L’Azuli (Mediterranean) – Mauritius

The last time we were at Azuri beach and staying over at the Radisson Blu Hotel, we visited the Ocean One Beach Club & Restaurant, which was rated 3.5/5 ROARS.

This time, however, we opted for the restaurant L’Azuli at the Radisson Blu Azuri Resort in Roches Noires.

This award-winning place is the brain child of Chef Sébastien Miraux, who recently unveiled a new food and drink concept here.

Chef Miraux is a man with some experience too having worked at Le Taillevent in Paris, which gained 3-Michelin stars in 1973.

L’Azuli was unveiled at the start of 2018 to the Mascarene Islands and, therefore, offers some stunning views outside.

With a beach-side view, its seating arrangement of 100 is equally split between the outdoors and the in.

More important to note, is that this place is only ever open in the evening for a mere 3.5 hours every day; so be sure to book in advance if you’re looking to enjoy the restaurant’s resplendent art decor.

As for the menu, then the chef has revisited iconic dishes and authentic recipes from the Mascarene Islands, such as Mauritius, Rodrigues and Reunion.

The least you’d expect from an expensive restaurant in Mauritius, is fresh bread with the option of butter. These were so good that we just couldn’t stop munching on em.

(Left-right) Grape Cooler; Tamarind Water, Rs.210 each

With a touch of the mint coming through, the grape cooler had a sour edge to it, thanks to its bitternes, that was offset by the sweetness of the pineapple. While this was, therefore, quite novel in taste than expected, it was missing that kick.

As for the Tamarind Water, then this was, courtesy of the lemon juice and cardamon syrup, simple in its makeup.

Carlet Crab Broth – with taro and garlic croutons Rs.590

May not look like the most elegantly presented dish for sure, but this Carlet Crab Broth was, in terms of its taste, special!

While we would have liked at least some of the meat to have remained intact, instead it had entirely dissolved to infuse the broth with a deeply rich crab flavour that we just simply couldn’t get enough of.

This plate was, in essence, a taste of the sea; and we derived pleasure from sucking out whatever little was left in the shells.

The soup also came with a scattering of croutons; though we would have preferred, since this wasn’t a fulfilling main despite that glorious crab flavour.

Grilled Lobster – with pistachio crust, coconut heart pickles, sponge gourd fricassee with butter and curry leaves, Rs.1550 (approx £35)

Given its price, we were expecting the best with this Grilled Lobster, and that’s precisely what we got. With the lobster cooked with absolute perfection such that it practically fell out of its shell, the curry sauce had a delicacy to it that helped to enhance the dish with a hint of chili running through the background.

Coming with a tomato salasa, which truth be told seemed out of place, this beautifully presented plate was by far the best lobster we’ve had the pleasure of tasting.

Vegatable Rice Rs.200

An off-the-menu vegatable rice dish that was very nicely done – unbroken, erect grains of rice – couldn’t ask for any more.

Crème brûlée tamar Rs.310

What mind conceived of a grilled pineapple filled with caramce crème brûlée cream?

We’re not sure whether the chefs were improvising on the day, but this wasn’t the first dish to have missing ingredients, because this was supposed to have chilli flakes according to the menu, which we didn’t notice.

With a messy strawberry sauce base and some crushed icing strewn across the plate, there was also a soft-centred macaroon, which served an additional texture to an otherwise untidy dish.

Having said that though, the flavour combination was divine.