Three hats for Logan Brown, Hiakai drops to 2

Tuesday, 8 August 2023

Logan Brown is a legendary Wellington fine-dining spot.

It was a tale of coveted hats in Wellington in this year’s Cuisine Food Awards which were announced last night.

While stalwart Logan Brown gained a third hat, in a surprise move renowned Wellington restaurant Hiakai, has been relegated to two hats.

But Hiakai did retain its Specialist Restaurant of the Year title in 2023.

The judges said Steve Logan, along with his team, has established a restaurant where diners enjoy world-class food in a stylish atmosphere.

Logan Brown in the Wellington CBD was hailed by the judges for its consistency and quality. “For over 26 years co-owner Steve Logan with long-time head chef and co-owner Shaun Clouston and his team, has established a restaurant where diners enjoy world-class food and attentive, knowledgeable service in a calm, stylish atmosphere,” lead judge Kerry Tyack said.

Hiakai owner and celebrity chef Monique Fiso (who is of Māori/Samoan descent) has appeared on Netflix show The Last Table and cooked with luminaries like Gordon Ramsay was last year’s Chef of the Year.

Zennon Wijlens of Paris Butter is Cuisine’s Chef of the Year 2023.

That title this year went to Zennon Wijlens of Herne Bay fine diner Paris Butter.

Wiljens joined Paris Butter as sous chef in 2019 and earlier this year bought into the business, becoming head chef and co-owner.

The restaurant also added a hat this year, becoming one of just six restaurants in the country to hold a maximum three hats, sitting alongside Auckland restaurants Cocoro and Sid at the French Cafe, Napier’s Pacifica, Amisfield, in Queenstown, and now Logan Brown.

Amisfield was named Restaurant of the Year and its executive chef Vaughan Mabee was handed the innovation award both for the second year in a row at an event held at Bar 21 in Auckland’s SkyCity on Monday night.

Peter Gordon loves his local - the Thai Streetfood restaurant in the Wynyard Quarter

Tyack said Mabee, known to many as a judge on MasterChef NZ, “remains at the top of his game, delighting us with his theatre of food delivery and executing a near faultless and daring dance of innovation putting Kiwi food firmly on the global culinary stage”.

Elsewhere, Auckland’s culprit was named Metropolitan Restaurant of the Year, while Napier’s Central Fire Station took the gong for Regional Restaurant.

Viaduct spot Hello Beasty won Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year, Black Estate in Waipara, North Canterbury, took Winery Restaurant of the Year, and Floridita’s, in Wellington, won Long-Term Player of the Year.

Amisfield in Central Otago has won Restaurant of the Year for the second year running.

Celebrity chefs Peter Gordon and Ben Bayly won the Food Legend and Champion for Change awards, respectively.

The awards announcement comes two weeks after Cuisine released its 2023 Good Food Guide, listing what it considers to be the 250 best restaurants in Aotearoa.

It has been a tumultuous few years for the Cuisine Good Food Awards, considered the most prestigious in the country. Covid-19 prevented the awards from going ahead at all in 2020, while Auckland’s lengthy 2021 lockdown saw them split in two for the 2021/22 year. They were last held, by virtual ceremony, in February 2022.

The full list of category awards for the Cuisine Good Food Awards 2023:

American Express Restaurant of the Year: Amisfield – Lake Hayes, Queenstown

Cuisine Chef of the Year: Zennon Wijlens – PARIS BUTTER – Auckland

Pead Food Legend: Peter Gordon – Homeland – Auckland

NIWA-Haku Kingfish Champion for Change: Ben Bayly – Ahi, Origine, The Grounds – Auckland; Aosta, Little Aosta, Blue Door Bar, The Bathhouse – Queenstown

Specialist Restaurant of the Year: Hiakai – Mount Cook, Wellington

Greenstone Creek Metropolitan Restaurant of the Year: Culprit – Auckland

Leefield Station Regional Restaurant of the Year: Central Fire Station Bistro – Napier, Hawke’s Bay

Ōra King Salmon Innovation Award: Vaughan Mabee – Amisfield – Queenstown

Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year: Hello Beasty – Auckland

The Alchemist’s Table Winery Restaurant of the Year: Black Estate – Waipara Valley, North Canterbury

Kenwood Restaurant Personality of the Year: Poi Eruera – Odette’s Eatery and Hugo’s Bistro – Auckland

Hotel Room Service of the Year (NEW in 2023): Hilton – Auckland

Long-Term Player of the Year: Floriditas – Wellington

Pastry Chef of the Year: Lisa Crowe – SkyCity – Auckland

Rising Talent – One to Watch: Neil Sapitula – Solera – Mount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty

Luxury Lodge Chef of the Year (NEW in 2023): Paul Froggatt – The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs – Matauri Bay, Northland

Sommelier & Wine Experience of the Year (the addition of the focus on Sommelier is new for 2023): Andrea Martinisi – The Grove – Auckland

Drinks List of the Year: Teresa – Napier, Hawke’s Bay