Karay Mario Review

As part of our Wildlife Experience in Mauritius, we had a lunch at Karay Mario included. Whilst our hotel did have authentic Mauritian cuisine, they naturally were influenced by their tourists. This Karay Mario review showcases just how incredible Mauritian food can be. The colours, the flavour, the heat; all of it combines for a sensational experience on the palette.

Karay Mario Review – Atmosphere

We arrived at Karay Mario just after lunchtime. It was an older-looking building, almost colonial. The entire atmosphere was quintessentially Mauritian. It felt chilled, cosy and relaxed; truthfully how I want to feel on holiday.

Most of the seating was outside on the terrace. This overlooked the small garden filled with different tropical plants, with the odd bird flying in to inspect it. We were greeted by our waitress and escorted to the table.

The table was a small wooden square, with basic chairs opposite one another. The table did go with the atmosphere, but was slightly small for the two of us. We were right up against the wall and, on it, a colony of ants would continually climb up and down. They never disturbed us and they made us feel like we were in a tropical location.

If I am being honest, I would say that the service was good, but could have been better. One of the waitresses did not give us the time of day, which we found strange given it was clearly quite touristy. The other waitress and the owner however were incredibly polite and welcoming and they helped make the atmosphere that much better.

Karay Mario Review – Food and Drink

Karay Mario translates as Mario’s Ladle, as a reference to the chef. They specialise in typical Mauritian cuisine, celebrating the diversity of flavours that the island has to offer.

Our waitress gave us three options; fish, chicken or vegetable curry. Whilst I would have liked a menu, I do appreciate when a restaurant has a limited selection. Usually, it means that the food will be fresh and the chef knows exactly what they are doing. It also speeds things up a bit in the kitchen. I opted for fish whereas Jack opted for chicken.

We waited and just watched the world go by, drinking on our cold drinks. The food arrived quite quickly along with a lot of accompanying extras. Firstly, we were brought a broth / soup that could be enjoyed by itself or with rice. It had lentils in it and packed quite a spicy punch! Next, a large bowl of basmati rice, samosas and chilli bites, alongside three sauces to add to the flavours. All of these were actually quite hot, in particular one that was made of ‘green chillis’. Our guide, Akshay, even said that he struggled with this particular sauce!

Our main dishes came and looked incredible and authentic. My fish was a large fillet soaked in a delicious curry sauce and Jack’s was a chicken thigh in the same presentation. The dishes looked so different from the curries we were used to at home, but my goodness did they taste good. Each bite would unlock a whole new set of flavours and each one was perfectly hot. Not too spicy, but not mild either.

The entire meal was excellent, but we could not eat all of it. There was just so much food and it was really hot that day. Karay Mario was easily some of the best food we ate in Mauritius and also opened my eyes to the culture that bit more.

Background on Mauritian Cuisine

I also want to tell you about Mauritius has a rich history and all of this plays a part in the food. Indian, Chinese, European… All of the flavours create a literal melting pot of cuisines across the world.

One of the best dishes I had during my time in the country just had to be the lunches at the Lagoon Attitude’s restaurant, Cote Neu. We actually became quite friendly with one of the staff there, who had worked at the restaurant for years. She knew that we loved our curries and foods, so each lunch she would recommend something else. Without doubt, the curried chicken in a chapati was the best dish. It was served with yoghurt, chilli bites and a unique curry sauce. It was just incredible.

Whilst the predominant cuisine was almost certainly Indian, the fusion of flavours was seen during the tapas. Cote Neu really experimented with the different flavours from Chinese, European and Indian cuisine. Whether it was an almost sushi-like tuna steak in teriyaki sauce, or venison in a curried paste, it was all unique but very tasty.

The food in Mauritius was some of the best I have had around the world. Karay Mario and Cote Neu were easily up there (alongside Coral, too), but also taught me a lot about the culture and how the locals eat. When you go to Mauritius, just make sure you that you throw yourself in and open up a treasure chest of flavours.

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