Port Restaurant — Comorian / Seafood, Moroni
Port Restaurant sits on the Moroni harbour wall — the working port where Comorian fishing dhows and inter-island ferries share space with the occasional larger vessel. The kitchen has the most direct possible access to the Indian Ocean's harvest: fish are delivered by the fishermen who are visible from the restaurant's terrace.
The menu is entirely determined by what arrived that morning. Wahoo, emperor fish, parrotfish, and the seasonal catches that the Indian Ocean provides around Grande Comore are prepared in the traditional Comorian manner: grilled whole over coals with coconut oil and local spices, or steamed in coconut milk with vanilla and ginger.
The coconut preparation here — fresh coconuts pressed on site, the milk still warm when it enters the cooking pot — produces a result that bottled coconut milk cannot approximate. Island cooking with island produce at island freshness.
The harbour activity provides constant entertainment: dhows arriving from Anjouan and Mohéli, the inter-island ferry disgorging passengers, and the morning fish market that generates the restaurant's supply chain in full public view.
Best Occasion: Perfect for Solo Dining
A harbour table, the morning's catch cooked in coconut milk, and the dhow traffic as company. The solo traveller's ideal Comorian lunch.
Best Occasion: Works for Team Dinners
Shared fish in coconut, the harbour activity as backdrop, and the freshness that no mainland restaurant can provide. Team dinners here are distinguished by genuine Indian Ocean produce.