Life Love Lexie: Sunday Brunching

I'm sure you've established by now that the Southampton Bloggers are happiest when surrounded by food. And March saw the latest blogger meet up being hosted at the Mauritian Street Food restaurant Lakaz Maman, owned by Masterchef champion Shelina Permalloo.

Lakaz Maman opened two years ago, on Bedford Place, in central Southampton. Nestled amongst pubs and fast food joints, Lakaz Maman is a breath of fresh air as you walk up the street. Instantly, you are hit by the bright colours of the exterior, which continue inside too. You walk through the doors and instantly feel like you've been transported to Mauritius - it literally feels like you're on holiday.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is just as warm and welcoming as the interior decoration. The lovely Shelina and her team greeted us with warm smiles and instantly made us feel comfortable. It exactly lives up to its name - Lakaz Maman means "Mum's House" in Creole, and that's just the feel it gives. The restaurant is laid back, where you can relax while feasting on informal street food.

And speaking of food... it was DELICIOUS! The restaurant has recently started serving a brunch menu from 8:30am to midday, Thursday to Sunday, and I couldn't wait to give the menu a try. There was so many interesting sounding dishes, with things that I'd never imagined before. On the tables there were large jugs of two traditional Mauritian drinks - Alooda and Panakon. The Panakon was a refreshing lemon and tamarind drink, while my choice of the Alooda was a sweet coconut milk and vanilla drink. It was super tasty, I went back for multiple glasses throughout brunch.

When the food arrived, I was stunned by all the beautiful colours that were piled onto our plates. I chose the Cinnamon Toast with Coconut and Tropical Fruits. I love sweet breakfast choices, so this was a no-brainer for me. The cinnamon toast was thick and well flavoured, without being overly rich, and the coconut and tropical fruit topping gave the whole dish a fresh, healthier feel. I could easily have eaten a second plate of it. I was also particularly envious of the Breakfast Torpedo - turkey bacon, chicken sausages and a fried egg in a breakfast muffin served with Mauritian salsa - and the Breakfast Eggs - poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce with a warm roti.

My delicious Cinnamon Toast with Coconut and Tropical Fruits

The Breakfast Torpedo

The Breakfast Eggs

Once we finished our delicious brunch choices, Shelina was kind enough to talk us through her business and answer a range of our questions. She covered everything from her first thoughts behind the feel for the restaurant, to the process of opening your own restaurant and her plans for opening future restaurants. It was amazing to hear the things that Shelina and her husband went through in order to open Lakaz Maman, and their plans for the future. It truly was so inspirational to see a local woman who has built up a successful business that encompasses her passions.

I had a lovely morning with the lovely Shelina and her team, and the Southampton Bloggers for a truly delicious brunch. A massive thank you to Shelina for inviting us, and to Alice for organising another amazing opportunity.

Grace, me, Bex

Shelina's books were available to buy, and I couldn't resist picking some up for myself.

Shelina was even kind enough to personally sign them for me * Photo credit Grace

Lakaz Maman is located at 22 Bedford Place in Southampton. You can view the menu online here, or phone 023 8063 9217 to book.