“I am an Aussie born Kiwi… no need to stop reading now…”
Nic Watt grew up in East Auckland and made a conscious decision to work in hospitality so that he could travel the world. Starting out as a waiter, one shift ended in the kitchen and he has never looked back.
Watt's food style has always been about enhancing a hero ingredient. He describes himself as a people person, loving the sharing concept of food brought to the middle of the table - family-style.
Challenging himself in the past year, Watt opened INCA Ponsonby in the middle of a pandemic.
“Building a restaurant on time … finding and training the team. It was without a doubt the hardest, yet most rewarding opening to date. We have a super strong and connected team, that I believe is a result of the challenges we faced together.”
The team at INCA Ponsonby, where Latin America meets Asia with their Nikkei style, has a united passion for flavour and dedication to detail. Cooking in terracotta clay, INCA has developed a beautifully simple sweet potato baked in clay and served tableside with Peruvian chilli butter.
“Guests love the theatre of the clay being cracked in front of them to expose the super-soft roasted sweet potato.”
With more up his sleeve, Watt has hopes for a few more restaurants, including bringing Manhattan to Auckland with martinis and jazz, open kitchens with seafood stations and sensational grills.
His advice to those starting out in their hospitality journey?
“Love what you do, learn, listen, ask questions, and follow your instincts.”
