In Mauritius, the word "sauter" has nothing to do with jumping. Ask for a sauter poulet at any snack — the island's word for a small street-food canteen — and you will be handed a fresh bread roll, filled with meat that has just left the wok, still steaming. It is Mauritian street food at its most direct: fast, hot, generous, and priced for real life. At Chez Boom, our snack in Grand Baie, we make it every morning, Monday to Friday. Here is what hides behind a word the whole island uses without ever translating it.
A wok, a fierce flame, a few minutes
A sauter is a stir-fry cooked in a wok over high heat: meat or seafood, onions, garlic, a little sauce, and barely a few minutes on the flame. The name comes from the French faire sauter, to toss — the cook's flick of the wrist that turns the ingredients over so nothing sticks. The short cooking keeps the meat tender and the onions crisp. In Mauritius a sauter is rarely eaten on a plate by itself. Most of the time it goes straight into bread, split open and filled to order — the famous pain garni, the Mauritian sandwich.
Sino-Mauritian roots
Wok cooking arrived in Mauritius with the Sino-Mauritian community, whose kitchens shaped the way the whole island eats. Like fried noodles (mine frit) or the upside-down bowl (bol renversé), the sauter was born from that meeting: a Chinese cooking method, local ingredients, and a bread inherited from the French tradition. The result belongs to Mauritius alone. You will find it everywhere today, from neighbourhood snacks to roadside stands, and every cook has their own hand — more onions or fewer, more sauce or less, a turn of the wok that makes all the difference.
Why it became the island's go-to lunch
The sauter ticks every box of the Mauritian lunch break: it is ready in minutes, it fills you up, and it costs far less than a restaurant meal. Construction workers make it their midday stop, office workers phone their order in, regulars pull up on scooters between errands. If you are looking for cheap eats in Grand Baie that do not compromise on flavour, it is hard to beat a good sauter in fresh bread, eaten hot, standing up or perched on a wall.
The Chez Boom way
At Chez Boom, everything is made to order: the bread is filled in front of you, the sauter comes straight from the wok, and nothing sits around in a warming tray. The wok heats up first thing in the morning and every order hits the pan the moment you place it. Here are our filled breads:
- Sauter saucisse (sausage) — Rs 75
- Sauter poulet (chicken) — Rs 90
- Sauter bœuf (beef with onions) — Rs 95
- Salade poisson (fish salad) — Rs 95
- Sauter calamars (squid) — Rs 150
- Ourite safranée — Rs 150, fresh lagoon octopus with saffron, the sauter's noble cousin
- Rôti légumes (vegetable roti) — Rs 25, for small appetites and small budgets
Order before noon — it's ready when you arrive
We are open Monday to Friday, 7am to 2pm, on the main road in Grand Baie, next to the football pitch. The menu goes fast: by late morning, some breads are already sold out. The smart move is to order by phone or WhatsApp on +230 5987 8153 before noon — it is ready when you arrive. Warm bread, a sauter straight from the wok: Mauritian street food is never explained better than by tasting it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a sauter in Mauritius?
It is a stir-fry cooked in a wok over high heat: meat or seafood, onions, garlic, a little sauce, and barely a few minutes on the flame. The name comes from the French faire sauter, the cook's flick of the wrist that turns the ingredients over.
What is the difference between a sauter and a pain garni?
The sauter is what comes out of the wok; the pain garni is the fresh bread roll split open and filled to order. In Mauritius a sauter is rarely eaten on a plate by itself — most of the time it goes straight into that bread.
How much does a sauter cost at Chez Boom?
Sausage sauter Rs 75, chicken sauter Rs 90, beef with onions Rs 95, fish salad Rs 95, squid sauter Rs 150, ourite safranée Rs 150. The vegetable roti is Rs 25.
When to come and how to order?
Chez Boom is open Monday to Friday, 7am to 2pm, on the main road in Grand Baie, next to the football pitch. The menu goes fast: order by phone or WhatsApp on +230 5987 8153 before noon and it is ready when you arrive.