Ti Dodo Gourmand, Mauritian street food in Paris and a radiant boss

Are you familiar with Mauritian cuisine? Little represented in Paris, Mauritian gastronomy now has its own restaurant in the capital, near Place de la Bastille. Founder Meeta invites you to Ti Dodo Gourmand to discover the best of this paradise island in the Indian Ocean, just a stone's throw from Madagascar.

Ti Dodo Gourmand places particular emphasis on Mauritian street-food, with simple, homemade recipes and extra love. And Meeta knows what she's talking about. At just 22, the chef and owner of the establishment left her country to live her own life, far from family obligations. France welcomed her with open arms, allowing her to develop as a woman, mother and entrepreneur.

After an absence of 17 years, she returned to her native country with the idea of taking Parisian taste buds on a journey back to her childhood home, through her dishes, flavors and spices. Without forgetting to import the incredible Mauritian conviviality. For if you come to Ti Dodo Gourmand to taste little-known dishes, you'll return for the cheerfulness of this resolutely sunny owner - and the regulars are already numerous.

For Meeta, however, the real star of the place is its halal spit-roasted chicken, which quietly broils behind the counter, like a kebab spit. This beautiful animal is used to make traditional sandwiches, with different breads(round loaf or galette) sourced from a Parisian bakery. Gourmet sandwiches, a concentration of Creole culture, to eat in or take away.

Filled with chicken marinated in a blend of local spices and then grilled, they're simple enough to satisfy. Inside, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions - a classic kebab filling so far - topped withvegetable achard (that perennial salad of cabbage, carrots, green beans; not so far removed from coleslaw), coriander, extra chilli for the more adventurous and a choice of one of three house sauces: mango curry sauce, herbed yoghurt sauce and dodo sauce, our favorite.

Prices include €7.80 for a chicken sandwich in a soft round loaf, €7.80 for a chicken sandwich in a patty, and €6.90 for a vegetarian sandwich. A Phœnix beer, the real traditional Mauritian beer (3.90€), a small glass of house-arranged rum or a good glassful of tamarind juice (3€) is a must.

As a preamble to your sandwiches, there's nothing like a handful of gadjaks, the little morsels traditionally shared as an aperitif, in the gato pimento version (addictive fried dumplings of yellow split peas, sweet chili, cumin, coriander and cebette; €4.50 for six) or fried chicken drumsticks (€4.50 for three).

The other mainstay of the Ti Dodo Gourmand menu is the karay dishes, totems of traditional Mauritian cuisine, prepared in a large cast-iron frying pan to sauté ingredients over high heat. These include fried mine (vegetable noodles with omelette and soy sauce; €12 veg, €12.50 chicken), fried rice (€12-€12.50) and the must-try rougail saucisse (€12.50), adapted for European palates. Three comforting emblems.

• To be read
• Creole and West Indian restaurants in Paris, our best addresses
• Caribbean and Jamaican restaurants in Paris, our top picks from the Caribbean
• Exotic restaurants in Paris, our best addresses

As for the sweet stuff, Meeta's husband is in charge, offering French takes on exotic elements - at the time of our visit, a pineapple love well.

Authentic cuisine, simple and unpretentious, with no pretensions other than to delight - and all at a low price (the student menu is €7.80!). At the start of the new school year, we've been informed of the arrival of an equally exotic brunch. A change of scenery guaranteed, and in good company!

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.