In the Parc national de La Réunion, get to know Rose-May Dugain, restaurateur - Chez Moustache

In Saint-Philippe, Chez Moustache is much more than a restaurant: it's a warm place where you can rediscover the flavors of yesteryear, prepared with fresh, local produce. Since 2007, Rose-May has been cooking every day over a wood fire, just like in the old days, in front of her customers, with simplicity and passion. Nothing is prepared in advance; everything is cooked on the day itself, respecting the rhythm of the seasons and the produce. Rose-May also takes care to limit her impact on the environment: little plastic, cloth napkins, respect for the ecolabel... Chez Moustache fully embodies theNational Park spirit.

I don't mind wood fires. As people used to say: "How do you cook like that in front of it? I couldn't do it!".... I said no, for me it's natural.

The Chez Moustache restaurant is located in Saint-Philippe, right on the volcano. The store was opened in 2002 and the restaurant has been open since November 7, 2007. When we chose this location, we put the chimney right in place. I really wanted to cook typical Creole cuisine over a wood fire, as I have done for a long time. For me, that's what good tradition is all about, and good produce. It's not dishes that are made the day before and served the day after: everything is made the same day.

We have 50 place settings but we don't use a lot of plastic, we only use cloth napkins, we respect the ecolabel.

People tell us "Ah but the welcome is wonderful!". But it's natural for me, I can't help going to see if everything's going well. Over the last 18 years, the number of people I've seen, at a rate of 30 to 50 covers a day, is enormous. It's heartwarming, and I'd like to thank everyone involved.