If his name doesn’t ring a bell, then we’re sorry to say it, but you must have been living in a crevice for the last 10 years. Hayden McMillan is a Kiwi chef who has well and truly made it. Cutting his teeth in the kitchens of The French Café, Vinnies and Merediths before heading up Parnell’s TriBeCa, then being headhunted to helm the uber-successful San Fran pop-up ‘The Waiheke Island Yacht Club’ (during the 2011 America’s Cup), he is an aspirational figure in New Zealand’s culinary ranks. Yet he has since flown the coup to Melbourne to helm his own 68-seat casual restaurant Etta, a Brunswick eatery that averages a Google rating of 4.8 out of 5.

While his success is worthy of writing about on any good news day, the fact that McMillan is gracing Auckland to stage a pop-up at his mates’ place, downtown eatery Culprit, has us all in a tizz. Touching down for two nights only (Tuesday 29th & Wednesday 30th May) tickets can be purchased to sample the exceptionally delicious, produce-driven, multi-cultural cuisine that has made his one of the most respected restaurants in Australia’s culinary capital. Each person will receive six seasonal bites plus a shared main and dessert for the table. To match McMillan’s food, the Culprit team will be curating an all-natural, all-Australian wine list.

Please note this event has now SOLD OUT.