The Outrigger Mauritius Beach Resort Executive Chef Geert-Jan Vaartjes has revealed an innovative Saturday evening garden-to-table dining experience at the resort, located in the south of the island.
Guests arrive around 6 p.m. at The Plantation Club colonial-style restaurant on the resort grounds. After they enjoy a welcome cocktail, the resort’s gardener shows them the vegetable garden while explaining the various herbs. Taking advice from the gardener, guests pick an assortment as ingredients for their dinner.
The guests then sit back on the simple wooden tables outdoors and enjoy impromptu Mauritian creole light bites, as Chef goes to work using traditional utensils such as old-style cauldrons, pans (called tawa) and wooden ladles. The meal is prepared on a wood fire.
“There is no fixed menu,” says Vaartjes. “But chances are we will create a vibrant creole garden salad for starters and then a chicken or fish curry main course. It depends on our guests’ curiosity, passion and culinary interests. Rest assured, it will be delicious because it’s from the heart – and the garden.”
Around the allotment beside The Plantation Club Vaartjes says that freshly picked vegetables and herbs such as lady fingers, beetroot and sorrel are his favorites. The rustic dinner will be served with faratha flat bread and local condiments such as coconut chutney, dried shrimp chutney, chillies and local achaar (pickles).
As it’s Mauritius, to accompany the experience, guests will be served barbecued banana marinated in local rum.
Drinks are served in a copper mug in the outdoor garden setting with log furniture. Old style lamps are used for light as the twilight thickens. To add to the atmosphere, the hosts are dressed in local creole and Sega attire. A singer-guitar player entertains guests throughout.
The garden-to-table experience at The Plantation Club costs 1,800 MUR (US$52) per person and 900 MUR (US$26) for children under 12.
Creole Jazz Brunch – Now on Sundays
The famous Creole Jazz Brunch at the Outrigger will now take place on the first Sunday of every month. Sumptuous Creole and international flavors are available at the colonial-style Plantation Club for MUR2,400 (US$69) per person from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For an extra MUR500 (US$14) guests can add free-flow selected wines and local draft beer – or add MUR1,100 (US$32) for free-flow Champagne, wine and beer.
Visitors can make the most of the resort’s facilities during the Sunday brunch visit. Adult visitors can use the resort’s beach, pool and other complimentary facilities until 7 p.m. and children (3-12) have access to the Coral Kids Club. For the brunch and the hotel facilities, infants are free, children 4-12 pay half; and there is a 30% discount for teenagers.
Thinking Out of the Box: Bentos to Go
The chefs at the Outrigger have a new innovation: Bento lunch boxes for guests to take away on day trips, to the beach, to enjoy on their balcony, or as private dining in their rooms.
There are four Bento options: Asian, Mediterranean, Garden, or Plantation Club (seafood). Prices range MUR1050-1450 (US$30-42).
I Scream Ice Cream
The Outrigger has also launched its Ice Candy Shop featuring premium ice creams, sorbets and lollipops. The flavours include Gin & Tonic sorbet and beer-based ice cream for adults. There’s also pistachio-wasabi, passion fruit, salted caramel and Toblerone ice cream, and much more, for all ages. The Ice Candy Shop is next to the Edgewater restaurant and is open from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
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