Led by Executive Chef Touvai Poloniati, The Grill is returning to the SkyCity Precinct, with a new home in the Horizon by SkyCity, Auckland’s newest 5-star hotel.

The brand-new location, with spacious outdoor courtyard will be the must-visit destination for those looking to indulge in the best of New Zealand beef, lamb and seafood, cooked over our Montague grill to perfection.

The Grill celebrates Aotearoa’s culinary treasures, sourcing locally from artisans, fishermen, and farming families dedicated to quality. Expect the finest quality grassfed steaks, from 100% New Zealand owned and operated suppliers, and sustainable line-caught fish.

Touvai Poloniati, executive chef at The Grill, has enjoyed similar soul-food adventures. Now he’s bringing the great Kiwi steak-and-seafood story to life at this much-loved restaurant, which recently reopened in Horizon by SkyCity, Auckland’s newest five-star hotel.

Not that the unusual and unexplored make up the bulk of the menu: back by popular demand will be classics such as beef Wellington, Study of Beef (a great way to try the different steak options) paired with The Grill’s famous miso hollandaise, all served in this brand- new location with a courtyard setting that celebrates our smart-casual style of dining.

If your childhood memories involve wrestling fresh mussels from rock pools on a family holiday and cooking them on a campfire that night, or searing a steak over coals with friends and laughter under a great Southern sky, you’re in good company. Touvai Poloniati, executive chef at The Grill, has enjoyed similar soul-food adventures. Now he’s bringing the great Kiwi steak-and-seafood story to life at this much-loved restaurant, which recently reopened in Horizon by SkyCity, Auckland’s newest five-star hotel.

Chef Touvai (or Tee as he is affectionately known), originally hails from Tonga and completed his apprenticeship at SkyCity as a teenager. His return in this more responsible role means he has come full circle – but, after working in kitchens across the Pacific, he’s wiser and more worldly. He knows the value of simplicity and the taste of authenticity, two qualities he kept in mind when designing the menu at The Grill. “Rather than coming up with dish ideas and then sourcing ingredients, we’ve let the produce lead the way,” he says.

Touvai travelled the country speaking to potential suppliers to get the inside scoop. Sustainability is a focus and family-run producers such as Southland- based Maple & Marble, whose team champions ethical animal welfare and environmental sustainability, slotted into The Grill ethos beautifully. “They rear pure-breed Speckle Park cattle, known for exceptional beef quality and excellent marbling,” says Touvai. “They see the importance in maintaining connection with their product, right With the reopening of The Grill at Horizon by SkyCity, our unique surf-and-turf story returns to the table. through to the consumer level, which is really cool for us to present as part of our story at The Grill.”

At the other end of our islands, Touvai also met the good people from the Fish to Fish co-operative, a small Northland business comprising 18 day-boat vessels. “It means The Grill can get the freshest and most delicious kai moana, including mussels, oysters and crayfish but also some lesser-known and interesting fish species,” he explains.

Not that the unusual and unexplored make up the bulk of the menu: back by popular demand will be classics such as beef Wellington, Study of Beef (a great way to try the different steak options) paired with The Grill’s famous miso hollandaise, all served in this brand- new location with a courtyard setting that celebrates our smart-casual style of dining.

While culinary craftsmanship is a given, this extends to other details of The Grill, too, such as the steak-knife blades, custom made by Kaleb Smith from Fehu Forge Bladesmiths in Northland. “The blades are stainless steel and the handles are made from salvaged native timber including green kauri, tōtara, rimu and black maire,” explains Touvai.

It’s a new era for the restaurant which opened as The Grill by Sean Connolly in 2011 and continued until 2021, when the SkyCity eatery that was known for the best steak in town fell victim to Covid-19 closures. Touvai is excited to be able to make his mark, serving up new dishes such as tender Kurobuta bacon glazed in bourbon with slaw and mustard – a dish the team believes will fast become a favourite.

In the kitchen, local beef, lamb and seafood is seared under flame on a Montague grill, a method of cooking that lends a subtle smokiness to the taste and concentrates the flavour. Touvai is honoured to be able to take locals and international visitors on a journey through New Zealand with his food. “We’re really celebrating our products but also the kaitiakitanga [guardianship] of the land,” he says.

Conceptualising the direction for The Grill has been a wonderful immersion for a chef who brings a unique cultural perspective to his work. He combines his Tongan background with international learnings from mentors such as chef Brent Savage, who owns fine-dining Bentley Restaurant & Bar in Sydney. But his greatest lessons have come from Aotearoa, particularly his beef-sourcing journey for The Grill when thoughtful producers reinforced that each breed of cattle and each cut has unique characteristics. “To me, choosing a good steak is like selecting a bottle of wine to go with a meal. If I feel like eating a melt-in-your-mouth steak with a clean flavour I’m going for a wagyu, but for something tender with a good beefy bite to it, I’ll go for an Angus or Speckle Park.”

Whichever you choose, you can be sure it will be cooked to sublime perfection. A visit to The Grill ensures food memories in the making.