As life imitates art, the Amisfield experience brilliantly demonstrates how magical, entertaining and memorable food can be. Former Cuisine Chef of the Year Vaughan Mabee remains top of his game, delighting us with his theatre of food delivery and executing a near faultless and daring dance of innovation. Best of all, he nails it. Where others conduct workshops, Vaughan offers a masterclass. Seriously chocolatey huhu grubs, a pas de deux of delicate kina and pāua with smoky octopus, and the most uncommon turnip you can imagine. From a meal crammed with memories, the Bluff oyster lifted to cosmic heights was the diva. With this level of innovation, it is a simple choice to acknowledge Vaughan’s contribution to putting Kiwi food on every culinary stage of the world. At the same time, it’s important to acknowledge that to tell this outstanding New Zealand food-and-drink story the menu at Amisfield requires a team effort of Herculean proportions, and that is why it is a natural choice for 2023 Restaurant of the Year.