How are restaurants selected to participate in WOAP each year?
Blair: The application process works by submitting a menu that has an emphasis on regional produce and product. The concept is to give as many suppliers, from small to large, a platform to market their goods, combined with chefs and bartenders to show off their skills - all the while giving the customer the magic to enjoy.
Why is it a good event to be a part of?
Blair: It's massive in Wellington and seen as very much a global event, with travelers from all across the world coming specifically to feast on everything from burgers and bistro, to some of New Zealand's best fine dining. It's a great opportunity to get people to the Kapiti Coast, as well as equally for locals. We get a chance to change our style of food based on the concept of WOAP, with this year's concept being based on interpretation of New Zealand food culture. We always like to play with working multiculturalism into our cuisine.
What do both restaurants' WOAP menus consist of?
Blair: All of our food and beverage offerings include a significant local product using local honey, from the beef Wellington to the oyster mushrooms that feature in the risotto. Both places put a large focus on the burger and there's a friendly rivalry between the two - Waterfront's Jordy's Short-Rib burger with maple bacon, beer battered rings and brioche buns, and Waimea's The Wai Kai Burger, which includes wild venison, streaky bacon, smoked cheese and Rewena buns.
The Waterfront's must try dish is the Beef Wellington with a mushroom duxelle, honey glazed Brussels sprout, potato purée and beef jus. The must try at Waimea is the herb crusted tarakihi with crab and potato croquette, and zucchini with preserved lemon chive butter.
Why did you select these menus and ingredients?
Ricardo: We have such a diverse multicultural group of customers and so chose dishes that represent all of our customer's cultures, while steering the creative elements that we believe make New Zealand's food culture history.
We also designed flavour profiles that we could source as locally to Kapiti as possible - including oyster mushrooms from Mike's Mushrooms, locally produced honey, Waikanae Butchers' famous chorizo and Prana Greens' micro herbs.
What has the feedback been like so far?
Ricardo: It's always a success. Last year Waterfront sold over 250 whitebait burgers. Any fish dish is always very popular and loved. People love fresh fish when you can almost point out to where it comes from, and they know it's delivered daily. The feedback has been amazing and it's good to see so much support and positivity for such a great event, especially with the exposure for Kapiti.
The standard of the hospitality continues to grow in the region.
Visa Wellington on a Plate runs from Friday, August 11 to Sunday, August 27. For more information or to book tickets visit www
