SkyCity unveils the tantalising schedule for DELISH, its new dining season
Spanning three months of celebration and some of Auckland's best cuisine, DELISH is the new dining series for the coming season, with everything from chef-led events to limited edition menus and more happening in the swanky surrounds of SkyCity.
A stroll down that bustling section of Federal Street wedged between Wellesley and Victoria takes you past some of Tāmaki Makaurau's best eateries: there's the award-winning Viva Top 50 restaurants Cassia and Metita, modern Japanese cuisine of MASU, deli-fare and Kiwi delicacies from Al Brown, the glossy red doors of Huami, and more. It's no coincidence. Popular with Aucklanders and visitors alike – it's flanked by high-end hotels, corporate offices and assorted headquarters of the city's media industry – the precinct around SkyCity has spent recent decades firmly establishing itself as a dining hub, home to some of the city's award-winning establishments.
An array of big-name chefs and restaurateurs have set up shop on Federal Street, the artery of SkyCity, and its surrounds. Al Brown has been a longstanding part of the neighbourhood since decamping from the capital, opening Depot and Fed Deli in 2011 and 2013 respectively; Nic Watt's MASU launched in 2013 to acclaim and remains hugely popular; Sid and Chand Sahrawat relocated Cassia (a Viva Top 50 Restaurant) from a subterranean Fort Lane spot to Federal Street in 2023; Michael Meredith joined them that same year when the latest of his celebrated restaurants, Metita, which promptly made the Viva Top 10 Restaurants in Auckland in 2024 (winning best interior too); and The Grill, now located on Hobson Street reopened last year.
It all makes for a hotspot of hospitality, and the latest news from the neighbourhood is SkyCity's brand new restaurant campaign, DELISH. Geared at seasonal dining and the communal, celebratory nature of a special meal, it sees a calendar of immersive dining events and limited-edition menus over three months.
Headlining the events programme is Nic Watt, who will be firing up the restaurant's robata grill to host the Counter Dining Experience at MASU every Thursday in June, with bookings essential, as it is sure to sell out like last year's. Also new to the calendar, MASU will now be opening for lunch every Wednesday and Thursday, with an inventive menu of new dishes (priced from $30) that focuses on elevating donburi with everything from karaage chicken, tempura prawns, pork katsu, wagyu beef and Japanese grilled eel, alongside a selection – signature sashimi, served atsuzukuri (thick-cut style), maki rolls, and a range of their iconic sides.
DELISH will see Chefs Patrick Ikinofo and Kia Kanuta join forces to host an illuminating Matariki event at The Grill on 18 June, when they will serve up a celestially inspired five-course menu – think hangi, eel, tītī and pāua – along with kōrero and special entertainment. Meanwhile, on 30 July Sid and Chand Sahrawat will bring together Cassia chefs from the past and present for the Cassia Full Circle Feast that's sure to be bursting with good food and great memories – anyone who's celebrated a milestone (or enjoyed a meal) at Cassia will want to be there.
With their respective restaurants a training ground for the next generation of talent, proteges are in the spotlight for A Chef's Story, which sees Head Chefs creating dishes inspired by their childhoods and infused with nostalgia, available throughout the DELISH period.
Depot head chef Jack Stott is dishing up a homage to the classic Sunday lamb roast, complete with Yorkshire pudding and mint jelly; Shiva Kudav of The Grill also turned to roast lamb, thoughtfully referencing his southern Indian roots with ingredients like mangosteen jus and achappam (rose cookies); MASU's Jun Bae's iteration of comfort food is takoyaki-inspired sous-vide octopus teriyaki on miso dashi potato mash; over at Metita Arinut Sachdeva conjures up an evocative combination of Kingfish with coconut, fermented chilli and tipolo (bread fruit); Federal Delicatessen fans can try Megan Cruickshank's memory-rich house-made meatloaf, served with cranberry relish, whole grain mustard, sautéed greens and the requisite gravy; and Cassia head chef Ketan Joshi combines green chilli thecha with sesame seeds for an evocative tender (and spicy) chicken dish.
Discover the deeply personal stories behind each dish online and in the restaurants when you visit.
But the area really comes into its own for destination dining during the dinner hours, and the DELISH programme is jam-packed with occasional eating opportunities. Running until July, four of SkyCity's flagship restaurants are all serving Gather & Toast special menus, geared at celebrations and socialising in groups.
Metita's three-course is designed for sharing and offers a taste of Pacific flavours, including slow-braised lamb shanks with spiced coconut gravy and ulu (breadfruit); Cassia will take you across the subcontinent in four courses, from Sid's signature Pani Puri to tandoori chicken in rich lababdar sauce; The Grill's special caters to tables of up to 16 (four is the minimum) and dishes up a four-course feast; it's the most indulgent of the lot, spotlighting beef in everything from tartare to Makikihi beef-fat chips and a 'study of beef' alongside bistro classics like twice-baked cheese soufflé and an iceberg wedge; MASU's menu spans two courses of multiple dishes, including warming miso shiru and wagyu sando, the chef's sashimi selection, cedar-baked king salmon teriyaki, lamb cutlets with gochujang, robata-grilled shiitake, and more.
All present a grand opportunity to arrange a group dinner or celebrate something special, and sweetening the whole thing is free parking at SkyCity, available throughout the DELISH period.
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