Otago feast on the menu at student restaurant

Otago Polytechnic’s 2026 Student Showcase season got underway last week, with a “feast” celebrating the richness of Otago kai and local food producers.

20 first year students from the Bachelor of Culinary Arts and Diploma of Culinary Practice programmes spent about two months working on the Hākari i Otago - Feast upon Otago culinary event, which gave 80 restaurant diners a five-course experience for one night only.

Hayley Dodd, senior food design lecturer at Otago Polytechnic, says the “delicious evening” was immersed in the landscapes, sounds and flavours of Otago.

“It’s a chance to discover the stories behind our regional kai and to connect with some of our local suppliers.”

“The students were tasked with showcasing a variety of dishes featuring our region’s shellfish, wild and farmed meats, nuts, grains, dairy, and honey, and celebrating the incredible produce our region has to offer.”

Some dishes were inspired by class field trips during the year, including a visit to Papanui inlet which helped form the cockles, wakame, and seaside greens pasta dish.

The sold-out event was entirely led and run by the first year ākonga with lecturer supervision and feedback throughout the process, and is a culmination of their year’s work.

Students designed the menu items themselves to highlight local produce, taking into consideration manaaki (authentic hospitality) to the guests, and sustainability of kai and the environment.

"They created five great dishes, each highlighting a local supplier and showcasing how much we can create with ingredients sourced close to home," says Hayley.

The students were also responsible for organising the front of house and guest experience side of things, and giving diners an insight into the suppliers and dishes during the evening.

The cohort visited the Otago Farmers Market to get their produce items, buying other ingredients directly from local famers and businesses.

Hākari i Otago – Feast upon Otago was part of the Food Design Institute’s Manaakitaka for Kai, and Culinary Management and Leadership courses.

The Hākari i Otago menu:

Taste of Otago (canapes) – Harraways oat cracker with smoked carrot and oat cheese; Southern Clams wakame crisp with wakame mayo and potato and leek rosti; Fare Game charred hare ribs with salsa verde; crispy smoked Holy Cow halloumi with yoghurt sauce and apple herb salsa

Venison, bitter greens, berries – Brined and smoked Fare Game venison leg, with foraged greens, apple, fennel and a berry dressing

Cockles, wakame, seaside greens – Wakame pasta raviolo with a creamy Southern Clams cockle and beach spinach filling, cockle poppers and pickled ice-plant

Lamb, asparagus, potato – Herb-stuffed rolled Leelands lamb belly, crispy roast potatoes, fresh asparagus with Dunford Grove olive oil

Hazelnut, honey, apple – Hazelnut Estate hazelnut fudge tart, with Mihiwaka honey crémeux, apple gel, hazelnut praline and thyme-honey ice-cream