I’m in Rarotonga supervising a school trip. In addition to participating in activities, we are also visiting some of the local tourist spots. One of the highlights so far has been Te Vara Nui Village, which offers a Cook Island cuisine buffet along with a cultural show. Before the show, we attended a pre-show event that explored how the Cook Island people navigated to other islands and discovered Aotearoa (New Zealand). They also demonstrated traditional medical practices, cultural traditions, and techniques for fishing and sourcing food.

The food in the buffet was incredible, with a wide variety of dishes. There were Cook Island potato salads, corn salad, chickpea salad, coleslaw, pasta salad, raw fish in coconut cream, Cook Island poke, and several other salads. For hot food, they had spring rolls, deep-fried wedges and sweet potatoes fried, scalloped potatoes, rukau, beef curry, rice, soy chicken, and lamb chops wrapped in taro leaves.

The food was outstanding. The Cook Island potato salad was on another level, and the scalloped potatoes were excellent too. The raw fish with coconut cream was flavorful, but the standout dishes for me were the poke, the lamb chops wrapped in taro leaves, and the rukau (taro leaves and caramelized onions cooked in coconut milk). The local cuisine on offer here really impressed me.

The dessert was okay. They had cakes, fruit salad, sweet rice, and pineapple pudding. The pineapple pudding was the best, delicious without being overly sweet, though I was so full by that point it made me a little uncomfortable.

The Cook Island show was fantastic—really entertaining and a lot of fun to watch. The dancers were amazing and truly showcased traditional Cook Island dance. The whole show was smooth and well-organized, although the MC tried a bit too hard at times. Overall, it’s a must-see for visitors, and even locals come for the great food.


Website Te Vara Nui Village