Four of the best: Wild foods in Auckland

The Riverhead's Wild Sensations dish of roasted venison and duck liver pasty with bitter chocolate and redcurrant reduction, kumara, chestnut and horopito dumplings. Photo / Supplied

1. The Merchant Bar & Kitchen
219 Don McKinnon Dr, Albany. Ph (09) 444 1076.

Chef Michael Kim's When Pigs Fly gives wild pork belly an Asian twist with chilli, soy and ginger, served with confit duck spring rolls, hoisin and Asian greens, served with a sweet chocolatey Monteith's Celtic Red Beer, the malt flavours matching the confit duck.

2. The Riverhead
68 Queen St, Riverhead. Ph (09) 412 8902.

The Wild Sensations dish of chef Peter Miller pairs roasted venison and duck liver pastry with bitter chocolate and redcurrant reduction and kumara, chestnut & horopito dumplings on the side. Again, the maltiness of Monteith's Celtic Red Beer rounds out the bitter chocolate sauce and sweetness of the venison.

3. Ribier Restaurant
329a Main Rd, Huapai. Ph (09) 412 2001.

One expects great things of a dish called T.A.S.M.A.N. K.F.C. Chef Eugene Sokolovski marinates turkey in wild ginger and kawakawa with tempura samphire (sea asparagus), wild mushrooms, flax seed, wood sorrel and cranberry sauce. T.urkey, A.sparagus (samphire), S.orrel, M.ushrooms, A.lgin, N.ew Zealand spinach. K.awakawa, F.lax seed, C.ranberry. Paired with a light, cleansing Monteith's Pilsner Beer.

4. Swanson Memorial RSA
663 Swanson Rd, Swanson. Ph (09) 833 9013.

Martin Crump's Bushman's Pie pairs a richly flavoured pie with Monteith's Golden Lager. What could be more Kiwi?

Be in to win

Broaden your eating in the wilds of New Zealand at one of the Monteith's Beer and Wild Food Challenge restaurants before August 12. Vote via text for your "People's Choice" finalist to join in the judging cook-off. Weekend has three prizes of $200 worth of vouchers to use at any Monteith's Beer and Wild Food Challenge participating restaurant.

To enter, go to nzherald.co.nz/weekend, enter your details and the keywords Monteith's Beer and Wild Food by midnight Wednesday August 8.