A distinctive new way to dine is soon to intrigue and tantalise the tastebuds of Auckland gourmands. Set to be held on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month, starting on the 14th of March Origine’s Le Bar will play host to a unique and ever-changing dining experience. The inaugural event is set to comprise a five-course degustation, with the objective of the night being to discover and luxuriate in a raft of exceptional and unexpected flavours.
Conceived by Ahi chef Josh Phillips and mixologist Egor Petrov of Origine’s Le Bar and Bayside Rum Co., this degustation series is limited to ten individuals only per dinner, and is aptly titled ‘The Cocktail Kitchen by Josh & Egor‘. For the first iteration of the series, diners will feast on a series of food and cocktail pairings that highlight locally sourced ingredients from around Aotearoa (including Ahi’s bountiful garden) and delight in intricate flavours enhanced through methods of fermentation, preservation and carbonation.
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As Phillips tells me, the art of Japanese omakase has inspired the style of dining for the event, where chefs prepare seasonal dishes in front of their patrons and showcase a variety of cooking techniques in the process. The intimate yet welcoming design of Le Bar is therefore ideal, allowing guests to focus on the assemblage of plates and cocktail artistry while enriching their understanding of what can be achieved through various culinary methods.
Petrov’s mouthwatering ‘Tomatini’ is just one drink event-goers will delight in at the March degustation. Similar in appearance to a dirty martini but concocted through a highly technical process, it incorporates small, pickled, unripe green tomatoes in place of the Sicilian olive and a sweet yet acidic consommé made from overripe tomatoes.
The Tomatini will be paired with a tomato tart, another simple-looking yet elaborately cultivated creation. The tart’s pastry houses a creamy whipped Goat’s curd, an array of differently seasoned tomato varietals, and two-ingredient ketchup, using tomatoes smoked over Pohutakawa logs to achieve a meaty richness. These tomatoes are then lacto-fermented with salt to enhance a naturally acidic flavour without the need for sugar or vinegar.
While the details of other events beyond the inaugural one are vague, what we do know is that each dinner will be focused on various international cuisines and champion other local chefs and mixologists, too.
Limited to ten seatings at the covetable Le Bar, to experience local culinary prowess in a new and exciting way, we recommend you book your space with haste for the debut of The Cocktail Kitchen by Josh & Egor by visiting this link. Tickets are $250 per person, which includes five courses and drink pairings.
Le Bar
Upstairs at Origine
Commercial Bay
Level 2/172 Quay Street
Auckland Central 1010
