Manoushe: A Lebanese heaven in Mauritius

No need to go far or take a plane to have a bite of tasty Lebanese food. Manoushe is the first Lebanese restaurant to open its doors in Mauritius. Partners in life and at work, Guy and Candy – the owners of Manoushe – share with us the secret recipe for a balanced work and personal life. 

If you often dream about delicious Lebanese food or you often have cravings for a tangy hummus or babaganoush, you will be happy to be able to satisfy your taste buds. Mauritius has its first Lebanese restaurant since. Manoushe was launched at the beginning of April this year by Guy and Candy Edmond. Guy, who is is of Lebanese origin, always dreamed of serving his country’s food and owing his own restaurant. The chef of Manoushe shares that it all started five years ago. 

“We started as a small catering company and saw that people really liked this kind of healthy food. Gradually, we became known for this, and opening a restaurant was a natural step.” Which they did in April, in Belle Rose. “The restaurant we took over was a pizzeria, we thought of how best we could merge these two culinary worlds, given their huge difference. And then we came up with the idea of a fusion cuisine,” explains Candy.

Manoushe is actually a Lebanese pizza restaurant. “We have a pizza called Manoushe (vegetarian one) with a mix of Zaatar spices and our homemade Labaneh yoghurt cheese. Our Lebanese pizza (called Lahem Baajin) with lamb ragout is one of the pizzas our customers like the most as well as our Shawarma pizza. In the restaurant, we also serve Italian pizza and pasta.” 

However, staying true to its Lebanese roots, the restaurant also serves traditional Lebanese dishes such as hummus, babaganoush and other dips, kibbeh, falafel, chicken shawarma, Mansaf, Makloubeh and many more.

Guy confides that his aim through Manoushe is to bring good and healthy cuisine to Mauritians. “A cuisine that is totally different from what is proposed here, and yet interesting and healthy. Lebanese cuisine uses a lot of vegetables and legumes. It’s actually very vegan friendly as well.” The couple have managed to strike the right balance between their personal and professional lives. What is their secret recipe? 

“Many times conversations related to work invade our free time as a couple. I won’t lie and say it’s a bed of roses, since it’s not. We are two different characters who are together 24/7. On the other hand, if you manage to handle this, then your marriage is stronger than ever. It was our dream to open a restaurant and we are doing it together. We get an immense satisfaction from it. We complete each other – Guy is the chef for savoury dishes and I do all the pastries and bakery part. During our (little) free time, we try to disconnect and go camping. We love nature and find it cleansing and relaxing,” confides Candy. 

Since it’s opening, Manoushe has received positive responses. “We were actually overwhelmed! When we opened the restaurant, we were afraid locals would not dare discover other tastes. We were extremely surprised that from day 1 we’ve been completely booked! At start, it was crazy. People were rushing in. Now, we are usually full for lunch and dinner. It’s preferable to book a table in advance, especially during week-ends.” 

Besides managing Manoushe, the couple has continued providing catering services. They are grateful to their staff members who work hard to make the restaurant a true success. “We have a great dedicated, loyal and professional crew working with us,. We couldn’t do it without them, to handle both the restaurant and the catering events.

Does the couple have projects in mind? “Oh yes!!,” states Candy. “We have many projects in mind but we have time constraints. One of the things we want to develop is vegan food. I’m actually more and more inclined to become a fully vegetarian myself. However vegan food (different from vegetarian) is not enough developed in Mauritius in my opinion. We have quite a few vegan options now at the restaurant and will develop it even more soon. I also want to make a gluten free pizza for all those who are gluten intolerant in Mauritius and who feel that they cannot eat good quality pizzas. Right now we’re in the testing phase,” shares Candy.