Fancy discovering some authentic Mauritian street food? Head to a ‘tabagie’ shop.
Much more than just a shop, tabagies are an integral part of the island’s history and hold a special place in the heart of Mauritian people.
Around 30 years ago, the tabagie shop played an important role in the social lives of our islanders. With few or no supermarkets, Mauritians used to meet every day in front of the well-stocked corner shop. Yes, they were picking up supplies – but they were also catching up and spending valuable time with one other.
Even today, despite the proliferation of larger stores, the neighbourhood tabagies are still going. Although there are fewer of them around and they’ve evolved over the years, the crucial social element remains. We still meet at the shop to pick up basic products, drink a beer and tuck into some quintessentially Mauritian street food snacks, such as noodles, chilli bites, samosas, bread stuffed with chicken, dumplings, taro fritters, rotis, dholl puri, pickled fruit or alouda – as you can see, the list is long and varied!
We value this key part of Mauritian history so much that we decided it had to be a part of the Attitude experience. That’s why, at each of the Attitude hotels, you’ll find the Taba-J trailer under a red, green or yellow tin roof! Here, with your feet in the soft sand, you can experience the joys of Mauritian street food. Meet a friend, grab a snack and spend a bit of time enjoying each other’s company – just as we Mauritians have done for decades. It’s an island tradition that we love and it felt essential that we were able to share it with our guests.
First launched at The Ravenala Attitude in October 2016, the Taba-J trailer, decorated by Mauritian illustrator Evan Sohun, is now featured at all of our Attitude hotels. Find your hotel’s Taba-J trailer and don’t forget to bring your appetite!
Want to know more? Take a stroll through the streets of Mauritius with Chef Jay of The Ravenala Attitude and get a taste of the Taba-J Attitude.
Written with love by Fleur
@attitude_hotels
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