Le Comptoir (International Buffet) – Mauritius

The island of Mauritius has done remarkably well in containing its outbreak of Covid-19 when compared to its more “developed” counterpart, Great Britain.

In fact, it has done so well that while there have only been 332 positive cases, with just 10 deaths (five directly related to the virus) in a population of over one million since May 17, no new cases have been recorded since.

And with things looking up (at least in that part of the world), here’s our long-overdue review of Le Comptoir – one of a number of restaurants we’ve reviewed at Radisson Blu Hotel in Azuri Resort & Spa.

Previously, we’d had the pleasure of trying out the following eateries located in the vibrant village of Azuri: L’Azuli, which we rated an impressive 4/5; followed by Ocean One and The Café which were both rated 3.5/5.

Le Comptoir is a venue that will pique the interests of those who enjoy the concept of a buffet, where a premade variety of dishes, in this case both international and locally inspired cuisines, are arranged as a pick’n’choose. With Le Comptoir having themed-nights, it was International Cuisine for the evening the day we visited.

Of course, situated as it is on the doorstep of the beach resort, it’s an ideal place to visit any time of the year, but particularly if you’re visiting the beach.

A selection of what’s on offer!

Trust us when we tell you of how difficult it was maintaining self-control, with such an inviting array of quality, homemade breads.

There were also a range of simple, yet freshly-prepared salads, as well as two kinds of chutneys that were superbly balanced and full of flavour.

While one was a tangy, salsa-inspired dip of sorts, its partner was more savoury, though nonetheless as good.

If it isn’t obvious enough, that plate we made up was one of extreme restraint!

Beef Tartare; Waldorf Salad; White Bean Salad

If that wasn’t enough, there was also an equally inviting selection of plates, spooned canapes, and glasses attractively arranged, and all begging us to give in.

Undoubtedly the stars of this assortment were the Beef Tartare, as well as the Waldorf Salad (wrongly spelt Waldoff!).

If you don’t know, then the spoon of Beef Tartare was, as all tartares are meant to be, served raw. With a tender chewiness to it, there were enough herbs and spices therein to ensure a second helping.

While the standard White Bean Salad was what it was, the Waldorf apple and potato salad was sublime – subtle in flavour, with enough going to make this an addictive eat. And though hindsight is, indeed, a wonderful thing; had we known what was to follow, we would have filled ourselves up on this salad alone, it was that good.

With at least 10 mains to choose from, which included a pork dish (prepped and cooked separately to ensure no cross-contamination), we were hopeful that the mains would build on a brilliant start.

Alas, as with so many other buffets we’ve had in our time – where when it’s good, it’s good; but when it’s not, you wonder why you bothered – this one turned out to be especially bad.

The yellow lentil dish was poor, lacking as it did in masala while turning out slightly underdone. The Chicken Blanquette was forgettable, being watery, bland and entirely uninspired. As for the Tomato Pasta, then the strength of the tomato came through so strongly, that we wondered whether an uncooked can of puree had just been dumped in before a quick stir. And with the noodles not being any better, looking palpably horrid and dry, any complaints over the absence of rice or naan was quickly forgotten.

Steaks – a tale of two calves!

How can two kinds of steak strips be so contrastive, with one being thin and rubbery, and the other turning out thick and juicy? If anything, this summed up our evening.

Deciding to abruptly cut short our tour of the mains section, we moved onto the massive selection of desserts, which, on first impressions, appeared to create a pretty picture.

Similar to the pastry desserts we’ve had during our Mauritius trip, the ones we tried here weren’t any better, turning out dense and stodgy, with toppings akin to the mass produced variety you might find here at your local supermarket.

Truth be told, we didn’t enjoy any of the desserts at Le Comptoir, or anywhere else we dined at for that matter (see our previous reviews for more information).