Art on a Plate
Written by
The happy-bellied Utes and Ukes duo are back from Wellington On a Plate 2012. Claire and Kiri bring us snap shots of the tasty eats and visual treats from the culinary festival. Check out the video below for a bite by bite account.
* * *
Like merchants following a well-worn spice route, we ventured forth last week towards the country’s capital city. Arriving wind whipped, desert dusted and camel-dung scented we stepped out onto Wellington streets in search of coveted taste treasures.
Trust Wellington to come up with the arts/cuisine fusion that is, Wellington On a Plate. We were enticed by and impressed at the concept and the level of enthusiasm the city displayed for this annual feast-fest. With almost all events sold out, and half of them before the festival began, it's obvious Wellingtonians appreciate good kai, and are willing to pay for it.
With the inspiration for events drawn from films, poetry, historical figures, themed venues, fashion, dance and burlesque, diners were entertained in more ways than on the tongue. Running alongside the main festival are competitions and masterclasses that appeal to a wider market - Burger Wellington 2012, Wellington Bake Club 2012, and NZ Chocolate Festival.
The festival embraced the growing trend towards restaurants as entertainment venues. It's not enough to just be served great food. We as consumers are expecting more and more from our dining experiences - on and off the palate.
- Memorable Moments
Claire: It was the 1920's tootin' trumpet sounds wafting on the breeze that drew us into Crumpet bar early Saturday evening. There we joined the excited bunch of cocktail crawlers hosted by Liquid Winks Justin McKenzie and Ruth Pretty, caterer. And so ensued a night of delectable delicacies served up alongside specially created cocktails at Wellington's cutest and suavest bars. We visited Crumpet, Hooch, Hawthorn Lounge, and The Black Sparrow – a bar situated in the orchestra pit of the Embassy theatre. We noticed a trend towards old fashioned elegance and the prohibition era; buttoned up waistcoats, pearl necklaces, tiffany lamps, and leather couches. Worth a particular mention is the roast-your-own marshmallows option next to the fire at Hawthorn lounge.
Kiri: As a long-time spicy food fan, I took the opportunity to ask La Boca Loca Head Chef Will Michell a thing or two about chili. It’s often chili combinations that create flavour and nuance in a dish, and many Mexican dishes include about four variations to create those lip-smackingly good tastes. The menu comes with a chili guide detailing the temperature of each according to the Scoville Scale…..Jalapeno (2.5-5k), Chipotle (10-15k), Habanero (100-350k). The folks at La Boca Loca actually import their own chili, they’re that particular about their heat!
Kiri: I had a religious experience with the tongue-numbing Sichuan Pepper on my first night of the festival. How could we have never been introduced? Sichuan delivers such a divine combination of heat and aromatic flavours. After dinner I continued to steer the conversation back to Sichuan. I repeatedly practised pronouncing it, and I woke thinking of it. Bizarrely Sichuan then kept presenting itself over the following days. We visited a friend who had a Sichuan book on the coffee table. We stumbled across a three course Sichuan banquet at Ancestral. And low and behold, there was a Sichuan stall at the Left Bank Night Markets.
Kiri: Well! Whattaya know, a well-to-do French cooking school has just opened its doors at 48 Cuba St. There’s an intimidating air of refinement in the pristine hallways and glistening stainless steel kitchens. Le Cordon Bleu, hailed as the Rolls Royce in cuisine education, has been operating internationally for over 100 years. And now 300 Wellington students are about to embark on the ‘ultimate training in culinary arts’. Diplome de Patisserie anyone? Sounds mighty dangerous.
Panel Discussion: A Tale of Terrior - Local vs Global
Claire: Held at the newly opened Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, a lively panel of food experts (incl. chefs, suppliers, writers and lecturers) discussed their views on eating local. Interesting points were raised; eating locally grown food doesn't always mean it’s sustainably produced; what would happen if we only ate local? We’d sacrifice much loved spices and flavours that don't grow in NZ; the panel questioned the belief that travel miles equate to a higher carbon footprint – it’s not always the case. There was also an emphasis placed on quality and flavour, and all agreed that food grown in its most suitable climate/country (with the least amount of artificial intervention) is ultimately better for our produce and the environment.
Panel Discussion: Molecular Gastronomy - Future or Fad?
Claire: Top chefs and food writers from across the country gathered to discuss the 'Molecular Cuisine' trend. Some argued the phase is already moving on, and true molecular cuisine, as produced by top chefs in Britain and Europe, is just too expensive for the NZ market. Most of the panel agreed that it is 'elitist cuisine'; that it’s more about cooks being clever than it is about true flavour and substance. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have a good burger than beef infused foam over a smoked capsicum jelly with a dehydrated potato noodle tower.. but hey, I'll try anything once!
Night Markets – Left Bank Arcade
Kiri: There’s nothing like stumbling upon a night market. It’s like discovering a party in the woods. We ‘round a corner into Cuba Street’s Left Bank Arcade and suddenly there’s exotic scents carried on the breeze, brass horns hooting and the hustle and bustle of rugged-up Indie folk braving Wellington winds. Like the best of ‘em I assumed the hunched-over-while-eating-soup position and slurped messily away on Sichuan hot, hot, noodles.
Kiri: Read it aloud I say. I’m a big fan of stories and poems being read to me - the quality of the reader’s voice becomes part of the experience. At the cosy Meow Cafe we sat back and supped on hot drinks while listening to poems inspired by Wellington’s coffee culture.
Claire: After a short drive from the city centre we arrived at Ohariu farm, which caters for all outdoor action and indoor dining needs. We drove past a high-ropes course, and discovered signs leading to 'axe throwing', 'archery' 'shooting' etc! Bypassing these enticing endeavours, we headed straight for the dining room with its roaring fire, and vista of rolling hills, spring lambs and 1000 pound bulls. After lunch, Greg pulled up a chair (windswept and Swandri clad from his morning on the quad bike) and gave us an insight into farm life at Ohariu farm, the family business for three generations. And then we were served dessert…. Ever wanted to eat a whole jar of Nutella in one sitting? Well, when it’s high quality chocolate, and it’s served in a whiskey glass, why not.
Kiri: Foxglove is one of those joints where I’m faced with two options. I could fake it, order a dish and hope for the best. Or I could admit that half the words on the menu are completely French to me, and ask for help. A Crayfish Veloute and White Bean Brandade later, and I’m glad I asked. I walked out of foxglove with a delightfully visceral sense of having eaten very, very fine food.
- ‘Gesticulatingly Good’ Noteworthy Highlights
Kaffir Lime Ice cream. What an ingenious way to end a rich lunch of pate platters and paella. Citrus fresh and creamy.
Pineapple Turkish Delight, on Liquorice soil. Woaaah baby, this was GOOD. Served at Hooch as part of the Hot Spots and Cool Cocktails Tour. It got the taste buds dancing like a grown-up’s sherbet.
Tiny deep fried flowers were sprinkled across my Snapper fillet. Originally mistaken for anchovies, these were crisp and dainty additions. The same dish also reinvented cos lettuce, cut once length ways and pan fried. Yum.
You guessed it, Sichuan pepper! We left Wellington with an illicit looking zip lock bag of this nuanced new favourite spice.
So book it in now, and start rubbing those happy tummies in anticipation of next year’s Wellington On a Plate.