Q

The best plate of food I ate recently and where I had it

HELEN TURNBULL / 50-50, Kāpiti

The dish that I go back to again and again comes out of my respect for craft, approachability and pure deliciousness. When I’m hungry, the first thing that pops into my head is Taste of Home’s dan dan noodles. It works because everything is in perfect balance. The sauce has real depth, with fragrant chilli oil, toasted Sichuan pepper and just enough vinegar to keep it bright. The mince is properly caramelised, the noodles have great chew and the heat is exciting without being overwhelming. It’s simple comfort food executed with precision. From its quiet, confident spot on Wellington’s Vivian Street, it’s fast become an institution.

CASEY MCDONALD / Craggy Range, Hawke’s Bay

Globe artichokes with ricotta, lots of herbs, and olive oil at Rita in Wellington. They were perfectly cooked, and they are such a fiddly and laborious ingredient to cook – it was nice to eat a perfect plate of them!

JUDE MESSENGER / The Bistro, Taupō

I think the best plate of food I had this year was at Tantalus Estate on Waiheke Island. Axel [Curtet-Latreille] did a delicious snack of New Zealand wild-caught scampi chawanmushi, celeriac and green apple, which he served in a caviar tin. It was very clever, clean and delicious.

ZENNON WIJLENS / Paris Butter, Auckland

I couldn’t narrow it down to one plate, but a recent highlight was a trip to Hong Kong and Guangzhou with my wife, Catherine, business partner Nick Honeyman and former Paris Butter chef Caleb Carter-Brown. We ate incredible dim sum from a tiny street vendor, had a fantastic meal at a one-star called Song and finished most nights with late-night eats alongside the chefs after the event. It was one of those trips that reminded me why I love food so much.

Q

Sum up eating in Aotearoa in three words

HELEN / Seasonal, curious, grounded. We cook seasonally here in Aotearoa because the best food starts with what’s tasting incredible right now and we let that guide us. We’re curious because we’re not bound by old-world rules or rigid definitions. This gives us the freedom to explore and create our own way. We’re grounded in the sense that we value genuine hospitality over formality. We want people to feel cared for instead of impressed at a distance.

CASEY / Unfussy, seasonal, local.

JUDE / Fresh, local, respectful.

ZENNON / Young, fresh, exciting.

Q

The region or town I think is most underrated for eating in New Zealand

HELEN

The most underrated is the Kāpiti Coast. It’s not just because my restaurant is here. The producers here are incredible and the community really supports their favourite spots. There’s a quiet confidence building in the food and new openings are bringing fresh energy and ideas. It’s a region that rewards anyone willing to slow down and look properly.

CASEY

For me, Wairarapa is up there! It has great little vegetable and produce shops and of course Tora Collective’s seafood. It gives us places such as Clareville Bakery, Mesita, Nara and many more.

JUDE

I truly believe it’s the Central Plateau area of the North Island. We quite possibly have more Cuisine Good Food Guide hats per capita than any other region with the likes of The Chef’s Table at Blue Duck Station in the Ruapehu district, Embra and The Bistro in Taupō and soon-to-open Ni by Jeremy Rameka and Natalie Bulman in Kākahi, not to mention the numerous other listed restaurants in our region.

ZENNON

The entire central North Island. Some of the country’s best produce comes from that region, and there are exceptional restaurants shaping the area, including The Green, Embra and The Chef’s Table at Blue Duck Station.

Q

A recent moment that made me proud to be part of the New Zealand food culture

HELEN

The first was the Welly Hospo Awards, a fantastic event bringing our passionate industry together. From newcomers with the hospitality bug to the veterans who inspired them, it was energising to feel that much positivity in one room.

The second was attending my first Kitchen Day, an event series founded by Dominique [Fourie McMillan] from Floriditas and Chris [Thompson] from Coffee Supreme. The idea is perfect in its simplicity: show hospitality to our peers in the same way we show it to our guests. After some relaxed networking, the hosting chef demonstrates a dish, shares their food and tells their story. Kitchen Day offers a standing, open invitation to all chefs and it’s another reason to feel proud of our city.

CASEY

When we hosted Hawke’s Bay Women in Food & Drink at Craggy Range, we had no idea if ten people or a hundred would turn up. Over 125 women came through and although I wasn’t inside the event, it was special seeing so many areas of hospitality come together and watching our team talk with such inspiring people.

JUDE

I had a couple of rather proud moments this year. One very personal thing was when The Bistro received two Cuisine hats for the first time. This acknowledgement of our passion and craft was very meaningful for my family, my team and me. It reinforced how much I love this industry and the New Zealand hospitality scene. The other proud moment for me was seeing the recognition of New Zealand chefs and restaurants on the world stage in 2025.

ZENNON

Travelling to Milan with Henry [Onesemo] from Tala and Vaughn [Mabee] from Amisfield to represent Aotearoa at The Best Chef Awards was a real career moment. Closer to home, earning our third hat back was a huge win for our team. It’s a testament to the effort they put in, day after day.

Q

A restaurant I’d travel across the country for

HELEN

I’d head to Three Seven Two on Waiheke Island’s Onetangi Beach. The name’s made up of numbers and there’s a female head chef. What’s not to love? It’s my ideal spot for a long lunch because the dishes have this beautiful clarity and connection to place. You taste the produce first, which tells me the cooking is confident and restrained. Add the light, the sea air and a good local pour and just being there feels like a genuine reset. It’s the kind of lunch that reminds you why hospitality matters.

CASEY

Tala. I haven’t had a chance to get there yet, but it’s one I’m super excited to get to once I get a break and is first on my hit list!

JUDE

A suggestion to my wife from an old friend and icon in the industry was to try Tala as our next dining experience. I have been keeping an eye on what Henry is up to and am definitely keen to dine there. Jeremy and Natalie’s Ni, which is due to open in 2026 is definitely on my list and I am pretty excited to see what they are going to do.

ZENNON

The Chef’s Table at Blue Duck Station. It’s truly in the middle of nowhere, about five hours’ drive each way from Auckland, but I’d go back in a heartbeat. Jack [Cashmore] and the team are doing something very special there.

Clareville Bakery theclarevillebakery.co.nz
Embra embra.nz
Kitchen Day @kitchenday.nz
Mesita mesita.net
Nara naramartinborough.com
Rita rita.co.nz
Tala tala.co.nz
Tantalus Estate tantalus.co.nz
Taste of Home tasteofhome.co.nz
The Bistro thebistro.nz
The Chef’s Table at Blue Duck Station
blueduckstation.co.nz/the-chefs-table
The Green thegreenrestaurant.co.nz
Three Seven Two threeseventwo.co.nz