Noodle Square, Mauritius by Obelix

The last time I was in Mauritius, my friend brought a small take away container of niuk yen for us to snack on at the beach. These were steamed juicy balls of choko, mixed with fried rice vermicelli and dried shrimp. Plump and texturally interesting, it sounds like a strange combo but trust me, it’s moreish.


Having tracked down where she procured the niuk yen from, P and I made sure we visited the place the subsequent time we were in Mauritius. So here we are.  It made sense to order what we came for, more niuk yen. We met the proprietor Ryan, who affably told the tale of how he strove for months to perfect the right ratio of ingredients so that his niuk yen formed the perfect sphere and soft yielding texture without losing form. 


We also took the opportunity to try the ourite safranee which were fried octopus in spices. It was a different take than the usual deep fried octopus.


In a similar vein was the calamar croustillant. Crunchy fried calamari. Say no more, you had me at croustillant.


Sao mai


Sew kiow

We also ordered sao mai and sew kiow. The sew kiow was probably best eaten in the restaurant versus takeaway as the delicate flour-based wrappers containing the pork mince tended to disintegrate in the soup by the time it made its way home.


My next favourite after the niuk yen was the hakien - a roll of fried up goodness. Essentially the interior comprise of grated veggies, prawns and meat. A perfect accompaniment to an ice cold beer, I reckon.


Vegetarian fried rice


Taekon

Last but not least, we ordered vegetarian fried rice and taekon (stuffed tofu) for Kiddo which she shared with her appreciative cousins.

Verdict

We loved it.

Cheap eats.

Overall

Noodle Square makes the best niuk yen, in my humble opinion. ‘Nuff said!

Find it at

Noodle Square
60 Royal Street
Port Louis
Mauritius