Brunch down memory lane at Majestic cafe
A meal that’s too late for breakfast but a little early for lunch is at just the right time for a get-together over food – and one Christchurch cafe is reflecting on one of the most versatile meals.
Majestic at Mayfair executive chef, Nick Tatom has teamed up with some of the most memorable and inspiring chefs he’s been lucky enough to meet and work with throughout his 18-year career, and created an upcoming menu that he described as “collaboration-style and nostalgic”. “It’s just about the Christchurch hospitality scene and where we think it’s at and who’s done a nice job over the last decade. I truly believe these guys know the game pretty well.”
The list of chefs who have contributed to the seasonal menu include many who have worked at notable eateries, including James & Cynthia Bagrie formerly of Caffeine Lab, Samson Stewart and Max Perry of 5th Street, and Ian Badger Foster formerly at No 4.
One of the chefs, Darren Wright who cheffed at Harbour 71 Chillingworth Road, is someone Tatom met at the very beginning of his career. “He was a tutor of mine at polytech when I was 15 years old in 2008. I wanted to make a nod to him – he’s a superstar.”
Wright’s macadamia toasted fennel & white fish croquettes dish is a reflection of serving night food for breakfast when brunch was pushing the boundaries in 2015, Tatom said. Another dish considered more din-ner than brunch back in the day is Perry’s OG steak sandwich served with toasted milk bread, harrisa mayo, Bones pickles, wagyu beef and loose greens. “Think about a steak sandwich,” he said, “but with a twist on it.”
Steering away from meat, Foster has contributed a mushroom dish that includes his own Badger Matcha chilli. Tatom had a link to all the chefs he called on to build the brunch menu and said they were “competitive friends” who “look after one another”.
The Piranha Bar was the first establishment Tatom cooked in when he was 15 before being “fortunate enough to work in some iconic places” including Café Roma and Globe Café pre-earthquakes.
Majestic at Mayfair worked with the Majestic Franchise Group to establish the cafe, which is owned and operated by Mayfair Luxury Hotels. The “nostalgic” brunch menu was a way to take Majestic at Mayfair to “another level,” he said. “I want to really make sure the public knows we’re as relevant as any other cafe.”