NEW OPENINGS
East 63-67 Nelson Street, Auckland Tel: 09.551.6305 info@easteats.co.nz www.easteats.co.nz
East, an innovative new vegetarian restaurant has opened in the heart of Auckland. Its menu is a concise edit of inventive dishes all designed to share: Peking jackfruit pancakes, tapioca chips and plum sauce; caramelised black pepper tofu, shallots, garlic and gai laan; East gado gado, long bean, chioggia beetroot, spinach, tempeh and soft egg; and Typhoon shelter fried rice with corn, asparagus and burnt garlic. The East team of chefs, who represent culinary traditions from Japan, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka, is led by Harmeet Singh. The head chef is showcasing the skills he developed at Bamboo, one of Mumbai, India’s leading Asian restaurants. “I’m excited to not only be cooking regional Asian flavours, but to be applying them to plant- focussed, vegetarian and vegan cooking. We have been experimenting, developing and embracing techniques, including fermentation, We’ve created our own sauces, including prik nam pla, nahm jim, chili oil and a vegan ‘XO’ sauce (featuring shitake mushrooms and using a special process to achieve texture and flavour) inhouse. The result is a menu
space that focuses on sustainable, healthconscious dining.”
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The East team of chefs has developed an Asian vegan and vegetarian menu with depth.
that has depth without relying on meat and that celebrates the piquant, sour, sweet and umami of the Asian flavour profile,” says Singh. Seventy-five percent of the dishes on offer are vegan and 70 percent are gluten free. The modern-Asian eatery is also one of few restaurants in New Zealand to have an extensive, 100 percent organic and vegan wine list featuring New Zealand and Italian vintages. The cocktail menu offers a bespoke range of pan-Asian drinks, including an Omo Sake — Jasmine-infused tengumai junmai sake, campari, sweet vermouth, tea pearl; a Shochu Sesame Sour — Hombo shuzo shochu, lemon juice, honey syrup, sesame, grapefruit and hops bitters; and a non-alcoholic Nang Pimm — Seedlip spice, lemonade, lemon juice, angostura bitters, “The ethos strawberries, Thai basil, blackberry behind East is and balsamic high impact on taste bitters. and low impact on the East is a passion environment, so we’ve project for created a menu and a its vegetarian
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owners, the Jhunjhnuwala family. The restaurant is on the ground floor of the new Sudima Hotel in Nelson Street, New Zealand’s first all-vegetarian hotel. “We love the vegetarian palate in Asia, where flavours are bold and vibrant, and we are committed vegetarians,” says Kanika Jhunjhnuwala, who oversees sustainability for the business. “The ethos behind East is high impact on taste and low impact on the environment, so we’ve created a menu and a space that focuses on sustainable, healthconscious dining, while providing a stylish and delicious dining experience.” The restaurant’s architectural interior has been created by Luchetti Krelle, an award - winning design firm that specialises in hospitality and created Longrain in Tokyo and Acme in Sydney. East has a cover capacity of 100 and will be open for lunch and dinner daily. Key partners have collaborated on the East project including Andrew Glenn, co-founder of Waiheke institution The Oyster Inn. He has worked with the team on creative development and as culinary advisor to the kitchen. Simon Kelly, with 15 years’ experience in the wine and spirit industry and an Associate Member of the Institute of Wine and Spirits (London), developed the beverage offering and has previously curated wine and beverage lists for renowned institutions nationally and internationally. East’s consultant Mixologist is Ben Legget. Ben has over 14 years’ experience bar-tending, as a drinks writer, Brand Ambassador and Consultant, and also teaches spirits at the NZ School of Wine and Spirits while also launching an award-winning gin brand and establishing a new boutique distillery.
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