He is fluent in French, English and Creole. He makes perfect dishes inspired by the world’s cuisine. He spends his time making beautiful pasta for his customers and occasional speeches in English at Toastmasters International. But his charm gives him away: Bernard Gouerec is most definitely French!

Oops! Not quite, says Bernard. “I am from Brittany – and that’s my first nationality!” Ok, I didn’t quite get it so Bernard went to great lengths to explain that people from “Bretagne” are always so proud of their origins that they refuse to be called French.

Bernard was working as a chef - his labour of love, in a hotel in Singapore. He took some time off and went on holiday to Paris. There, a well-connected friend told him a 5-star hotel in Mauritius called Le Touessrok was looking for a chef. Bernard didn’t hesitate; Mauritius, where the stars went on holidays? He didn’t have to be asked twice! That was 19 years ago, in 1986.

“I landed in what I thought was paradise. For five years, I lived there and that was all I knew about Mauritius. To this day, le Touessrok remains the best hotel,” says Bernard in his French accent. I tease him. “You arr laughin at meee!” smiles Bernard. It’s funny really; we always speak English, Bernard and I. Even when I slip and say something in French, he replies in English! I guess it has to do with the fact that we met at a Toastmaster’s meeting – I walked in to the sound of a Frenchman speaking perfect English!

As I have said, Bernard is a chef. After having spent some twenty years working in different hotels and restaurants, he decided he needed a change. He then came up with the idea of a pasta bar. Pasta Bar? In Mauritius? “Well, I wanted to introduce this versatile dish to Mauritians. You know, it took me almost twenty years to adapt to the Mauritian way of life and learn how to relate to each and everyone of you. That’s what I am bringing to pasta!” If you don’t understand, maybe this will help; Bernard makes a pasta dish with rougaille poisson salé! (salted fish in tomato sauce) or spaghetti with chicken and prawn curry! I wanted to know from an expert how to make perfect al dente pasta. “You feel when it’s ready,” says Bernard laughing – he simply would not tell me his secret! All he would say was that, prior to the opening of Mama Mia, everybody at home ate pasta for two months! “So I wouldn’t get it wrong!”

What is a renowned chef like Bernard’s favourite food? “It’s like asking me about the most attractive woman I’ve seen. There’s just too many!” Frenchmen…

Bernard is amazed by people. “Mauritius is such a diverse nation. I have learnt to recognise the two main categories though; the ones who have travelled and the ones who haven’t. But even then, they are so different.”

Bernard recalls having a drink with French comic Michel Lebb once, in Mauritius. Lebb is known to be a great observer of people and a good imitator. “But when I asked him to imitate a Mauritian, he said he couldn’t; there is no typical Mauritian!”

Back to pasta… What came first, Chinese noodles or Italian spaghetti? “Chinese, of course- and now we’re making it Mauritian!” says this mischievous Frenchman…