French finesse from an Kiwi-born global export
RESTAURANT MONTH 2023: FISH RESTAURANT - THE HOMECOMING
Sydney-based Kiwi chef Justin North has cherry picked some classic dishes from his stellar career to cook with top-notch Aotearoa produce alongside one of our top chefs Des Harris and his team at FISH, overlooking the water at Princes Wharf for one night only on August 17th.
Born in Invercargill, raised in Blenheim, and trained in Wellington, it was in the UK and Australia that Justin North’s career soared. He worked with Raymond Blanc at Oxford’s Le Manoir, was an integral part of Sydney’s legendary Banc with Liam Tomlin, and then gained acclaim for his own restaurant Becasse. Over a 30-year career, Justin’s impressive haul of awards and accolades has included Chef of the Year, as well Best New Restaurant and Best European Restaurant for Becasse – tough-fought for in the highly competitive Sydney scene. He now consults in hospitality, and this will be his first visit event in Auckland since 2011. Down the phone from Sydney, Justin come across as friendly, chatty with none of the ego you might expect from someone of his stature.
At Justine’s one-night-only event at FISH, guests will enjoy three courses with an extra seafood course snuck in at the start, Justin will present dishes and tell stories that represent the glory days of those establishments, prepared with premium local ingredients by Des and his kitchen team.
Arrivals will be treated to a ‘seafood exhibition’ starting course to whet the appetite. The first principal course is a favourite from the Banc menu – a beautiful slow-cooked salmon dish. Both Justin and Des are loyal fans of Mt Cook Alpine Salmon – Justin being impressed when he visited the source on a family road trip of the south Island a few years ago, and Des praising the clean flavour of this salmon farmed in glacial waters.
Becasse is represented by tender beef short rib with potatoes sarladaises – that’s top-notch potatoes cooked in duck fat … in other words, potatoes you want to marry. Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir’s legacy is called upon for the dessert course ‘Winter Still Life’: a collection of sweet delicacies stunningly presented.
All three courses will be served with wine matches, and Des says he has structured the evening with staggered sittings so that there’s a more intimate feel.
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Justin’s mastery of French cookery is at the heart of this special meal, with the chef being a fan of its many guises. “I love the regional cuisines, the rustic side, and also the lighter Mediterranean side of it”, he says. “I use French cooking as a foundation and introduce lighter touches, for example from Japanese cuisine”.
Des, whose pedigree includes spearheading the evolution of the dining scene of Auckland during his time at the much-mourned Clooney, is excited about welcoming a chef of Justin’s calibre to FISH. “Justin is one our highest-achieving chefs, gaining prominence on the international scene including in the notoriously tough Sydney market”. Rounding out the talent to bring Justin’s menu to life on the night will be FISH head chef Juan Patino and pastry chef Hiranya Ratnayake.
All in all, guests are in for a stunning evening of elegant food and wine and esteemed company; a once-only special occasion to clear the calendar for.
We have partnered with Heart of the City to offer a special Restaurant Month giveaway to our Lazy Susan members. Purchase tickets to any Restaurant Month event via iTICKET using the promo code LAZYSUSAN and go in the draw to win a $500 Heart of the City dining voucher of your choice. Click here for T&Cs.
Proudly in partnership with Heart of the City
