SCORE: 19.5/20

With his incredible technique teamed with an approach that injects theatre and entertainment into the experience, Vaughan Mabee has been called creative, curious and, more directly, a ‘mad genius’. Quite simply, there is no other chef in Aotearoa like him. Not just that, but he’s now on the radar of anyone who is in the know on a global scale. The Best Chef 2023 awards, which rank 100 top chefs around the world, put him at number 44 (ahead of Heston Blumenthal), so international recognition is rising. At Amisfield, where Vaughan takes the diner on an exhilarating journey of discovery, you can sample experimental taste explosions such as black pāua saucisson, wild duck salami or an ocean mortadella made from smoked, fermented seaweeds. Or a slow-cooked lamb’s tail, shrouded in white wool made from lamb fat, garlic, rosemary and vinegar, to be torched at the table. Dedicated and hardworking, here is a chef who sees food not simply as nourishment but as something to lift the spirits and challenge your thinking. To enjoy Vaughan’s unconventional magnificence you’ll need a completely open mind. Provocative? Maybe. Unforgettable? Absolutely.