On a recent Friday night out I was lucky enough to try the Mumu restaurant in Port Moresby. The Mumu, at the Hilton Hotel, is setting the bar high for dining in Papua New Guinea’s capital.

As the name suggests, it delivers a traditional way of cooking. A mumu is typically a hole in the ground layered with hot stones and food wrapped in banana leaves. At the restaurant, the hole in the ground and the heated stones are replaced by gas-fired, earthen-style ovens. The Boroma pork shoulder, belly and loin with crackling are the star of the night, but there’s also slow-cooked lamb, barramundi and chargrilled rib-eye among the mouth-watering mains, which come out in feast-size portions.

Keeping with the local theme, there is a tasting plate of sago done four ways and mumu-roasted vegetables such as kau kau (sweet potato), banana and yam. Just as enticing as the menu is the setting at this restaurant–it’s surrounded by lush vegetation, water features and fire cauldrons to make you feel like you’re in a South Sea jungle.

You can find a review of the restaurant in this issue of Paradise, along with our regular reviews of airports, hotels, books and movies. There’s also a bucket list of 50 things to see and do in PNG and the region. We cover everything from swimming under a waterfall, to climbing a volcano and attending one of PNG’s colourful festivals.

Talking of festivals, we focus on the annual Kenu and Kundu Festival in Alotau, where there is a coming together of canoes (kenu) and drums (kundu) from the area.

We also venture down secret PNG rivers in search of the prized Papuan black bass. Anglers travel from all over the world to try to catch these big-fighting fish.

A new feature in the magazine is a motoring column. First up, we test the Toyota Hilux, one of the most popular vehicles in PNG. Our writer says the eighth generation of the rugged workhorse steps things up and that it is stronger than ever.

Happy flying and reading.

Robert Upe, Editor

Paradise Magazine September/October 2019

Advertiser:  Paradise Magazine Website: http://airniuginiparadise.com/current-issue/ Email:  Phone: