Learning the skills of local chefs is one of Bordeaux blondes favourite pastimes. Bordeaux chefs Gaelle Benoiste and Georges Gotrand often call in at home to share their secrets with foreign guests, however this time Bordeaux blonde was the foreign guest.
Mauritius is a land of 5 star luxury beach hotels, so an authentic local cuisine experience is a rarity on an island where most visitors concentrate on their tan. The local cuisine is a wonderful melting pot of indian, european and creole and the 5 star resort Shanti Maurice, , more often associated with their ultimate Ayurvedic spa, is also known for the asian fusion cuisine of chef Willibald Reinbacher.
Willibald Reinbacher BBQ’s on the beach
Situated on the unspoilt southern coast of the island their passion for sourcing local ingredients includes working with local farmers and fisherman. They have now taken a step further offering a more authentic experience of Mauritian creole cuisine in the home of a local resident, the grandma of the hotel manager’s PA. Small groups can try the local dishes with the family in their kitchen with dynamic 75-year-old Grandma Goindoo who grows most of the vegetables and herbs in her tiny back garden and then take away the book of ‘Grandma’s Secret Recipes’ to try at home – if you can find the ingredients. In the pipeline, for those who want to take things a step further than the kitchen garden, is the possibility of going out at dawn with a local fisherman to bring back the catch to prepare for a beach BBQ.
This year’s Worldwide Hospitality Awards gave ‘Grandma’s Kitchen’ from the Shanti Maurice the award for ‘Best Initiative in Clients Experience’.
