I
t wasfamilythatbroughtMoniqueFisobackto
Wellington,NewZealand.AftersevenyearslivinginNew
YorkCity,wheresheworkedina numberofMichelin-
starredrestaurants, includingTheMusketRoom,Fiso
wasreadycomehome.Sheconsideredopeninginothercities- weighingupAucklandandMelbourne“fora hotsecond”
- beforerealisingsheneededtobebackwithherwhanau.
Whanauis theMaoriwordforfamily.It’s usednotsimplyto
describeyourimmediatebloodrelatives, butyourextendedfamily
andcommunity,andallthosewhosupportyou.InMaoridom,
there’s a strongsenseofcollectiveresponsibility: whena member
ofyourwhanausucceeds,it’s a successforthewholefamily.
WhichmeanstheFisowhanauhasa lottobeproudof
rightnow.Sinceopeningin2018,Fisoandherrestaurant,
Hiakai, havebecomeaninternationalsuccessstory.Last
year,TimemagazinenamedHiakaioneofthegreatestplaces
intheworld,whileForbessingledit outasoneofthe 10
hottestplacestoeatin2020.
ThedayGourmetTravellervisits,ona warmsummer’s
morninginFebruary,there’sa waitinglistofmorethan
1000 peopletryingtogeta spotinthesuburbanWellington
restaurant.Thediningroomis bookedoutthreemonthsin
advance,whilethechef’scounteris bookedoutforthenextfive.
TheycomeforFiso’suniquetakeonnativeingredientsand
techniques, manyofwhichhaveneverbeenusedina commercial
kitchenbefore. Fisoandherteamregularlyspendtheirmornings
andweekendsforagingforNewZealand’sIndigenous ingredients
and experimenting with new ways to usethem.
FisowasfirsttaughttocookbyherSamoangrandmother,
whochoseeight-year-oldFisotobecomeherkitchenhelperas
theypreparedmealsfortheextendedfamily.Shegrewupmaking
chopsueyandtaro,alongwithothertraditionalSamoanstaples.
ButlikemanyAntipodeanchefs,Fisoinitiallyrejectedher
culinaryheritageinfavourofmorecelebratedcuisines, such
asFrench,ItalianandJapanese.
“I triedtofightit somuchat thestartbecauseI desperately
wantedtobelikeMarcoPierreWhiteandGordonRamsay,”
shesays,sittingat thechef’scounterwithoneeyetrainedon
herteamastheyprepforthebusyweekahead.
“Asyougetolder,youstartthinking:‘IfI opena restaurant,
whatwouldthatlooklike?’ Youthinkaboutwhoyouareas
a person, andhome– thethingsyouusedtoeat.Slowlyover
timeit workeditswayintowhatI wasdoing.”
ReturningtoNewZealandin2016,Fisolauncheda pop-up
diningseriestotesttheappetiteforheridea.Theeventwasa
sell-outandHiakai– whichmeans“hungry” inMaori– wasborn.
WeaskedFisotosharea menuthatcelebrateswhanauin
allitsforms,capturingflavoursandmemoriesofthepast.She
chosetomakethismealforherHiakaiwhanau– theteamwho
works alongsidehereverydayandcontinues tomakeherdreams
a reality.Severalofthesedishestaketime,Fisoexplains,whichis
somethingthebusychefdoesn’thaveinsurplus.Tomakethem,
shesays,is totellsomeoneyoulovethem.Thattheyarespecial.
Thattheyarewhanau.
Hiakai, 40 WallaceSt,Mount Cook, Wellington, NZ,
+64 4 938 7360, hiakai.co.nz