DISCOVER A HIDDEN GEM
“OUR ETHOS IS ‘BUY LOCAL’ AS MUCH AS WE CAN” DIANE LANGMAN
East meets West in the flavourpacked menu of a Far North restaurant set amongst subtropical gardens and sculpture walks.
Stepping into Māha Restaurant is like stepping into your own little garden oasis. The restaurant, which is located in Kerikeri, is nestled within the Wharepuke Subtropical Garden and Sculpture Park.
It’s owners, Diane Langman and Ming Poon, say they’re lucky to have found their own slice of paradise up in the Bay of Islands. “It’s beautiful, it’s like a little piece of paradise, really. People can come here and to really relax and be rejuvenated,” says Langman.
The couple, who have been in the hospitality industry for decades, moved up to Kerikeri about eight years ago. Ming, who was born in Hong Kong, has trained as a chef in Italian and Spanish cuisine.
In December 2018, they opened Māha with the aim of bringing something different to the local food scene. “There was a lack of modern, seasonal, local East-meets-West cuisine,” explains Langman. Among the subtropical gardens sits a gallery, sculpture walk and small cottages for accommodation. “In some ways you could say we are a hidden gem.”
Like its surroundings, the menu at Māha is vibrant, diverse and full of unexpected elements. It brings together Eastern cuisine from Poon’s cultural roots and the Western cuisines he was trained in.
“Each culture has a different technique and style, a different understanding of the same ingredient,” says Poon. “You have to really understand how an ingredient can perform in the Western way and Eastern way. You find a balance in between.”
Sitting within a subtropical garden certainly affords Poon some rare and delightful ingredients. “Last year, I had the luxury of having a lot of star fruit, because we had a tree in the garden – one of the only ones in New Zealand.”
The region is also a major influence on the menu. Poon has now gotten to know a lot of local farmers and often sources a variety of unique herbs, fruits and vegetables. Since opening, the restaurant has gone through 14 menu iterations. “Our ethos is ‘buy local’ as much as we can,” says Langman. “If we’ve got hold of something special, we’ll do something special – we’re very responsive and react to whatever produce is coming out.”
190 Kerikeri Road, Kerikeri maharestaurant.co.nz