Foodie escape

If you are looking for an indulgent offshore escape but can’t face a long-haul plane trip, Nic Watt’s return to Vomo Island, Fiji, is sure to whet the appetite. The executive chef of Auckland’s Masu and Adelaide’s Madame Hanoi will be taking over the kitchens in the private island resort for what promises to be a luxurious five days (for the guests anyway), serving up Japanese and Vietnamese flavours along with Fijianinspired dishes. Expect degustation dinners, wine tastings, long lunches and sundowner events with French champagne and top-tier New Zealand wines. The Nic Watt event package runs from May 9-13. Cost: FJD$6000 per person including accommodation and all meals. For more, vomofiji.com Another option for those looking to marry warm weather with a seriously gourmet experience is slated for late winter. Tickets are on sale now for The Curated Plate, a new four-day festival showcasing all that is delicious in the Sunshine Coast. The debut programme for the August 8-11 event includes a legends lunch with Peter Gilmore and Analiese Gregory (Franklin, Tasmania) at Yandina Station overlooking Mt Coolum and a Hinterland Harvest four-course lunch prepared by Raymond Blanc (Belmond, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons), Nelly Robinson (owner of progressive Sydney restaurant, Nel) and local plant-based champion Alejandro Cancino (ex-Urbane, Brisbane, now Lola’s Pantry). Kiwi Monique Fiso, who showcases Maori and Polynesian ingredients at her new upscale Wellington restaurant Hiakai, joins the line-up too, taking part in a foraged food dinner (with Clayton Wells of two-hatted Automata and A1 Canteen) and Nick Blake (Wild Forage Australia). She is also joining the three-chef line-up for The Elements Long Lunch. For more, thecuratedplate.com.au