Boil-up in a bun? Māori kai gets the burger treatment

Wednesday, 20 August 2025

Famed chef Monique Fiso believes Māori cuisine is defined by two main flavours: “earthiness and brininess”. And she should know. Her book Hiakai: Modern Māori Cuisine, has been a bestseller and her restaurant Hiakai, now closed, was a pioneer in its field.

In this year’s Burger Wellington line-up, a number of burgers have been inspired by Māori kai reflecting those influences.

A boil-up burger with a shotglass of bone broth; a watercress roulade; a frybread bun; and a kawakawa infusion are just some of the tīkanga Māori-inspired delicacies on the menu.

Wellington On A Plate festival director Beth Brash said the selection was fantastic to see, showcasing Aotearoa’s rich and diverse culinary landscape.

“With nostalgic flavours and connections to whanau, it's a huge part of what makes Visa Wellington on a Plate so special.”

She'll Be Right

Thistle Inn, Thorndon, $30

This burger comes with a ground pork and beef patty, American cheddar cheese, “Auntie’s” pickled onions, watercress chimichurri, Marmite butter, and Kaitaia fire ranch dressing. The bun is a Pōneke Bakery potato bun, and the meal comes with horopito seasoned fries.

The restaurant’s executive chef, Zane Allmand, says the burger is a tribute to his childhood, invoking the memories of foraging watercress and helping his grandmother cook a boil-up.

It was a love letter to the simple joys of childhood that had sparked his passion for food, he says.

Porkalicious

Strathmore Local Restaurant & Bar, $29

This burger is made from braised pulled pork, and comes with sage and onion stuffing, fried potato, brined cabbage and red wine gravy. Its bun is homemade frybread, and it comes with kumara fries.

The restaurant’s general manager, Jean Sara, grew up in a large Māori family. She says the burger was inspired by the warm generous spirit of her family gatherings, where food is central, following traditional Māori food like hāngī and boil-ups.

Manaaki Stack

Forage Kitchen + Bar, Mövenpick Hotel, $25

This burger has a hāngī-style beef brisket patty, and comes with apple and maple mayo, hot pickled cabbage, all inside a kawakawa-infused bun.

The burger is cooked in a manner similar to hāngī, and uses the native herb kawakawa.

“It reflects a deep respect for ancestral knowledge, where food is a connection to land, culture and whakapapa,” the venue said.

Hi Hangi I'm Home

Sandbar Mana Pub, Porirua, $28

A combination of chicken and pork, this burger is paired with stuffing, and pickles, alongside carrots, kumara and pumpkin. Everything is placed between two homemade fry bread buns.

The burger aims to bring a smoky, buttery, hāngī vibe, with the restaurant recommending paring it with a chilled chardonnay or a Kiwifruit spritz.

Āhuru Kai Kōhua Poaka

Te Papa Cafe, $28

This burger comes with a roulade made from a traditional pork boil-up, alongside lettuce, tomato, and puha cream in a watercress milk bun.

It comes with hand-cut kumara fries, aioli, a shot of bone broth, and a heart-shaped raspberry dessert.

The burger’s name translates to cosy pork boil-up, and is meant to be evocative of the warmth a yummy boil-up meal shared with friends and loved ones can bring.

The dish was inspired by the traditional Māori soup, which the cafe calls “a dish of love”, and one traditionally made in big pots for extended family.

“Te Papa wanted to capture the essence of this traditional Māori meal and give it a gourmet twist.”