From the bright lights of Hollywood to the community township of Te Awamutu, one Waikato restaurant’s Sunday service was anything but typical.
Actor Simon Helberg, best known for playing the engineer and astronaut Howard Wolowitz on the long-running sitcom “The Big Bang Theory”, paid a visit to Fahrenheit Restaurant in Te Awamutu, prompting other customers to look twice at the table next to them.
Helberg post online that he was visiting New Zealand for the first time, having shared snaps from some of Auckland’s viaduct restaurants earlier in the week.
The Hollywood star ordered a chicken salad before a couple of beers. Staff at the restaurant said his visit was very exciting, and that, in true New Zealand form, he was treated like every other customer. They did, however, get a quick picture with him on his way out.
According to Krystle Fabish, co-owner of Fahrenheit Restaurant, the staff didn’t make a fuss over his celebrity status, instead allowing him to enjoy his dinner.
Khrystal Parkes, who served Helberg, said she recognised him as he was wearing the same hat as on his Instagram post. She added that he was really nice and very polite, and that he was in New Zealand for work, but was very general about it.
“Khrystal was the perfect person to have served Simon ... [Despite] the fact she recognised him ... she treated him and served him just the way she would any other customer,” said Fabish.
“It was all very professional but cool, calm, and casual, which is just how we like to operate.”
Fahrenheit Restaurant & Bar is located in the heart of Te Awamutu’s town centre, and is known for its quality, comfortable and “definitely going back” dining experience. Its a la carte restaurant has made it the perfect space for groups of all sizes, and the bar is a relaxed space for customers to enjoy casual drinks with friends or explore the tapas all-day menu. Its balcony offers a charming dining ambience above the township’s main street, complete with views of Mount Mangatautari.
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