Kai Pasifika, a celebration of Blue Pacific cuisine, will be held at Peter Gordon's acclaimed Homeland restaurant at Westhaven, Auckland, in the week starting 3 October.
The event will introduce unique ingredients from Pacific Island producers to New Zealand chefs, importers, distributors, food lovers, and media.
While Pacific travel hasn’t been the easiest over the last two years, Aucklanders will get a chance to experience the flavours of our beloved neighbouring islands in October when KAI PASIFIKA comes to Peter Gordon's food embassy, Homeland.
With products from 18 different artisan producers across seven different countries it’s going to be an incredible week filled with Pacific flavours.
The festival will include 20 Invited chefs (including a small cohort of the Blue Pacific’s finest chefs sponsored by the New Zealand government, alongside Kiwi locals) spontaneously creating new dishes from the mountain of specially-imported Pacific ingredients.
Some of the international chefs flying in include:
Chef Rangi Mitaera-Johnson (Cook Islands)
Much-loved Cook Islands-based Chef Rangi Mitaera-Johnson always had aspirations of working in the food world and now runs a small resort with her husband.
Chef Rangi works mostly as a freelance chef providing catering and consulting services and training in the Rarotonga cooking school where she promotes the use of locally sourced foods. Her menus are based on local seasonal produce sourced from local markets, farmers and fishers and uses pearl meat as a core ingredient.
Chef Tuiohu Mafi (Tonga)
Executive Sous Chef at Tanoa International Hotel and a catering instructor for Tonga Maritime Poly Technical Institute, Chef Tuiohu Mafi is also the President of the Tonga Culinary Association.
“Food is a very important part of Tongan culture with everything we do in the family or country judged by how good the food was!”
Chef Tui is also the caterer for the Tongan Royal Family, hosting dignitaries, royal weddings, and royal gatherings.
Chef Leonid Vusilai (Vanuatu)
Growing up, Leo Vusilai never had any interest in cooking. This changed eight years ago when a careers expo at his high school introduced him to the culinary arts.
“After I started, I realised, ‘Wow, cooking is beautiful’. It is an art.”
Winner of Pacific Island Food Revolution Season One, Leo decided to focus on catering and opened Island Kakae, a mobile food delivery service that takes booking via social media.
To find out more about Kai Pasifika, click here.
