<I>Expert in Indo-Pakistani cuisine</I>

Mohammad Razzak arrived in Mauritius in 1987 where he met his wife to be. They got married and went to Pakistan until 1990. Today, he owns a restaurant in Port-Louis and exports scrap metal…

Friendly, humble and gentle would be the three words that would suit him the most. However, he admits that he is sometimes strict “when needed”. After completing his education, Mohammad Razzak went into metalwork as an apprentice in a steel factory for two years. But then he decided to do something very different: catering. He first started this business in Port Quasim, Karachi. He was in charge of three canteens with around 1,200 people working under him and had to make sure they were provided with breakfast, lunch and even dinner.

His reputation and his hard work helped him become the caterer of the royal family, the Sheik from Dubai, during their stays in their palaces in Pakistan. Sometimes, when the royal family would go in the desert, Mohammad Razzak and some of his workers had to go with them. And in the mean time, he managed to discover a hobby: hunting. Over there he used to hunt birds in the desert. But, when he came here, he found out about hunting deer.

“I love hunting. I remember while my workers were cooking the food, I used to practise what would become my favorite hobby! But here, I have a very busy schedule. I am free only on Sunday. I devote this time to my family.”

When he came back to Mauritius he brought his passion for catering with him. And in 1997, he opened the Shezan restaurant in Port-Louis. Today this restaurant is a huge success with both Indian and Pakistani food. This is one of the reasons why Mohammad Razzak does not regret his decision to come back to Mauritius. Moreover, he admits he came to Mauritius for his family as well.

“I realized that one should not run only after money. There comes a time when you have to decide whether you need more money or rather a peaceful and quiet life caring for the family. I chose the family. It is true that my wife had something to do with the decision but it did not need much convincing for me to decide to settle in Mauritius.”

Mohammad Razzak was born on the coast of the Arabian Sea in Karachi on 2nd November 1958. He did his primary and secondary schooling there as well as his degree in accountancy at the University of Karachi in 1974. He got married in 1987 to Nasreen Malam Hassam who was teaching home economics at Loreto college at that time. They have three children – Farnaz, Adnan and Anaas.

Mohammad Razzak does not wish to leave Mauritius soon. Actually, he remains undecided about his future, his main plan being to make sure that his children succeed in their lives.

“Only time will decide about my future. I have no plans apart from giving the best education to my children. This is my priority! But I certainly do not want to leave Mauritius. My business is alright and I love the Mauritian way of life.”