If you must see the sea, you only have to part a few branches around “The h’Arbour Lounge“. How many times have you parted the curtains of your room to take a sneak peek at something beautiful? The sensation is greater than having a full view. Just part the natural curtain and behold a great view of the Victoria Marine National Park islands, and even the islands of Praslin and La Digue on the horizon.
When did you last see this from a forest?
At Anbalaba we believe that the best food is seasonal and territorial. We source our principal ingredients from within a 20km radius of our kitchen, sometimes within a few metres, and we work with the seasons, so the avocados you enjoy in April may not be around in September! And every fish in Seychelles waters has its preferred recipes. The parrot fish, for example, is best enjoyed raw marinated with coconut water, ginger and limes, or fried and cooked with coconut milk, or coated with a little flour and lightly fried. We don’t guarantee however that you’ll have a choice of colours.
Red Parrot Fish
And the only Camaenbert you might see on the premises is what you kindly bring for your hosts!
Blue Parrot Fish
As you walk from the Plantation house, across the front garden, you’ll discover some steps through the trees that lead to a very special place – “The h’Arbour Lounge“, which offers a balcony view over the scenic Victoria Marine Park and the Harbour. An arbour in the forest
The h'Arbour Lounge
overlooking the harbour, hence “The h’Arbour Lounge”, totally surrounded by trees and shrubs and offering a perfect spot to unwind in hammocks or lounge chairs and savour exotic cocktails by the ‘tiki-bar’ at the end of the day.
Mango Salad
When you can get to the mangoes on the tree before the fruit bats, or flying foxes, they make for wonderful desserts, salads and juices. Seychelles has some of the best and most flavourful mangoes south of the Equator. Here’s a great tongue-tickler for a sunny Sunday afternoon: a salad of semi-ripe mangoes, sliced with a potato-peeler, marinated in sugar, vinegar, dash of olive oil, squeeze of lime, sliced onions, crushed red chillies, pinch of salt and pepper, and left in the fridge for a few days.
……..et pour nos amis francophones, qui apprecieront ce fabuleux mariage entre l’epoque coloniale francaise avec la creolite seychelloise dans toute sa tradition ainsi que sa modernite!
Anbalaba defini
Anbalaba defined
It’s been a while, and for good reason too. I laboured extensively to craft a definitive concept for Anbalaba since I needed to establish it’s right raison d’être – in order to create the right brand and marketing communication. Since the project is not near a beach – and most people who come to Seychelles think of the beach – I needed to define the reason for coming to Anbalaba, bearing in mind that the most popular beach on Mahe is no more than an 8mins drive away . The answer, I believe, lies in creating a Heritage tourism project which will combine elements of our Cultural and Natural heritage, in a blend of the traditional and the contemporary, to give guests a quintessential Seychelles “once upon a time ” experience through the setting, the decor, hospitality and not least, the food.
Food at Anbalaba will have a philosophy. We believe that the best cuisine when you’re at any location or destination, is what is local and seasonal. We also believe that as much as possible, we should grow what we eat, and eat what we grow, that way guests can have the freshest produce and also be able to make that little journey from the garden to the table. And what’s peeled off the fruits and vegetables will go straight back to the compost heap for the next planting. Here’s a trio of Avocados – two green and 1 ripe – from the tree right outside the kitchen, plucked from the roof of the house.
Finally a journey, a place, a project, that brings together my passion for writing, photography, cooking, public relations and of course, Seychelles. Anbalaba. And here I will be exploring and documenting the little-known world of Seychellois island and creole cuisine which we shall be eventually serving to our guests. We’ll start with a “fricasee” of Pumpkin and creole S
ausages, flavoured with cloves and cinnamon, which I photographed, cooked and ate today.
Anbalaba is a special place where all elements aspire and conspire to bring about a near-perfect synthesis of all my life experiences, from the smells, sights and tastes of my childhood to growing up and living in Seychelles and in diverse cultures of the world. What is slowly oozing out is a heady, intoxicating yet calming and soothing concoction of Seychellois Creole, French, English, pan-European, Mediterranean, Indian, African, Arabic and Chinese, all merging with the natural elements to form the quintessential ME.
The position of the kitchen according to the current drawings seems to present a problem as it is sandwiched between two guest rooms. Moving it to the right back of the house will provide better access to the outside kitchen and consolidate our family living area to the back of the villa, plus the kitchen will now good sunlight well into sunset. Foraging through the foliage, lianes and creepers today we uncovered a little brick structure that looks like a combination between a little store and an outside toilet. Perfect for a fish and meat Smoking room!
anbalaba hideaway | seychelles 