5 August 2010

EATING REAL PACIFIC FOOD

I was lucky enough to eat at Pikopiko Restaurant in AUT’s School of Hospitality this week. Robert Oliver, author of Me’a Kai, the superbly colourful and clever book about the culture and food of the islands of Polynesia and Melanesia, is in the teaching kitchens of the school.

He is currently working with the students to cook authentic island food and they offer a compact menu that is deliciously fresh, extremely tasty and probably the best value for money lunch in Auckland to date. It’s a great opportunity for the students to work with such a patient, lovely teacher as Robert, as he introduces them to an array of island specialties and ingredients.

I ate a salad of mango and watercress with toasted macadamias to start, dressed with the almost unknown here coconut oil produced by ‘Women in Business’ in Samoa. Coconut oil took the salad dressing to a new high. My dining companion had three little spoons of ceviche, prepared in the style of three of the islands.

To follow for mains the belly pork was fatty and savoury, as it should be, with a crisp crackling on top and a spicy relish served alongside spinach in coconut cream, beautifully wrapped in a banana leaf. The salmon, served with crispy skin was accompanied by a mango and kumara salad and sweet pickled jam, while mahimahi was presentedwith fried taro root. Both delicious fish dishes, although the salmon is not strictly 'island but was there as not enough fresh island fish reaches NZ shores. As for pudding, what could beat light, crisp banana fritters with a masterful coconut sorbet? The papaya bread pudding was pretty good too with fresh island fruit.

This showcase of island food, all cooked and served by young hospitality cooking students, who will gain in confidence and knowledge everyday, puts every resort and hotel I have ever been to in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, the Cook islands and other places in the South Pacific to shame. It’s authentic, it’s wonderfully exciting and an amazing experience right here in the largest Polynesian city in the world.

Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to eat in the student run restaurant. You can see the restaurant from the street, as the Hospitality School sits on the edge of AUT campus where Wellesley St meets Mayoral Drive. Be sure to book a place while you can. Ph 09 921 9999 and ask for Pikopiko Restaurant.