~ Sophisticated Setting, Delicious Dining, Unique Experience ~
Have you tried Mélange yet? This is one restaurant to put at the top of your must-try list! Describing it is not easy; the decor is European and the dining is a cross between a hibachi restaurant, a Moroccan kebab grill and a South American barbecue. Put simply, the Melange International Grill has reinvented eating out!
Located at Port de Plaisance (in the renovated Peg Leg Pub), the interior is inviting, warmly glowing gold and accented with wine bottles from the head chef’s home winery. The friendly staffers are just as warm; they make sure you feel welcome, comfortable and that you have whatever you desire. You will feel like you are indulging, but the set price for the dinner menu is quite moderate. For one set price of US $40, each guest will have their choice of an appetizer, a salad and a side dish along with endless skewers of various meats or veggies. The skewers cook right at your table in an ingenious grill that is brought out by a very careful server with thick oven mitts. A helper removes a panel in the middle of your table and suddenly you’re having a cook-out!
We gathered for a ladies night out last week to honour a birthday girl, and were waited on by Tholeme and Sway – two of the nicest and most professional waiters you will ever encounter. The executive chef and owner of Mélange, Nikhil Gurnani, came out to the table to see if we were content (which we certainly were) and to thank us for coming (which made us feel so special)! One of our group is going the vegan route and she had her skewers on the end of the grill, mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes and other luscious vegetables that she enjoyed and the rest of us got a taste of. The grill was divided up so the veggies didn’t accidentally touch the meat, which was a very considerate touch.
As surprising as it sounds, there is no limit to the amount of skewers they will bring out – the set price stays the same – so be sure you are hungry! An array of sauces accompanies the skewers, each prepared by the chef. Until you “put the brakes on” the service will continue – always with a smile.
While we wined and dined, the well-known island saxophonist, MiekMiek, played softly her sway-inducing melodies – never too intrusive but oh so sweet. The clientele were diverse, some tourists, some locals, but all were entranced by the music, the ambiance, the food and the mood. If you want to plan something that will be remembered for a long time, this is your place.
The Mélange website explains that the salads, appetizers, and skewers are prepared from a concept of international fusion, so there are influences of Greek, Turkish, Moroccan, Indian, Lebanese, Persian and other global flavours, prepared for each table. The exact feast may vary with the season, as would be expected when the fare is this fresh. Chef Nikhil’s attitude is to bring the ancient ways of enjoying food into the trends of the future, and blending cultural flavours in harmony – hence the name “Mélange: to blend.”
Mélange International Grill
Princess Port de Plaisance
#155 Union Road,
Cole Bay
1 (721) 526-4049
www.melangesxm.com
Hours: Open for lunch and dinner daily
Cuisine: Grilled lamb, beef, chicken, shrimp, fish &/or veggies
Good: Great atmosphere, wonderful service and food
Price range: $$
Children’s menu: Available
Vegetarian & Vegan dishes: Yes
Ratings:
Staff friendliness *****
Service speed ****
Restaurant cleanliness ****
Food quality ****
Value for money *****
Ambience *****
