Turning the ripe old of age of two years old on October 3rd means two things for Culprit owners Kyle Street and Jordan MacDonald. The first is that they have been able to revisit some of the OG menu items that informed the restaurant’s genetic makeup right from the get-go (we’re looking at you chicken parfait and bone marrow), and secondly, they’ve been able to elevate their overall offering that modicum more; focussing on the finer details, like toast holders, for example, especially now that they have a more casual counterpart, Lowbrow, located nearby within Queen’s Rise. Stepping into spring with a ‘new menu’ — although that term is hardly relevant to a restaurant whose carte is subject to change almost daily — we asked Street to talk us through the latest dishes, many of which have evolved from their humble beginnings and been influenced by the numerous guest chefs who have cameoed in the Culprit kitchen. You can peruse each item below.
To celebrate their birthday, Culprit is giving away a voucher for $150 to spend on dinner. All you need to do is head over to their Instagram page @culprit.nz and give them a follow to be in the draw.
← GO BACK
SEE ALL SLIDES |
The Koha
The Koha
Wakame crackers with kina custard and a sprinkling of nori dust serve as a gift from the kitchen, but there’s a hidden motive behind this lofty ‘chips and dip’ alternative. Street admits that by serving this to each table “everyone is going to have a taste of kina, even if they wouldn’t order it normally. This way, they can discover that it doesn’t have to be an overpowering flavour.”
Fish & Chips
Fish & Chips
Named after the quintessential dish but presented in a form that’s far from it, this clever duo comprises crispy thin purple dawn kumara chips, served with a dip of mascarpone and smoked monkfish. I guess you could call our cuisine “globally influenced Kiwiana,” says Street, “where we take reference from the cultures we are surrounded by and things we’ve picked up on when travelling overseas.”
Green Tomato Gazpacho
Green Tomato Gazpacho
“Green tomatoes aren’t often used,” says Street who attributes them to this dish’s bright apple-like savor. Finished with finely diced cucumber and a dollop of smoked sour cream, this is the ultimate summer palate refresher.
Venison Leg Tartare
Venison Leg Tartare
This delicate dish spotlights the beautiful Pāmu farmed venison. “The leg, usually reserved for stews, is made up of a multitude of different muscle groups, three of which we find extremely tender and suitable for tartare,” Street explains. The meat is dressed simply with gherkins, mustard and sea salt and is placed on a bed of smoked eggplant yoghurt and garnished with eggplant juice jelly and pickled caper leaves — an ingredient the chef says he was introduced to when Automata helmsman Clayton Wells staged a takeover in the Culprit kitchen. “Because [Jordan and I] are in the restaurant(s) all the time, we count on learning from those chefs who come and visit.”
Cambridge Asparagus
Cambridge Asparagus
“An old mate called Bill approached a lot of Auckland chefs a few years back about trying to get farm fresh asparagus direct into restaurants. He picks it in the morning and sends it up [from Cambridge] that day. This makes it very different from supermarket Asparagus — you can even eat it raw.” Street explains about the delicious, seasonal dish. “We serve it really lightly grilled with an olive butter made from Hawke’s Bay olives. Shaved on top is cured venison liver which adds salt and sweet to the dish — our friends at Automata gave us the recipe and the liver as a ‘gift’.
Chicken Liver Parfait
Chicken Liver Parfait
Reworked ever so slightly to include “a boysenberry, Pinot Noir syrup and a garnish of crushed, freeze-dried boysenberries,” this iconic Culprit dish is a must, served with the essential side of freshly fried beignets.
Bone Marrow
Bone Marrow
“This is another one of the dishes that informed the menu and what Culprit was going to be before we even opened,” Street explains. Zjooshed in its serving style to feature ‘cheese toast’ — old Edam from Mahoe Cheese on Olaf’s sourdough — that comes on a fabulous toast holder by Morgan Haines, this is arguably the pièce de résistance.
Courgette
Courgette
“Here we use Eighty4 Limited courgettes which is a local organic farm,” says Street of this light yet truly savoury vegetable dish. “We’ve marinated them in lightly fermented whey so that the dish has a slightly cheesy flavour to it. We serve it with lardo (cured pork back fat) and there’s a bit of herb oil in there too.”
Duck and Pumpkin Dumplings
Duck and Pumpkin Dumplings
Developed from what was originally a duck and squash tortellini, “we’ve finessed this dish so that it’s a little more complex,” Street explains. The newfound dumpling is steamed before being doused (at your table) in a flavoursome duck bone broth, infused with truffle oil, and garnished with pumpkin powder and flakes of truffle salt.
