‘I’m in awe of New Zealand’s natural beauty’
Top chef Matt Lambert tells Mina Kerr-Lazenby he’s ‘incredibly lucky’ to be home.
Back in October hearsay was travelling across the Auckland culinary scene’s grapevine: Matt Lambert, Kiwi chef and owner of New York’s Michelin-starred restaurant The Musket Room, was back in town. This time for good.
The rumours were true. A beacon of light in an otherwise bleak state of affairs, it meant that the appetites of Aucklanders could once again be satiated by one of the country’s finest chefs. Though the move was not directly related to Covid-19, the pandemic did cement his decision to return home.
Lambert has been revered country-wide since he acquired a Michelin-star in 2013 for The
Musket Room, a Kiwi-inspired restaurant he opened in Nolita,
New York, just months before the acknowledgement.
The occasion was momentous, not only because of the impressive swiftness of it all, but because it fulfilled Lambert’s long-held dream. ‘‘I went to New York with the goal of getting a Michelin star in three years, and I did it in four months. We really overachieved.’’
Describing the star as something he had been ‘‘diligently chasing after’’ for years, he explains how every choice made previously had all been part of his Michelin master plan. Such as washing dishes at restaurants at 14, or working his backside off alongside big cheese Michael Meredith at The Grove. It was in mind when he opened his own restaurant with his mum in Wellington (a result of ‘‘blind ambition and stupidity’’), and it was the reason he moved to the Big Apple from Connecticut, after initially being lured Stateside by his American wife.
Now ‘‘more of a silent partner’’ at The Musket Room, lately it’s been establishments on home soil that have been subject to the funnelling of his talents. Since 2016 he’s been executive chef from afar of Rodd & Gunn’s The Lodge Bar in Queenstown. This year he reprised his role for its successor, the Lodge Bar and Dining in Auckland’s Commercial Bay, and made a permanent return to New Zealand so, he says, he can oversee operations far more intimately.
How does it feel to be back in his old stomping ground? The Henderson-raised chef responds with a prompt, ‘‘it’s amazing’’. ‘‘Being home for good is really awesome,’’ he enthuses. ‘‘I just go to the beach all the time with my kids and take in all the nice things this country has to offer.’’
Home looks especially enchanting given the Manhattan landscape he’s grown accustomed to. ‘‘Coming back, especially to places like Queenstown, I’m finding myself just in awe of New Zealand’s natural beauty,’’ he laughs, detailing how Aotearoa waters look ‘‘especially clean’’ following years of driving by New York’s coffee-hued East River.
That’s not to say he doesn’t miss the city that never sleeps. Compared to New Zealand, the state of convenience is otherworldly. ‘‘Amazon is so handy, you can order something in bed and wake up and it’s there.’’
This rings especially true for those working in the culinary business. Describing New York as ‘‘like the capital of the world,’’ he explains how anything you desire there as a chef, you can get. Wild caught fish from Honolulu? Sure. Red prawns from Spain? Not a problem. Truffles from Italy? Easy as. ‘‘Over there I could get the best of everything, and I was buying a kilo at a time. Unfortunately, a lot of that stuff isn’t here, period, let alone normal. I find that a bit challenging.’’
Luckily for Lambert, sourcing goods from farflung corners of the globe isn’t necessary for his latest endeavour. With Kiwiness at its core, The Lodge Bar and Dining uses only the finest, locally sourced ingredients to create approachable, honest dishes that are truly reflective of Aotearoa.
When asked to describe the concept, he thinks for a minute, choosing his words carefully, before saying it ‘‘unpacks all of my experiences but dials it back to be acceptable for everyone – all while not letting go of my standards.’’
Put concisely: it’s simple and casual with friendly, welcoming service, but the grub is still smashing. ‘‘It’s not snobby,’’ he assures.
Lambert favours this ethos because it focuses on how people really eat: degustations and tasting menus hardly represent the norm. ‘‘People only celebrate their birthday once a year, you know?’’
Not only is the food quintessentially Kiwi but so, of course, are the customers, something Lambert revels in after tending to the stomachs of New Yorkers for so many years.
The difference between Auckland and NYC he says, is that here ‘‘everybody seems to be going out to have a good time’’.
‘‘It’s very positive. In New York it’s just another dinner for most people. You go out for food because you don’t really have a kitchen, and dinner is easy to obtain on any street at any time, it’s far more social here and less by necessity.’’
The fact New Zealand is one of few places in the world right now where you can enjoy the luxury of eating out is not lost on Lambert, and with that we’re back to discussing just how fortunate he feels. ‘‘I feel incredibly lucky to be here. I’ve got a lot of friends who are in dire straits, who just want to do what they love but can’t. Sometimes, when I’m posting pictures of food or my restaurants I feel bad, because my friends aren’t able to do that, and they’re very good at what they do.’’
While it’s easy for Lambert to be plagued by a sort of survivor’s guilt during these times, it’s important to remember he hasn’t fluked his way to the top – or to New Zealand. His achievements have little to do with luck and a lot more to do with the sheer talent, determination and passion.
Lambert isn’t ‘‘lucky’’. That’s a title more suited to the people of Auckland, who can now chow down on cuisine fresh from the hands of Matt Lambert once more.
HEIRLOOM TOMATO, STRACCIATELLA, SUMMER HERBS
Ingredients
3-4 large room temperature heirloom tomatoes
200g stracciatella
Lot 8 citrus olive oil
Forum chardonnay vinegar
Hauraki flake salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
Basil
Fresh fennel seeds
Method
Slice the tomatoes about 1⁄2cm thick
In a bowl, spread around the stracciatella to cover the full surface and place the tomato slices over the cheese. The idea here is to get equal amounts of cheese to tomato with every bite.
Gently spoon over a small amount of chardonnay vinegar depending on your palate – around 1 to 3 tablespoons – this adds a sharp contrast to the fat and umami/ sugars of the tomatoes. Then splash on a very generous amount of lot 8 citrus olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle from about 30cm above the plate to ensure an even distribution of seasoning.
Garnish with some fresh basil – ripped large leaves work, but the buds are also great because you get big flavour from small pieces.
Lastly, around the country wild fennel everywhere is going to seed at the moment. These fresh young seeds are packed with bright delicious flavour. You get huge explosive fennel flavour notes from these tiny seeds which excite the palate.
You can substitute the stracciatella for mozzarella, buffalo mozzarella, buffalo curd or burrata.