Hot New Zealand Chef To Open Restaurant in the Slope!

Photo via chefmarksimmons.com

With the 2009 departure of Flight of the Conchord's Bret and Jermaine, we've been aching for another large presence from Down Under for quite a while. Hold your breaths no longer, Brooklyn! Former Top Chef contestant and handsome New Zealand native Mark Simmons will be opening a restaurant in the Slope within the next few weeks.

Set in the old Lucas Fine Foods on Union between 6th and 7th Ave, Kiwiana will feature dishes from Simmons' homeland, such as Diver scallops with cauliflower and bacon ragout and passion fruit sauce ($18) and Lavender goats’ milk ricotta cheese cake with roasted golden beets ($8). Here's a sample menu that was featured on Zagat:

Starters

Smoked and pickled Green Lip mussels with sour dough and house-churned butter $4

West Coast oysters with champagne mignonette / $2.5 each

Steamed edamame with smoked kelp salt / $5

Pulled pork sliders with cucumber and pickled red cabbage / $3 each

Slow poached baby beets with lavender goats’ milk ricotta / $7

Green leaf salad with garam cashews, grapes and goat cheese / $9

Sweet corn and jalapeño soup with avocado and pop corn / $8

Cauliflower steak and sturgeon eggs, sour cream / $10

Stewart Island salmon ceviche with wasabi avocado puree and lump fish caviar / $10

New Zealand wagyu tartare with pickled cauliflower, egg yolk and crostini / $10

Manuka and marmite braised baby back ribs with squash puree / $11

Artisanal cheese plate with accoutrements / $9

 Photo via chefmarksimmons.com

Entrees

Linguini pasta with jumbo lump crab, fresh tomato, chili and basil / $16

Steamed Green Lip mussels in Thai yellow curry with hand-cut fries / $15

Boil up: Slow braised beef rib with root vegetables and L&P bread / $17

Homemade pies – braised lamb shank or seafood chowder / $12

Diver scallops with cauliflower and bacon ragout, passion fruit sauce / $18

Seared New Zealand snapper, braised fennel, tomato and chili sauce / $24

Horopito and buttermilk fried chicken with bitter greens and truffled honey / $16

Kiwi Burger – N.Z lamb, fried egg, pickled beet with hand-cut fries / $15

Milo-rubbed venison loin with potato cake, baby leeks, cola-braised cherries / $26

 Photo via chefmarksimmons.com

Desserts

Wattleseed Pavlova with vanilla whipped cream and fresh berries / $8

Pecan bread pudding with manuka and whisky caramel / $8

Passion fruit and coconut cream caramel with dragon fruit sauce / $8

Milo molten cake with pepper berry cream fraiche / $8

Lavender goats’ milk ricotta cheese cake with roasted golden beets / $8

Kiwi fruit meringue tart / $8

New Zealand cheese plate / $9

House made ice cream selection / $3 each

Raspberry lamington with whipped coconut cream and hokey pokey brittle / $8

HOT DAMN does that menu look good. Until the doors open you can check out construction photos of the site on the restaurant's Facebook page, and dream a little dream until that lavender goats' milk cheese cake is a reality. 

Kiwiana will be open Tuesday–Sunday from 5:30–10:30 PM and Saturday–Sunday, 10 AM–4 PM for brunch. It's located at 847 Union St.,Brooklyn; 718-230-3682).