Obviously, you are very familiar with the food of Mauritius and this is just a fresher. No? Well, you are  definitely not alone. Brian Lofink from Tria Taproom came for a visit and brought some treats from his mother’s homeland for all of us to try. Read on to get an introduction to this colorful cuisine.

Located off the coast of Madagascar, Mauritius sits in the middle of the Indian Ocean and was a natural waypoint from East Asia, India and Europe. Because of this, you see a vibrant mix of cultural influences on the island, particularly in its cuisine. The French left its mark during its colonization until it ceded control to England in 1812. When slavery was abolished in India, there was an influx of former indentured servants from all over that subcontinent. Lastly, migrants from the southeastern part of China made their way to the island in the latter part of the 19th century and are credited with making rice a staple.

Joining in on the fun was Tom Flannery from Bottle Bar East. Drawing inspiration from the island’s tea culture, he greeted guests with a vanilla tea infused rum cocktail that featured ginger shrub. Served over ice, Tom shook in some lime and balanced things out with vanilla simple syrup. 

The next course to pass in front of guests was boulette soup with jumbo lump crab and chayote, a squash cultivated on the high plateau of the island and widely used in a Chinese dumpling known as chou chou — as Brian did tonight.

The next course was the first to highlight some of India’s influences on the Mauritian food scene. This street food trio of curry potato samosas, yellow split pea fritters and tempura veggies was paired up with tomato chutney and mazavaroo (a green chile paste). You can find these available scattered about the island at stands, perfect for your travels across the varying landscapes.

Tom chose to pair Empire Estates Dry Riesling from Lake Cayuga with these two courses. If you’ve had riesling from different regions, you know that it can manifest itself in a variety of ways. This iteration of this widely grown grape has some residual sugar but presents some minerality and zest.

Brian’s third offering paid homage to the robust fishing industry that has thrived on the island for as long as it has been inhabited. Using a recipe for gram masala that he inherited from his mother, he marinated head-on shrimp. After grilling them off, the prawns were served over a salad of heart of palm and peppers before finishing with a rouge sauce.

Speaking of rouge, Tom paired this course with a rose cider from Estonia called Jaanihanso. This off-dry cider’s profile of underripe strawberries played nicely with the various flavors of Brian’s dish.
While mostly comprised of many different ethnic and religious backgrounds that avoid the consumption of beef, it is Mauritius’ most consumed meat. So finishing the evening’s savory lineup with wood grilled filet mignon stays true to the very diverse but cow-centric diets of his mother’s native land. Accompanying the wonderfully prepared filet was grilled pineapple, achar de legumes (a quick pickled vegetable salad) and peppercorn red currant demi-glace.

Contrasting flavors made pairing this course slightly more difficult. On one hand, the robust filet can hold up to a number of varietals. On the other, we have the red currants in the demi and the pickled veggies that bring a bit of acidity. Tom went for a middle of the road, medium bodied offering from Washington. Secret Squirrel blends grenache, syrah and mourvèdre, producing a fruit forward wine that stands up across the board.

Last but certainly least, we arrive at dessert. Guests were treated to brûléed bananas over a tart of dulce de leche and topped with vanilla rum ice cream. If there’s ever a positive sign for a chef, it has to be the sound of silence other than spoons hitting plates while dessert is being devoured.

Partnered with dessert was Dandelion Vineyards’ Pedro Ximénez out of Australia. This sherry is reminiscent of sauternes with is raisiny finish and notes of caramel.

It’s safe to say Philadelphia needs a restaurant inspired by the food of Mauritius. For now, we will just have to thank Brian’s mom for introducing him to its wonderful components and bringing them to COOK.