Chez Babas

Chez Babas is not a restaurant in any formal sense — it's a roadside counter in Cap Malheureux with four plastic tables outside, a view of the Red Church and the lagoon beyond, and a woman called Babas who has been making dholl puri since before most of her customers were born. The dholl puri here is widely considered by Mauritians to be among the finest on the island: the puri freshly rolled, the split pea paste warm and aromatic with cumin, the rougaille thick and glossy, the grated carrot chutney sharp enough to cut through the richness. The combination arrives wrapped in paper, often too hot to hold, and is consumed in minutes. By 10am, Babas and her daughter are also serving the day's curry — usually a chicken rougaille or a fish curry depending on what's good — with fresh rice. By 1pm, everything is sold out and the counter closes. Cap Malheureux is the northernmost point of the island, with a view on clear mornings to Coin de Mire, Gabriel, and Flat islands in the ocean beyond. Having breakfast at Chez Babas and looking out at those islands while the day is still cool is one of the simple but distinctly Mauritian experiences that no resort can replicate.