JIAO WU — Restaurant in Malé Atoll

Restaurant Review – Jiao Wu, Hardrock Island, Maldives

My husband and I dined at Jiao Wu, a Chinese restaurant on Hardrock Island in the Maldives, during our honeymoon and what an unforgettable experience it was!

From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by our attentive and engaging server, Ldtha. He genuinely took an interest in us, asking where we were from and lighting up when we said New Zealand—immediately talking about the All Blacks and his love for sport. His friendly nature and menu suggestions added a special touch to the evening.

We started with vegetable spring rolls and deep-fried chicken, both absolutely delicious and perfectly crispy. For our mains, we shared Kung Pao Chicken, hands down the best I’ve ever had, and stir-fried beef in black pepper sauce, which was bursting with rich, bold flavour. Every bite was exceptional.

For dessert, my husband enjoyed the chocolate fingers, while I had the mango sago, which was so refreshing and tasty. Ldtha also brought us some lovely Chinese tea at the end of our meal, a really thoughtful gesture that made the experience feel even more special.

We sat outside with a view of the sea and the boats gently docked nearby. The night was warm and gorgeous…..perfect for a romantic dinner.

Great service, incredible food, and a beautiful setting. Ldtha from Jiao Wu truly made our honeymoon dinner feel magical....

My husband and I stayed at the SAii resort last month and visited Jiao Wu for a lunch at the start of our stay. During this visit, I was disappointed that they did not have any dim sum on the menu, so I asked the chef if he could accommodate me in anyway later on in the week during my stay and he agreed!!!

I went back for lunch (which was also on the day of my milestone birthday) and I got soup, dumplings, buns and dessert --- the chef and the team went OVER AND ABOVE to make me feel special (they even came out with a small cake and sang happy birthday to music!!!).

Apart from the A+ service -- the food was great during both visits. Being in the Maldives, we tried to have as much seafood as possible and the steamed ginger fish and the sweet and sour fish were delicious.

I wish we stayed a bit longer to try the Sunday buffet as friends we made during our stay were around for it and said it...

We went here during our 10 day trip staying at the Hard Rock Resort. They were advertising a buffet special and it was included in our all inclusive package so we thought why not!

The restaurant was an easy bike ride from the Hard Rock Resort. It is beautifully decorated with indoor and outdoor seating. The servers were friendly.

The buffet was set up outside and it was self serve and all you can eat. However, the food just did not compare to the 5 other restaurants we had tried for lunch/dinner at Hard Rock, Miss Olive Oyl, Session, Butterly and Kalhu Odi. We also frequent a lot of Chinese restaurants on a regular basis so our standards may be pretty high. It also just could have been the buffet style, and if we had ordered individual dishes it might have...