Rishi Gukhool, Chef Paolo, and the La Marinara revolution

The story of a Mauritian cook, his metamorphosis into a pizzaiolo in Italy, and the revolution of opening La Marinara in Grand Baie (Mauritius).

Our story

From Mauritius to Italy, and back to Grand Baie

The story of Chef Paolo, founder of La Marinara in Grand Baie (Mauritius).

The roots

Rishi Gukhool was born in Mauritius. He grew up among the island's scents, colours and pace, developing a precise taste from the very beginning.

The metamorphosis

In Italy, the method of real pizza gave shape to his art. Slow proving, few ingredients, great attention. Rishi became Chef Paolo — or Paul — the cook who turns tradition into his own craft.

Rishi, Paolo, Paul: the names that travel with him tell the richness of a human identity built from roots, encounters and choices.

For La Marinara, the process matters as much as the result. From earth to plate, every step is respected and valued, because the quality of the experience begins before the first bite.

The revolution

Back in Grand Baie (Mauritius), he founded La Marinara. A bridge between Italy and Mauritius, a fresh idea for the island. Every pizza follows his hands: from the rocket grown on site to the sun-ripened tomato, and the hand-kneaded dough with Caputo flour and extra virgin olive oil.

The roots: Rishi Gukhool; Mauritius
The metamorphosis: Chef Paolo; Italy
The revolution: La Marinara Grand Baie; Founded in 2023

The pizzaiolo of La Marinara smiling behind the counter in Grand Baie (Mauritius)

The chef behind the counter

The charm of Mauritius meets the flavours of Italy.

Known as chef Paolo, or Paul, Rishi brings the same care to his dough that he brings to the people around him. Nothing here is made by machine or by shortcut.

Fresh and genuine

Few ingredients.
All of them real.

Our standard

A good pizza hides nothing.

Rocket from our own garden. Ripe tomatoes. Sauce kept at the right temperature. Dough worked by hand with Caputo flour and finished with extra virgin olive oil.

Our own rocket
Grown by us, a few steps from the oven, and picked by hand the moment a pizza needs it. Peppery and alive, minutes after leaving the garden.
Tomatoes
Ripe Italian tomatoes, crushed rather than cooked to death, so the sauce keeps its sweetness and its colour.
Sauce at the right temperature
Checked every service. Too cold and it steams the base, too hot and it burns — we keep it exactly where the dough likes it.
Dough made by hand
Mixed, folded and shaped by hand, then left to prove slowly. Given time and handled with care — that is what makes it light and easy to digest.
Caputo flour
The Neapolitan flour used by pizzaioli in Naples, brought over from Italy because it is the same flour they trust at home.
Extra virgin olive oil
Italian extra virgin olive oil, added raw at the end. It is the last thing you taste, so it has to be the honest one.

See the full menu

From Mauritius to Italy, and back to Grand Baie

Few ingredients.All of them real.

Our own rocket

Tomatoes

Sauce at the right temperature

Dough made by hand

Caputo flour

Extra virgin olive oil

Few ingredients.
All of them real.