Cushions arranged in a circle on a platform beneath the pines, looking out to sea. Fruit, candles and limes in the centre. The name of the retreat could be read even in this first frame: Nothing to Fix. Nothing is broken; something only wants to move.
A celebration of mindful moments, nourishing flavours and thoughtful details.
For three days, King Zoo was a guest at the tables of Bodrum Loft. At this gathering of slow living, meaningful connection and true hospitality, the Loft kitchen's cooking came to the table in our handwoven rattan pieces.
We turned what stayed with us into buffet and service notes for boutique hotels and restaurants: from welcoming guests to the evening buffet, the story of a table set with rattan.
Nothing to Fix: Three Days at Bodrum Loft
Bodrum Loft is a hidden corner in the green heart of Demirbükü Bay. Stone houses step down a pine hillside to a wooden deck over the water; everything is built from local materials, within nature and in harmony with it. Bodrum Loft describes itself as quiet but deep, plain but rich.
The retreat is part of the wellness, gastronomy and lifestyle programme Pelin Akın has created for Bodrum Loft. It was curated by Ezgi Utan, founder of Lando Studio, and Yeşil Sakaoğlu, and guided by Semin Yalman Yılmaz, founder of the Living in the Heart® approach.
Over three days and two nights there were sunrise Kundalini sessions, breathwork and meditation, vinyasa and somatic flow, and sound healing in the evenings. Damian Chaparro, co-founder of New Zealand's Aro Hā Wellness Retreat, joined the programme as a guest; when he and Semin met, they created a special Mind & Body session together. The programme followed the rhythm of the day rather than the clock: early Kundalini, then a two-hour long breakfast, free time in the afternoon, tea and fruit, dinner and conversation. We built the buffet around the same rhythm.
Welcome: The First Impression at a Boutique Hotel
At a boutique hotel, the first contact with a guest often begins with a drink. At Bodrum Loft, guests were welcomed with pomegranate and ginger shots, a fresh mint and lemon Fresh & Refresh, and hibiscus. The drinks were served in rattan-sleeved, rattan-lidded vintage rattan pitchers; dark and white pitchers stood side by side on the wooden bar.
A treat corner that stays open all day may be the best way to host guests. Chocolate dates, coco bars and pastries waited on small and large two-layer rattan display trays. The two tiers save counter space and bring food closer to eye level, while white and brown tones bring the corner to life.
True Hospitality: The Table at Loft Elia
At Bodrum Loft, we felt the hospitality most in the details. With the coordination of Hotel Manager Derya Yaldizipek and the cooking of Chef Helin Kılıç, every meal at Loft Elia carried on the calm that began on the mat. The menu was summed up in three words: healthy, balanced, seasonal. And over all of it, Bodrum Loft's own olive oil. Beside it, olives took their place in a white Minimal Rattan Fruit Bowl.
Why Handwoven Rattan for a Boutique Hotel Buffet?
A boutique hotel's buffet is where its character shows most. Stainless steel and standard porcelain look the same everywhere; natural, handwoven rattan brings warmth and texture to the table. King Zoo is inspired by minimal, contemporary Mediterranean living. Rattan meets the simplicity of porcelain, the coolness of marble and the light of glass. The result is understated pieces whose natural texture invites touch: mindful products for a mindful way of living, for those who like to slow down, notice the moment and share the table.
Every King Zoo piece is handwoven in Yangon, and no weave is exactly like another. Small differences are not flaws but the mark of the hand. That is why the idea of Nothing to Fix felt so familiar to us.
The practical side matters just as much as the look:
- Porcelain inserts: In our bowls and bakers, food touches the porcelain, not the rattan.
- Oven to buffet: With the baker series, a hot dish goes from the oven to the buffet in the same vessel.
- HORECA-ready: The porcelain is made for intensive hotel and restaurant use. If it breaks, only the insert is replaced, and the rattan keeps serving season after season.
- Baking paper: On our two-layer display trays and other presentations we used baking paper as the base; this reduces the risk of glass breakage and the cleaning load in busy kitchens.
- Two colours: Using the same product in different colours gives morning and evening services their own identity.
- Customisation: We can fit marble inside our presentation stands by special order, and we tailor products to the needs of restaurants and hotels.
Long Breakfast: A Buffet for Eating Slowly
The programme listed three words next to breakfast: eat slowly, connect, enjoy. At a two-hour breakfast, the buffet becomes a meeting point guests return to again and again. Almond milk oatmeal bowls with caramelised banana and peanut butter, and yoghurt healthy bowls were served in porcelain-lined rattan bowls. The same bowls work for individual soup in the evening; to set the morning and evening services apart, we sent them in two colours, White Wash and Mid Brown.
On the Table at Every Meal: Oil Set and Napkin Holder
Small table accessories are a hotel essential. The rattan oil, vinegar, salt and pepper sets and square rattan napkin holders that sat beside the olives at breakfast were on the same tables at lunch. Together with rattan coasters and napkin rings, they looked just as simple on white linen as on bare wood. Staying on the table at every meal, these pieces became its fixed point.
Lunch Buffet: Individual Portions
The lunch buffet had green salad, quinoa salad, warm broccoli salad and chicken with lime sauce. The quinoa salad was laid out in individual portions in the square porcelain bowls of the Rattan Trio Serving Set; guests pick up a portion instead of serving themselves, and the buffet stays tidy at all times. Behind the counter, a rattan storage box with lid filled with flowers completed the setting.
Dinner Buffet: From Oven to Table
At sunset, the buffet was set on a counter facing the olive trees and the bay. Hot service is the most frequently asked question about using rattan on a buffet. Mains and smashed potatoes with mustard were served in Ellipse Rattan Bakers; for roasted root vegetables, grilled salmon and beef tenderloin, the selection also included Gondol and Large Rectangular Rattan Bakers.
Green salads were served in Large Rattan Salad Bowls, and warm broccoli salad in Ellipse Rattan Bakers. Turmeric lentil soup was presented with the lids open in Round Rattan Bakers With Lid, with stacked rattan soup bowls waiting beside them.
Sourdough bread was served under rattan food covers, on a marble-topped Round Rattan Cheese Plate. More bread waited on a white rattan stand, its cover half open. The cover keeps the bread fresh while adding a silhouette to the buffet.
Seasonal fruit and desserts closed the evening. Pomegranate, grapes and peaches were raised to the most visible spot on the buffet on an Elevated Rattan Stand. Chia pudding was served in individual portions in the bowls of the Rattan Trio Serving Set we had used for the quinoa salad; the same product played a different role at lunch and at dinner. Chocolate desserts sat right beside them on a rattan-framed white tray.
Olive Harvest at Cezairli Farm
The story did not end with the retreat. As it came to a close, fellow guest Cana Cezairli and her father, Dr. Emin Cezairli, invited us to their farm, Cezairli Farm, for the olive harvest. Not part of the programme, this gathering brought together everything we had talked about at the table for three days: local produce, craft and the pleasure of sitting down together.
Around a long wooden table we tasted The O Collection olive oils, accompanied by farm-to-table plates prepared by Chef Necmi Ağaç with local produce. We highly recommend tasting The O Collection olive oils.
From Menu to Rattan: Pairing Ideas
This is how we paired the Bodrum Loft menu with King Zoo pieces. It can be a starting point for your own menu too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rattan Serveware Notes for Boutique Hotels and Restaurants
Can rattan serveware be used in the oven?
Products in the baker series are oven safe, and their porcelain inserts are heat resistant. Rattan bakers make it easy to take a hot dish from the oven to the buffet in the same vessel.
Which rattan pieces work for a breakfast buffet?
Two-layer display trays for pastries and treats, porcelain-lined bowls for granola and oatmeal, trio serving set bowls for individual portions, bread baskets and food covers for bread, and elevated stands for fruit.
Can a marble rattan cheese plate be used as a serving plate?
The marble surface is food safe and heat resistant, but it is recommended for sharing presentations such as bread, cheese and charcuterie rather than as a serving plate.
What happens if a porcelain insert breaks?
King Zoo porcelain meets HORECA standards. If it breaks, the rattan body stays in place and only the porcelain insert is replaced. We also sell porcelain inserts separately and send replacement porcelain to businesses.
How do you serve soup in rattan?
The Round Rattan Baker With Lid is suitable for soup service. As it is not very deep, a medium or small ladle should be used.
How can morning and evening services feel different?
Using the same product in two colours is the easiest way. White Wash brings lightness to the morning, while Mid Brown and Dark Brown add warmth to the evening.
A Selection for Your Hotel or Restaurant
We create rattan serveware selections for boutique hotels, restaurants and beach clubs based on your buffet flow, menu and colour palette. As we did for Bodrum Loft, we pair your menu with our pieces and suggest colours and quantities. We also supply replacement HORECA-grade porcelain. See our Wholesale programme for details, and our rattan tableware collection for all products.
Perhaps a good table is just like this: nothing to fix, only a moment to share.