Head Chef at Margo’s, Queenstown, Matt Tobin has always been fascinated by food. Growing up in Indianapolis, USA, he would often help out his mother or grandmother with dinner at home, and find a lot of excitement in ‘going out’. It was in high school that he realised his cooking skill and decided on his career path as a chef.
At Margo’s, Tobin changes the menu regularly, keeping his team and his customers excited and engaged. Margo’s is a never-ending exploration of tastes, sights and smells of Mexico, though is anything but your typical Mexican restaurant. The team of chefs bring together their collective experiences with cuisines from all over the world to create vibrant soul food that is distinctly Margo’s.
Tobin gets excited about food with a story and loves to conceptualise a classic. The menu features flavourful dishes like Market Fish Ceviche, Coca-Cola BBQ Pork Ribs, and Cowboy Nachos and has a selection of vegan offerings too.
“It’s really difficult for me to put something on a menu that doesn’t have an identity.”
Visitors looking for a taste adventure like no other may be tempted to ask for Margo’s Secret Menu, where customers put their trust in the chefs to guide them out of their comfort zone.
Taco Tuesday has never looked so good, with Tobin creating dishes such as Bad Hombre Style Fried Chicken Tacos served on a roti flatbread, as well as Crunchy Beef Cheek, Salt ‘Y’ Cumin Squid, and Baja Banana Blossom. Not limited by the calendar though, tacos are available week round and are the perfect accompaniment to Margo’s Happy Hour frozen margaritas.
Fiesta time will always draw people in, and Tobin believes the hospitality industry will always find that people want to eat out. The biggest challenge facing the industry is the current staff shortage in New Zealand. Finding a hard balance between keeping the tacos coming, and overworking his staff, the shortage has been hard on the team at Margo’s.
“The biggest challenge ahead is encouraging young people’s desire to work in hospitality. It can be quite gruelling and taxing on your body.”
The Mexican restaurant recently offered staff an extra night off for some well deserved RnR.
Tobin’s advice to young chef’s making their start in the industry is to absorb everything, good or bad - trying out new kitchens often and finding a voice.
In his own time away from the kitchen, the chef cooks quite a bit at home for his wife, Jamie, and their friends. He loves to study cookbooks, and is an avid runner when time allows.
In the future, he hopes to expand his career, opening more restaurants that allow him to be creative with different cuisines.
margos.co.nz
