Kitchen Dinner: An ode to Southland produce
"Ethan and Josie are delivering uniqueness and authenticity in a city of same menus and venues. And Kitchen Dinner has carved out a place for itself as an iconic Murihiku experience."
Louise Evans - the person behind Southland food magazine Wee - headed along to well-regarded chef Ethan Flack’s unique new Kitchen Dinner offering in Invercargill. Check out what Evans found and why she encourages any foodies to check it out.
Tucked in behind the bulk flour bins and community notice board at 'The Pantry' is not exactly where I’d expect to find Invercargill’s newest and, don’t get your napkins in a twist, best culinary experience.
Ethan and Josie Flack’s Kitchen Dinner is a 10-seat, chef-curated, multi-course showcase of Southern fare.
It thrives in the unexpected. The space is functional rather than fancy, there is no traditional ambient lighting, and the room hums with the sounds of a working kitchen in place of background music. Yet, the experience is mesmerising.
The kitchen is dominated by a beautifully constructed wooden table with high seats, each offering a direct line of sight to Chef Ethan's culinary wizardry.
In the middle of the table, a crown prince pumpkin Ethan says gets its depth of flavour from the 180 days it took to grow, fresh cabbages and four types of local beetroot. It’s clear the hero of the night is going to be the produce.
The night unfolds like a map of Southland, through five artfully crafted courses – from cauliflower cheese, and hare and beetroot, to lamb, chard, and onion – each underlining the pure simplicity of the food.
Perhaps deceptively simple.
Ethan's dishes burst with layers of flavour and complexity. There is magic in how he transforms humble ingredients like swede and pumpkin into nostalgic yet inspiring creations.
It’s all so deliriously Southland.
Everything about the night feels thoughtfully curated - from the “try this” Brussel sprout, hot from the pan, to the homemade quince soda and marigold cordials - without ever once feeling pretentious.
Ethan asks if we like our oysters raw or cooked. But it makes no difference. The fat, creamy Bluff Oyster comes both ways at once – one side of raw, pillowy meat contrasting the other of crisp perfection, served on labne made by hanging Logan’s yoghurt, and finished with a spray of elderflower vinegar that took Ethan three months to make.
Nothing is wasted. Vegetable skins are transformed into flavorful broths and seasonings, and whey drained from the yoghurt reappears as a sticky caramel in the second (!) dessert course: Apple and Artichoke.
Each dish plays out like an episode of Southland's food story - with Ethan’s simmering enthusiasm for food and a yarn balanced by Josie's flawless service.
Ethan and Josie are delivering uniqueness and authenticity in a city of same menus and venues. And Kitchen Dinner has carved out a place for itself as an iconic Murihiku experience. All in its first week.
Book a table of ten, or go alone. You’ll enjoy it just the same.