Ta b ds
o to r
A weekinTahitiservesupanenticingmixofFrench,PolynesianandChinesecuisine
againsta backdrop of majestic mountains, lush foliage and brilliant blue lagoons
t’stheuniquemixofcultureswhich
makesFrenchPolynesiasofascinating
- andthefoodsodelicious.Frenchis
theofficiallanguageofthecountry,but
TahitianandFrenchgreetingsare
common,andcroissantsjostlefor
spaceonthebreakfasttablewith
coconutbreadandpapaya.
AttimesthecombinationofFrench,Polynesian
andalsoChineseinfluencescanleadtounexpected
outcomes– thecasse-croûtechowmein,for
example, is a local speciality consisting of a baguette
RemoteromanceSunsetsarespectacularinFrenchPolynesia,viewedherefromMo’orea’sboutiquehotelFenuaMatai’oa(thispage)andRelais
Mahana resort on Huahine (opposite).Opposite pageCrafts, vanilla and more for sale at a Huahine vanilla farm; local speciality poisson cru.
filledwithChinesenoodles.Wegetthechanceto
trythiscarbs-on-carbsconcoction,alongwith‘pai
banane’and‘paiananas’(bananaandpineapple
pies),atthesnackoutletofGoldenLake,theonly
ChineserestaurantontheislandofMo’orea.
We’reona Tama’aStreetFoodTour(tama’a
means‘toeat’)runbyMo’oreaFoodAdventures,
whichwaslaunchedbychefHeimataHallearlier
thisyear.BornandraisedonMo’orea,toan
AmericanfatherandTahitianmother,Heimata
lefttheFrenchterritorytostudybusinessinSan
Francisco and then went to culinary school in
