Escale Creole is truly a hidden gem! It is more than just a restaurant; it is a place where you can immerse yourself and experience an authentic Mauritian culinary adventure. Imagine yourself sitting in a friend’s beautiful garden and being treated to hearty, homecooked food straight out of a Mauritian kitchen. That’s the Escale Creole experience. Owned by mother and daughter, Majo and Marie-Christine welcome you with a warm smile that radiates in all colors.
AMBIANCE
Found in the heart of Moka, you would have never guessed that such a lovely place could exist. Just when you think that Google Maps is leading you to the wrong turn, for the third time, you will discover a beautiful place with a magnificent garden, perfectly green grass and tropical flowers – L’Escale Creole! But wait, it doesn’t stop here. The décor is simply incredible! From the “roche carri”, “savatte dodo” to the “balai coco” and “chapo la pailles”, every ornament adds to the charm and authenticity of this place. Make yourself comfortable under the large veranda and mellow-out while admiring this peaceful and colorful place.
Found in the heart of Moka, you would have never guessed that such a lovely place could exist. Just when you think that Google Maps is leading you to the wrong turn, for the third time, you will discover a beautiful place with a magnificent garden, perfectly green grass and tropical flowers – L’Escale Creole! But wait, it doesn’t stop here. The décor is simply incredible! From the “roche carri”, “savatte dodo” to the “balai coco” and “chapo la pailles”, every ornament adds to the charm and authenticity of this place. Make yourself comfortable under the large veranda and mellow-out while admiring this peaceful and colorful place.
FOOD
Escale Creole offers traditional homecooked Mauritian cuisine aka “Manze Lacaze”. They propose three different set menus – Creole menu (one main dish), Discovery menu (two main dishes) and Gourmet menu (a little bit of everything). All of the set menus are served with an array of different side dishes, condiments as well as dessert.
As soon as we sat down at our table, we were offered complimentary “gajacks” (Mauritian snacks and starters) and fresh pineapple juice made with pineapple peel and sweetened with sugarcane syrup. The fried beignets of vegetables dunked in the chutney and Mauritian chili, the crispy banana chips and the Bombay mix (known in Mauritius as sev or kaka piegon)! Ahhh… It was a delight for my taste buds! And those were only the starters!
Next up – the plat de resistance! We all went for the Discovery menu but chose different main dishes so that we could share. We had the chicken salmi, sausage rougaille, octopus curry and fish vindaye, all of which were incredibly delicious! Eaten with the side dishes – the achar (Mauritian condiment), the lentil soup, the pickles, the chutneys…etc, the food was an explosion of flavors in our mouths.
The fish vindaye was my personal favorite! The fish was incredibly moist and the sauce was perfectly balanced with a hint of pickled lemon rind (limon confit as we say in Mauritius) and chili. The octopus curry was also scrumptious! Cooking octopus is extremely difficult. Undercook it or overcook it and it’s chewy like rubber. However, the one cooked by Escale Creole was on point – firm, meaty and tender! Slow cooked in its curry sauce, soaking every bit of that homemade masala mix, it paired beautifully with the basmati rice where every grain of rice was coated with that luscious sauce.
Let’s now talk about dessert because if I had to describe every single dish that we had, I would run out of synonyms to describe how delicious, tasty and authentic this meal was. So… For dessert, we were served a small piece of banana tart, coconut cake (gato coco rose as called by the locals), home-grown papaya cooked in syrup and cinnamon and of course a shot of STRONG local rum. Well what a great way to finish off this incredible meal, with some of the most loved and traditional desserts of the island.
Let’s now talk about dessert because if I had to describe every single dish that we had, I would run out of synonyms to describe how delicious, tasty and authentic this meal was. So… For dessert, we were served a small piece of banana tart, coconut cake (gato coco rose as called by the locals), home-grown papaya cooked in syrup and cinnamon and of course a shot of STRONG local rum. Well what a great way to finish off this incredible meal, with some of the most loved and traditional desserts of the island.
SERVICE
You will never feel more welcomed than at Escale Creole. As soon as you arrive, you are immediately greeted by Marie-Christine with her beautiful smile and bubbly personality. Marie-Christine also took the time to explain to us the different menus as well as the different dishes when they arrived at the table. We knew exactly what we were eating, where it was sourced and what was the history and origin behind each dish. She also ensured to come around and ask if everything was “ok” several times. In a nutshell, the service and warm hospitality was first class. We could not have asked for better care or attention. It felt as if you were visiting the house of an old friend!
Escale Creole is deeply rooted in the Mauritian Creole culture. As a local, it is much more than just a place to eat, but a trip down memory lane. The hosts are absolutely amazing! You can see that they LOVE what they do and that makes all the difference. The service, the atmosphere, the décor; everything, was really thought through. Escale Creole, the perfect place to sit down; relax; listen to some Mauritian sega music with the birds chirping in the background all while digging-in into a typical Mauritian feast.
Note: Escale Creole is a very touristic place, but with the borders being closed due to covid-19, you can easily get a table. Nonetheless, make sure to call in advance.
RESTAURANT CONTACT INFO
Website: https://www.escalecreole.net/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/escalecreolemaurice
Phone number: +230 5422 2332
E-mail: contact@escalecreole.net
Disclaimer: All restaurant reviews are written from our personal experience at the restaurant on this specific date and time. These are recommendations that
we hope you add to your list of places to try and enjoy.
