Middle Brighton Baths Cafe, Brighton by Bureaucrat

Back in the day, as footloose DINKS, taking the time out for a leisurely lunch at a fine dining restaurant was an option for us.  So in 2013(!), we enjoyed a lovely meal at The Baths at Brighton.  Skip forward to 2019, with Boy Chick in tow, we once again found ourselves in Brighton but this time, we decided to check out the cafe that's attached to The Baths (both eateries are located at the same place - the restaurant is referred to as 'Upstairs', while the cafe/bar is 'Downstairs').

Boy Chick and his chocolate milkshake (kid's size)

As you could imagine, the cafe is more relaxed than its counterpart upstairs.  We chose to sit on the patio which overlooks The Baths' own private beach.  While I recall the food in the restaurant being reasonably good, the cafe fare was amazing!  

Le Courtyard Restaurant, Mauritius by Obelix

Tucked away in the media precinct of Port Louis is Le Courtyard, a restaurant offering a quiet oasis in the bustle of the capital. The restaurant and bar centre around an open topped courtyard with a burbling water fountain surrounded by greenery - pots of citrus (which we were told by the bar tender that they pluck fresh to mix in drinks), curious but spiky euphorbia, and pots of palm fanning open to the sky. 

Amuse bouche

The staff are so accommodating and warm. I had the privilege of attending a few media interviews whilst visiting Mauritius. Some of the interviews I attended were held at Le Courtyard for its beautiful backdrop, and other times, I simply whiled away time in between meetings sipping cool drinks and gazing serenely at the fountain.

Ashy's Afghan, Ashburton by Bureaucrat

There's no shortage of cafes along High Street, Ashburton.  Indeed, the family-friend Mr Burton and the lovely Two Seeds can be found along this lively strip of shops.  However, I was very excited to see a new eatery pop up - Ashy's Afghan.  

I think Ashy's Afghan used to be a typical cafe, but in probably the last year or so, it's changed into an Afghani restaurant.  This suits me fine as I love Afghani food.  An impromptu lunch with Boy Chick's playgroup buddies saw us check out Ashy's Afghan.

Inside, it's spacious and welcoming - great if you have kids!  Boy Chick's buddies and their grandparents haven't had Afghani food before.  As such, I recommended they go with something that's not too spiced or 'challenging' to eat.

It's lunch menu is very well priced.  The double skewer charcoal kebabs (chicken thighs or minced lamb) is an absolute feast at $13.90.  The photo doesn't do it justice in terms of showing just how big the serve is.  We got two of these.  I had one all to myself, and I can tell you I was stuffed! The chicken was tender and juicy.  It was lightly spiced with a little paprika and lemon. The rice was light and fluffy; salad was fresh; I didn't try the pita as I was just too full.  While this was very yummy, I would have liked a stronger char-grilled flavour on the chicken. 

Fat Cup, Blackburn by Bureaucrat

I've noticed there's been a few changes in the eateries around Blackburn train station.  So for morning tea one day, I decided to try one out - Fat Cup.  I like the name of this place - one of abundance!  First impressions were also good.  It appears that Fat Cup is a family-run business and the plentiful smiles and happy welcomes was very nice.  The bright and spacious interior was also a plus - and I also loved the little touches of native plants and flowers dotted around the place.

With a few cakes on offer, I decided to go with the lemon tart.  This was quite lemony, which I like.  However, did wish that it came with some cream just so to temper the sourness from the lemon.  

Street food, Mauritius by Obelix

Whilst I like the convenience of resort dining, it’s not really the way to experience local culture. Which is why the most memorable food experiences in Mauritius were either eaten on the streets or ‘grab & bag’ to be enjoyed later hunkered down in the hotel room, trying to dish out the morsels into the cups and saucers the hotel supply for tea and coffee.

Coconut by the pool

Here is a food-log (a flog?) of the delectable street food of Mauritius. This is just a mere sampling. I intend to go back in future years to conquer some more. But it’s a start. And I have started with good ole favourites.

Chef BBQ experience, Mauritius by Obelix

As abundant and convenient resort living is, after several days of endless buffets, I yearn for simple home cooked food, tailored to my taste buds rather than slabs of pre-selected food which I may not necessarily desire laid out for me.

Flambeed prawns!

With this in mind, we opted to stay in a villa with our personal chef. The experience was like having a genie in a bottle. Gino, our genie was able to conjure up whatever dish our taste buds desired. For our last supper before we headed home, we decided to have a seafood BBQ. As the dying rays of sun disappeared on the horizon, Gino stoked the charcoal embers by the pool over looking Pereybere beach, and we watched on, entranced.