Matt and I went to our first Wellington restaurant—Hiakai, serving Maori cooking inspired food. Hiakai means hungry, craving food, and boy were we. The chef, Monique Fiso, develops recipes using traditional Maori ingredients—foraged plants, usually leaves from trees and shrubs, garden grown vegetables like sweet potato and taro, seafood, and, of course, lamb. We even had a taste of tītī (aka mutton bird or the sooty shearwater), a Maori delicacy I tried the last time I was in NZ.
The dinner took three hours. Chef Monique came to our table, (and each diners’ table) to explain the dish and its meaning in Maori tradition. She gave us a better understanding of what was in the dish and why. That was a very interesting and personal touch. We discussed each taste and we got to ask questions. (Let me just say, never would a U.S. chef come to the table and explain each course in depth. That is left to the waiter.). We had eight tasting courses and the additional wine and drink menu which had some fun surprises. I think our favorite taste was the Pāua, or abalone, with a foraged marsh cress and lemon. If you like shellfish, it was the bomb. One course was a potato in the shape of a scallop topped with a bit of sea urchin to give it a sea flavor. We learned that scallops are endangered in NZ waters due to overfishing. This presentation was intended to remind us that this delicacy is not available in NZ. Plus it had sea urchin so that was a plus for us.
Our view is that if the food judges at Michelin went to New Zealand, and they do not, this restaurant would warrant at least one star.
A Yank Among the Kiwis 