Focus: Huami brings Shanghai to Auckland

The country's first wood-fired duck oven is the hot attraction at a new Chinese restaurant in Auckland's Federal St.

Huami opened last Saturday promising 'traditional Chinese cuisine with a modern twist' but it's the restaurant's duck oven and duck drying room that's creating the biggest stir.

Renowned Kiwi chef Nic Watt of MASU just across the road has collaborated with SKYCITY on the project and says the restaurant's Peking duck is "truly special."

"The ducks come to us fresh from a beautiful duck farm in Cambridge. We've been to the farm and seen the duck from the egg through to when they are 62 days old," says Nic.

Once they arrive at the restaurant the ducks are prepared in the kitchen and stuffed with a mixture of ginger, garlic, licorice, sugar, salt and spices before spending up to two days in a specially prepared duck drying room.

The room has been built with a glass wall meaning diners can see the racks of carefully-prepared drying ducks as they move around the restaurant.

Once they dried, the ducks are turned over to executive chef Jeff Tan to be cooked in the wood-fired duck oven.

Like the drying room, the oven has been built with the diner in mind and can be easily viewed from most parts of the restaurant.

"The ducks are cooked over plum wood in our wood-fired oven for about 45 to 50 minutes. This allows the aromatics of the spices and the aroma of the wood to penetrate all the way through to make the beautiful Peking duck flavour," says Nic.

Huami is Auckland's hottest new food offering.

Like the duck, Nic says a lot of effort has gone into ensuring every aspect of the restaurant delivers "an authentic Chinese experience but in a contemporary environment."

"We've flown in a dim sum master who is incredible with the art of making dim sum by hand. Huami is the perfect marriage of old-style and modern-day China," says Nic.

Diners can also expect braised New Zealand abalone and crayfish as well as cocktails and an extensive wine list curated by master sommelier Cameron Douglas.

Huami is open for lunch and dinner on Federal St, Auckland Central.