Anse La Blague restaurant – out of the way but a good discovery

WildWings Bird Management boasts no gastronomic expertise, but Christine and I both enjoy new culinary experiences during our travels.

On 13 July we decided to take our hosts on Praslin out for dinner and selected a restaurant we had not visited previously.

Praslin’s rain forest reoccupies the derelict remains of a hotel at Anse la Blague (Photo: Chris Feare)

Anse La Blague is a small community based on a quiet beach on the north-east of Praslin. A few houses form the basis of the community, which is served by a shop and the restaurant/villa, accessed by a narrow, winding and steep road from the more populous and popular resorts of Cote d’Or. An architecturally remarkable but derelict hotel remains along an unsurfaced sandy track from an earlier attempt to bring visitors to the village, but the main activity now is betrayed by the flotilla of small fishing boats moored offshore, and a rack on the beach on which fish are salted and dried in the sun.

Salted Kordonye fish drying in the sun at the western end of Anse la Blague beach (Photo: Chris Feare)

La Blague restaurant serves Creole food, as do many restaurants in Seychelles. But the setting, ambiance and quality of the food we ordered stood out.

In the lounge area

Anse la Blague Villa and Restaurant (on the first floor

The restaurant is accessed via a stairway from the car park and the open front overlooks the sea. The décor is distinctly Seychellois and the furniture especially attractive, made from local trees by a local carpenter and polished to display the marvellous grains of the different timbers.

From the menu that contains a variety of traditional Creole dishes, we ordered fish coconut curry, octopus coconut curry and grilled fish steaks. The fish and octopus were cooked to perfection, “melt-in-the-mouth” tender and bristling with mild spices. For those like me with a desire for piquancy, home-produced chilli dressing added tasty bite. All were presented attractively and in generous portions, accompanied by equally generous portions of steamed rice and salad. The salad comprised three components: grated red and white cabbage, starfruit and basil, and delicious pumpkin fritters. All were served in wooden bowls made of coconut.

Octopus curry (Photo: Christine Larose)

Starfruit salad (Photo: Christine Larose)

Having largely satiated our hunger, we selected only two deserts: vanilla ice cream coated with grated coconut, and butterscotch papaya – a delicious novelty for me!

Butterscotch papaya – just don’t think about the calories! (Photo: Christine Larose)

The restaurant is owned by a Seychellois lady who was pleasantly attentive and informative without being overbearing.

We left feeling that we had discovered something new, and somewhere that we shall certainly revisit.