in Paopao on the island of Moorea will show you how it’s done. The chef will teach you how to prepare a selection of local recipes in this unique culinary experience in The Islands of Tahiti.