‘Fire and ferment’ are at the heart of a deliciously bold new menu at Rothko in Matakana, which has relaunched under Head Chef Neil Sapitula.
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Raised in the Philippines, Neil has worked in award-winning kitchens across Asia and in New Zealand. Prior to Rothko, he was Head Chef at Solera in Tauranga where he secured a coveted Hat in the Cuisine Good Food Awards 2023 and was named ‘Cuisine Rising Talent’.
Now, he brings his creative approach to the new-look Rothko, which boasts a new kitchen designed around open-fire cooking and an intimate new chef’s table experience: the Kitchen Gallery.
Chef Sapitula’s new menu offers innovative and exquisitely presented small and sharing plates that draw on multicultural influences, including Neil’s own Filipino heritage. Intricate layers of flavour come from the open fire and the array of ferments he and his team create from the finest New Zealand produce.
This new culinary adventure at Rothko is the perfect partner for the world-class art experience that surrounds the restaurant in its home at Sculptureum on Matakana Coast, an hour north of Auckland.
Quirky Galleries
Here, more than 700 diverse sculptures and other artworks are displayed across the 10-acre site within quirky galleries and throughout stunning garden spaces, which the restaurant overlooks. The ever-evolving collection owned by Anthony and Sandra Grant ranges from giant pink Italian snails to pieces by Picasso, Chagall, and Andy Warhol, and the Southern Hemisphere’s best display of glass art.
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“Sculptureum is a fun experience, and now Neil has recreated Rothko as the perfect culinary complement,” says Anthony Grant. “Instead of ‘fine dining’ we think of it more as ‘fun dining’.”
Fire & Ferment at Rothko
Neil’s love of open-fire cooking stems from his upbringing in the Philippines, where he has fond memories of learning to cook over a small hearth at his grandmother’s house.
Fermentation is key to Filipino cuisine and many other food cultures, and Neil was keen to showcase those vibrant flavours in his food at Rothko. “I love acidity and I love creating flavours so I want to use ferments in our menu,” he explains. “It’s really hard to do well, but that’s the challenge. I don’t want them displayed in the kitchen just for show. Our fermentation is large-scale, not in a jar,” he grins
The new menu ranges from snack-size delights like smoky pork served on a shiso leaf with rice and fermented Korean soybean dipping sauce, to larger sharing plates such as Neil’s elevated take on a Filipino ‘tapsilog’ (a dish of steak and rice). His version is meltingly tender woodfired wagyu scotch on a bed of rice with egg yolk and a side of rich bone marrow.
‘Napa Cabbage’ is itself an artwork served with black garlic toum (Lebanese sauce); while ‘Raw Fish’ brings together an array of tastes with delicate kingfish, smoked coconut, doenjang (Korean fermented bean paste), harissa oil, and tomato ezme (Turkish relish).
Neil is especially proud of two dishes that are proving unexpected hits with diners: the ‘Chicken Feet’ were months in the planning and are presented with a farce of shiitake, furikake, and pistachio. “Of course you don’t eat the foot itself,” laughs Neil, “but it shows how Rothko can be playful.”
The ‘Ox Tongue’ is a perfect example of how a ferment can be transformative. Neil says diners who may be wary of offal initially are soon converted by the deliciously rich sweetness of its fermented banana ketchup glaze.
Each ferment requires several months to prepare and age, meaning the Rothko menu will continue to evolve with new offerings.
At lunch, diners can choose from Rothko’s signature Teishoku lunch boxes in Meat, Fish, or Vegetarian for a selection of dishes from the wider menu, alongside snack and sharing plate options.
Kitchen Gallery
The Kitchen Gallery is a new addition and available exclusively for dinner with limited seating. Right amongst the action of the kitchen, diners can watch the chefs at work, with Neil serving and introducing each dish for the ultimate experience of Rothko’s hospitality.
He is passionate about connecting with guests and sharing his vision. “There’s a lot going on underneath in this menu and in the Kitchen Gallery I can explain it from the chefs’ point of view and how we have created the flavours.”
Sculptureum co-owner Sandra Grant says Neil’s vision for Rothko is the ideal complement to the art experience. “It’s food as a kind of art form. He’s making something that’s original and different.”
For Neil, it is about taking diners on an adventure of fun and discovery. “Be open to it. Try new things. Come in and have fun, because we are!”