Auckland Museum's new bistro Tuitui showcases Kiwi classics in a mid-century setting
Photography by Alex Blackwood.
Southland cheese rolls, Ika Mata and duck fat potato skins served with Kiwi dip are just the start. This Auckland destination is serving Kiwi classics in a slick, modern setting with a view.
This article was created in partnership with Auckland Museum
The Auckland Museum isn’t just a beautiful building, it houses our history. It educates both children and adults and showcases New Zealand to tourists and locals alike – so it deserves for the eatery in its gorgeous, towering marble and native wood South Atrium to be a bespoke, beautiful place.
And bespoke this is. The long, curved space, designed by Jack McKinney of JackMcKinney Architects, couldn't be more suited to its location. The long dark green and black marble bar stretches the length of the room, allowing diners a view of the Domain and Auckland beyond. The bar itself, as well as the wood panelling on the ends of the room, are scalloped, mirroring the Doric pillars in the Museum's north atrium, built in 1929. The restaurant's mid-century fitout mirrors the museum's 1960 addition. The brass band on the Tanoa, the south atrium's massive rimu globe, is mirrored on the brass bands around the edges of the tables and bar. Even the tiny vases on the tables have rosemary in them - the herb of remembrance - appropriate for a Museum commemorating those who died in the first and second World Wars.
The south atrium: Te Ao Marama
Owner and operator Brian Sewell (born in Ōtara, raised in Belfast) hopes that Tuitui (which means to sew and can relate to bonding over food) will be much more suited to the location and will inspire patrons to stop and stay a while to notice all the details. He explains that the colours of the decor also represent the locale: the blues of the moana, the greens and browns of the whenua and the rich dark greens you'll see in the marble bar are reminiscent of pounamu. And indeed the space is cool, calming and comfortable. It's like being in a very stylish forest glade, but with food and wine.
Interior and the Surimi Mac & cheese
Oh, and the food! That alone makes Tuitui an essential entree to New Zealand for any newcomers, or those wanting to revel in their own nation's staples. The Kiwi onion dip-infused mac and cheese with surimi has a hint of truffle to it and a crumbed cheese crust on top; it's the ultimate comfort dish to dive into after a morning browsing the artefacts. I could eat a bowl of the potato skins fried in duck fat all on their own, but they too come with a silky version of our oniony national dip.
Duck Fat Skins
Lemon & Salt Snapper Pâté
Cup o’ Soup with Southland Cheese Rolls
Brian also owns 1929 cafe in the museum's north atrium. There, he's responsible for the long-awaited return of the historic 'pterodactyl' ham and mustard sandwich. Though it's been more than 20 years since the cafe served them, it’s back to stay following strident demands from the sandwich's loyal support base. Not to mention 1929 have one of the best almond croissants central Auckland has to offer.
At the bar there's a special Tuitui cloudy IPA from McLeod's - Brian is friends with the team there so he was able to sit down with them and chat through what he wanted. They also have Stoneleigh's Wild Valley range, which are 'wild fermented' by naturally-occurring micro-flora. And to add to the intrigue on this drinks list, Tuitui is serving an Australian prosecco. That isn't a mistake, it is truly a prosecco made in Australia (wine nerd rabbit hole about that in the footer)*. There are also a few Australian red wines to round out the mostly Kiwi wine list - for those who like big reds ("me," says Brian).
Because of all the precious taonga in the museum, Tuitui can't have the moisture that real plants would necessitate, so their plants are intricately created faux natives.
Of course, for Tuitui, the setting is a huge part of the charm. The building’s grandeur, history and the sheer excitement of a trip to the museum as well as the hills, trees and endlessly strollable areas of the Domain are a draw card all on their own. So it is an utter joy to see them graced with an eatery that honours the location in decor, menu and spirit. You could even say that Tuitui is a little like an exhibit itself – a delicious display of Kiwi cuisine.
Along with the return of the south atrium, a new interactive Lego exhibit and the pterodactyl sandwich, the Museum has plenty to get excited about right now. But Tuitui is something to be excited by in its own right. It's well up there with the new releases of the moment, and I for one have been craving those duck fat potato skins since I left.
Auckland Museum
aucklandmuseum.com
*Like Champagne, Port and Sherry, ‘Prosecco’ is a protected name that can only be applied to wines from within Italy’s Veneto region. Until a decade ago, the word Prosecco referred to the grape varietal too - but in 2009, Italy created a ‘Denominazione di Origine Controllata’, restricting the name Prosecco to wines from Prosecco and officially changing the name of the grape to 'Glera' to avoid confusion and prevent people calling wine made from those grapes 'Prosecco'. But Australian vintners who had been growing the varietal in Melbourne’s King Valley for 20 years were not too keen on being told they couldn't call their wine by the name they had been using for ages. The costly battle for the legal name rages on, so in the meantime get it while you can: Australian prosecco at the Auckland Museum.
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