Amid the hustle and bustle of the pantry section within the Dandenong Market, it could be easy to walk past La Caze Mama. But the Mauritian cafe and retail shop has been attracting customers from all over Melbourne since it opened in 2016.

Owner Girish Ramjuttun tells Broadsheet some come from as far as Point Cook and Craigieburn to eat at the diner, which is one of the only places in Melbourne (alongside North Melbourne favourite Manze) serving Mauritian food.

Despite its popularity within the Mauritian community (the City of Greater Dandenong has one of the largest Mauritian communities in Victoria – the shop celebrated Mauritian Independence Day on March 12, attracting 8000 extra visitors to the market and a 50-metre-long queue) Mauritian food is still a lesser-known entity in Victoria. And for many customers here, La Caze Mama (translated as “mother’s home”) is their first introduction to the cuisine.

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Ramjuttun wants to raise awareness of Mauritian food, which has been heavily shaped by the African island nation’s colonial history. “When non-Mauritian customers come to La Caze Mama, they don’t know where to start, and question whether the food is Indian, Chinese, European or African. They think we don’t have a specialisation [but] it’s one of the world’s great creole cuisines,” he says.

When Broadsheet visits, we start with the vindaye, which is believed to be of Indian and Portuguese origin. Fish (in this case, tuna) is spiced with mustard seed and turmeric, and pickled in oil and vinegar. From here we move on to the Chinese-influenced house-made noodles mine frite (stir-fried) and mine bouillie (poached). The latter is a peppery dish with spring onion, chicken, fried egg, fish sauce, soy sauce and a touch of broth. Mine frite is a drier dish made with Hokkien noodles and flavoured with fish sauce, dark soy sauce and white wine. Unlike other Chinese-influenced dishes, the fresh Hokkien noodles aren’t boiled, but stir-fried to produce a chewier texture. Both dishes are served with house-made chilli and the mine frite is also accompanied by a garlic sauce.

The dishes are made by Mauritian chef Angie Veerasamy, who was cooking street food in Mauritius before coming to Australia. You’ll also find octopus and venison cooked in curry paste and wrapped in a tortilla-like flatbread, plus chayote (which some Australians might know as "choko") dumplings, dholl puri – stuffed flatbread with split peas and pickled vegetables – one of the most popular street foods in Mauritius – and chicken briani (biryani).

The latter might be responsible for the shop’s existence. Back in 2011, Ramjuttun and his wife Simla Ramjuttun had an intense craving for Mauritian briani, which they couldn’t find anywhere in Melbourne. Same goes for the ingredients needed to make it at home. Availability, says Ramjuttun, is part of the reason Australians of Mauritian ancestry have struggled to continue the food culture. 

Back then, there were two Mauritian shops in Melbourne – in Hampton Park and Werribee – that sold the right spice mixes. He drove to one, then the other, and both were out of stock. He realised there might be a large number of Mauritian expats willing to drive across town for a taste of home.

The couple began importing and wholesaling products from their garage in Doncaster East, and on their first day, everything was cleaned up by the first two customers. These days their warehouse in Carrum Downs distributes Mauritian grocery items to 80 retailers across Australia.

Alongside the main dishes at La Caze Mama are desserts like napolitaines (shortbread sandwich cookies filled with sweet jam), puits d’amour (a vanilla crème and coconut pastry) and a banana tart. Drinks include Pearona and Cidona – popular Mauritian soft drinks – and a refreshing “mousse noir” drink (literally translated as “black jelly”), made with house-made grass jelly.

The Ramjuttuns have been on a mission to celebrate and share their culture with Mauritians and non-Mauritians alike. The venue is a meeting point for many in the community, and Ramjuttun says he’s been buoyed by the success of Manze.

“If we have the Mauritian diaspora on our side, they’ll be the ones who will take the jar of chilli to the barbeque. The non-Mauritians will say, ‘I love this. Where can I get it from?’ I think this, and future generations, will keep the culture going.”

lacazemama.com/au/cafe