International chefs on show at Taste

Auckland food festival, Taste of Auckland, returns this November with top local restaurants and international chefs sharing their expertise.

Taste of Auckland director Rob Eliott says that this year, the fifth festival will feature a diverse range of renowned chefs and restaurants bringing the best of their summer menus to Victoria Park in Freemans Bay.

"Our fifth birthday will be a true celebration of modern cuisine, with the best of the city's chefs creating stunning dishes inspired by local and global influences," he says.

"We have selected 11 restaurants all with something wonderful to offer," says Eliott.

Italy takes centre stage this year at Taste of Auckland with Baduzzi, the latest creation from top restaurant pairing Michael Dearth and Ben Bayly, offering delicious meatballs with a twist.

Metro Italian restaurant of the Year Toto' returns to Taste with head chef Sergio Maglione promising to deliver a menu resplendent with Italian heritage. Seasoned chef and restaurateur Antonio Crisci brings Non Solo Pizza for its debut at Taste with a La Piazza theme.

This year The Grove returns with their French inspired and award winning delicacies which will be eagerly anticipated by regular Taste visitors.

The fresh tastes of New Zealand's coastline will be bought to the table by top chef Shane Yardley of fine dining establishment FISH (a Simon Gault Restaurant).

The dynamic pairing of Kyle Street and Al Brown, who took the festival by storm last year, return with Depot Bar & Grill. You can almost bet oysters will be on the menu and they will be popular.

Lovers of Japanese cuisine will be satisfied with Nick Honeyman at the helm of Everybody's Izakaya. The executive chef loves a challenge so he will be split between two kitchens throughout Taste, with The Commons showcasing delicate molecular gastronomy.

The theatre of Indian tandoor cuisine can be experienced for the first time at the festival with Victoria Park Market's iVillage, while the brand new Mandarin Dumpling and Bar brings the unmistakable flavours of provincial China's Sichuan, Yunnan, Hunan and Xinjiang provinces.

Finally, the elegance of country style dining will be bought into the heart of Auckland city via head chef Mikey Newlands of Bracu with wood grilled asparagus and wild game on offer at the event.

Fans of Masterchef will get to see judge Josh Emett in action at The Ultimate BMW Experience in a showcase of impeccable taste and original design, and Masterchef winner

Nadia Lim will lead a team of top chefs showing off their skills in the Fisher & Paykel Chefs Kitchen. International sommelier Matt Skinner will be sharing his expertise in the Plumm Wine Theatre, a new feature this year.

International chefs also feature prominently on the line-up with Robert Oliver, famous for leading a resurgence in Pacific Island cuisine, and Phillip Davenport who has been behind the iconic Bali restaurant Ku De Ta for the past 10 years and Matt Stone, executive chef at Greenhouse, By Joost,

Some ticket types are already sold out, foodie fans should get their tickets now to avoid disappointment.

Tickets are on sale at www.iticket.co.nz