Food Of The Week: Classy cuisine for the health-conscious foodie

By Andy Lynes

Healthy eating doesn't have to mean chewing on a stick of celery. In 2008, spa food is becoming ever more sophisticated and delicious.

Chef Chris Miller serves healthy fusion cuisine such as a hotpot of Asian greens with tofu, seaweed and udon noodles at Glow Restaurant in Christina Ong's stylish health retreat Como Shambhala Estate at Begawan Giri, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali (00 62 361 978 888; cse.comoshambhala.bz).

The Monte-Carlo Marine package at Les Thermes Marins de Monte-Carlo, 2 Avenue de Monte-Carlo, Monaco (00 377 98 06 69 00; montecarlospa.com), includes a seaweed wrap and lunch at the spa's L'Hirondelle restaurant, where steamed sole with vanilla-flavoured fish stock is on the menu.

It's claimed that the rose quartz-enriched water served with the vegetarian haute cuisine at Magnolia restaurant in the Talise Spa, Madinat Jumeirah, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai (00 971 4 3668888; madinat jumeirah.com), can help to cleanse the blood and reduce wrinkles.

Detox with a "fire ritual" treatment at the Mandhoo Spa, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Rangali Island, Maldives (00 960 668 0629; hiltonworldresorts. com), followed by a fiery dish of grilled yakitori-style reef fish skewers with Korean pickled cabbage in the spa restaurant.

Eat local organic produce in the restaurant at the remote, lakeside Matakauri Lodge, Glenorchy Road, Queenstown, New Zealand (00 64 3 441 1008; matakauri.co. nz), then have it smeared over your face in the form of a green tea, kiwifruit, avocado and aloe vera facial.

Take the waters while admiring the woodland view in the thermal spa at Monart, The Still, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford (00 353 53 923 8999; monart.ie). Then enjoy grilled tuna loin and mangetout and beansprout salad with mango salsa in the elegant fine-dining restaurant.