Ufaa by Jereme Leung offers a completely different experience from Conrad Maldives Rangali Island’s famous underwater restaurant. Rather than relying on an extraordinary physical setting, Ufaa places Chinese culinary traditions at the centre of the experience.

Created in collaboration with acclaimed chef Jereme Leung, the restaurant explores the diversity of Chinese cuisine rather than treating it as a single culinary style. The menu takes inspiration from different regions and traditions, combining classic techniques with contemporary presentation and premium ingredients appropriate to a luxury island resort.

Dim sum is an important element, alongside noodles, seafood, meat dishes and carefully prepared Chinese specialities. The emphasis is on authentic techniques presented in an accessible style, making the restaurant equally suitable for diners already familiar with Chinese regional cooking and those exploring it in greater depth for the first time.

The surroundings are relaxed and elegant, offering a contrast to some of the Maldives’ more theatrical dining concepts. This is important to Ufaa’s identity: the food rather than an underwater dining room or unusual architecture remains the principal attraction.

Its location at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island nevertheless adds considerable appeal. The resort has one of the country’s most established culinary programmes, allowing guests to move between very different dining experiences during a single stay.

Ufaa’s reputation was confirmed emphatically by the World Culinary Awards in 2024. It was named Maldives’ Best Hotel Restaurant before going on to secure Indian Ocean’s Best Hotel Restaurant, placing it ahead of strong competition from luxury resorts throughout the region.

Those awards are particularly noteworthy because they recognise a restaurant whose identity rests primarily on its cuisine. In a destination renowned for spectacular restaurant settings, Ufaa demonstrates that outstanding food can remain the defining feature.