A new building in memory of Roger and his wife

“My customers are already mourning the closure of Coin Ideal, a family venue with a rustic charm that gathered many loyal followers. True, the commercial building will see the light of day again, but not any time soon. We are waiting to collect all the required documents, such as different plans, in order to submit our plan to the Beau-Bassin – Rose-Hill Municipality”*, explained Yannick Foong Lim Ng Cheong Pun (photo), one of the owners.

We went to Rose-Hill on Wednesday at noon to see how Coin Ideal’s always friendly atmosphere welcomes different types of customers. Yannick talked about how it was a family residence that would be transformed into a commercial building. It would become a symbol of how the past and the present can coexist harmoniously. It reminds everyone that stories from the past can still influence the course of the future, and that this building, no matter how modest it was originally, can be transformed into a vibrant and important place in the modern community. “The place was destroyed for a specific purpose. The health authorities did not allow my parents to perform surgery in the past. Therefore, they were asked to renovate it while still maintaining its Creole style features, including wood, cut stone, concrete and a tin roof.

Coin Ideal is a must-see when in Rose-Hill. “It gathers a lot of Mauritians who are passing by quickly, eating a little Chinese food and even having a few alcoholic drinks”Yannick tells us. It will soon be demolished and restored to its best days in the form of a brand new commercial building, with equally enhanced vintage features. “We have not yet chosen a name for the building, though, but one thing is certain: the ideal word will be associated with it, as it has always been our lucky charm.”

Mr. Roger’s early years.

The smell of architecture

In a few months, these loyal customers will be deprived of this place as the formalities of the Municipality of Bo Basang-Rosehill are completed. The three sons Yannick, David and Laurent Foong are the heirs of Roger and Sin Tow, known as Mrs Roger, Foong Lim Ng Cheong Pun. They decided to realize their parents’ dream and modernize the place. “This is my parents’ dream commercial building. We will pay a vibrant tribute to them by carrying out this project that belongs to them. This project has been in the works for about five years. But due to some constraints, it was delayed”Yannick tells us, outlining what a commercial building could look like. “We will have a ground floor and a second floor. On the first floor we will be able to accommodate four commercial spaces. We can have a beauty salon, a shop, an office or even a restaurant with a different cuisine than ours. Why not Indian cuisine, as we are open to all ideas? We will have an elevator for the tenants of the building. Each location will have an area of ​​​​9.3 x 4.8 square meters. On the first floor we will keep three locations, including our restaurant, our clothing store and another space.

Sense of belonging

Yannick tells us about the location of Coin Ideal, which will be located at the back of the building “Still keeping its vintage character so as not to lose sight of our customers who are more than just family to us”. “We care about the feeling of happiness they experience when they raise a glass alone, with family or with friends. Loyal customers come back because they enjoy paying tribute to the parents they knew. We want to continue the tradition that my parents instilled in this place and make customers feel good. We do our best to provide them with this warm environment, and as long as Mr. Roger is there, they know it.” As for the closure, Yannick admitted that he was waiting for the right time. “We ask our customers to trust us. We still have thirty good years ahead of us.”

Mrs. Roger.

A restaurant with 120 years of history

Coin Ideal restaurant has an orange wooden roof covered with yellow tiles on each side. “The floors are made of cut stone. We never made any changes to the original structure because we wanted to keep the character of the past and thus preserve our heritage.” At midday the restaurant serves lunch and in the evening it becomes a bistro. “We have all types of customers. In the morning, Mama is relaxed and entertains customers, but in the evening, it becomes a tavern where men come to drink.”