29 February 2016
THE CULT PROJECT & MORE
The pop-up restaurant scene just got a whole lot better.
Last week I ate a simple yet extraordinary dinner at a new bar, Madame George on Karangahape Rd where William Cook and Carlo Buenaventura have an initiative going, The Cult Project on Tuesday nights. These two young chefs who have cooked at Orphans Kitchen and Matterhorn are offering, until the end of April a popup dinner twice a week alternating between Madame George (Tues) and the Open Late Café (Fri).
(Madame George at 490 K Rd has Matt Fitzgerald at the bar with a very short but esoteric wine and cocktail list.)
Our dinner for $60 was billed to be a three course meal, but it was kick-started by three delicious little unadvertised amuses – a refreshing raw gyoza made from turnip with fermented trevally stuffing and kimchi dressing, a tiny roast potato with cheese curd and bonito flakes and a hazelnut cracker topped with duck liver parfait and cherry jelly.
Our entrée (pictured above) was a delight; grilled gem lettuce sat on a dollop of sunflower sour cream with fish sauce dressing, mustard seed, dill, coriander, salad burnet and nuts. It was also so, so, refreshing to eat on a hot night. This was followed by grilled beef, nice and chewy, with baby pak choy, endive and red sorrel leaves, a kombucha and cucumber vinaigrette and a side dish of totally inspired creamed corn and feta with the surprise addition of fresh shiso leaves.
If that’s not innovative enough how about the dessert of vadouvan sponge with fresh and caramelised apricot, goats milk foam and verbena powder. The sponge with an underlying curry flavour was savoury – a great finale.
This remarkable dinner made me realise just how much the old order changes. Bright young chefs around the country are managing to make their mark without the stage of their own restaurants.
In the past few weeks I have been truly impressed by the energy shown as some of our keen cooks, food lovers and chefs head in new directions.
I joined a panel at a Food and Art night at the Christchurch Art Gallery to talk about the present and future of food. Giulio Sturla and Alex Davies shared the platform and impressed the crowd (and me) with their clear vision for both their own food and New Zealand’s place on the world culinary stage.
I loved Alex Davies’ image of what NZ food is; “A shared meal around the table that might involve roast lamb, potatoes and fresh garden vegetables, or a gathering around a hangi.” Alex is doing a series of pop-up dinners showcasing his new directions in vegetable menus and hopes to find a permanent restaurant by the end of 2016. I hope he does.
Giulio presides over his cutting edge Roots Restaurant in Lyttleton where he shows huge respect for the land and sea around him, foraging for and sourcing ingredients to put together a sustainable and delicious menu every night. His work with ConversatioNZ has awakened many NZ chefs and farmers to the possibilities of developing and promoting our unique culture and food.
I also loved the food trucks and stalls surrounding the Art Gallery that night, especially Mamacita’s Tacos, and the beautiful Cakes By Anna (CBA) – yet another way our talented cooks and chefs can ply their wares. Back home I lunched yesterday on Judge Bao’s amazing pork buns in the Sabato Sunday market.
How do we find all these talented people? Social media, of course.
Alex Davies pop-ups are booked out but here in Auckland do not miss The Cult Project $60 for the meal (drinks extra).
Buy tickets at www.thecultproject.co.nz/events