Something special to eat

Riverstone Kitchen

Everyone knows Riverstone Kitchen. It's an unavoidable side effect of creating an allencompassing wonderland, complete with turreted castle. Many a driver has a crick in their neck from turning suddenly to see if their eyes deceive them. This land is the realm of the Smith family – dairy farmers turned sovereigns of their fertile Waitaki domain. There is a broad range of delights here, including a mammoth playground, extensive gardens and gift shops. While Dot, the garden architect and queen of her castle/dream home, is pushing boundaries outside, son Bevan Smith is pushing the boundaries in Riverstone Kitchen, a past winner of Cuisine Restaurant of the Year. When Bevan returned from overseas, Dot had the garden established so he was able to fully utilise it to push the boundaries of what people will eat. Everything has its season on the menu, either as a star piece or sometimes snuck in undercover. “For some people, it's the norm; for others, it's a bit of a shock. They say, ‘What are these strange looking things on my plate?' With traditional eaters, you can have a bit of fun pushing boundaries without them realising, like something under or on top of a steak. I like to be able to influence a generation of locals. We're not trying to be tricky. Just real people making real food, really flash, and above all, tasty.”

Riverstone Larder in the Victorian Precinct gives just a taste of the restaurant's wares without the 15-minute drive. There's a wall of chutney, jams and sauces, plus other homemade delights – cakes, doughnuts, fresh bread. Plan ahead and preorder lunch via their Facebook page, or try one of the piping hot soups. Kitchen (closed Tues/Weds):

1431 SH1, Ōamaru. (03) 431 3505, riverstonekitchen.co.nz;

Larder: 2 Harbour Street, Ōamaru. (03) 434 5949, on Facebook.

Bevan and Dot Smith