Acclaimed restaurant Hiakai to close its doors next month
Tuesday, 13 February 2024
Renowned Wellington restaurant Hiakai, world-renowned showcase of Māori and Pasifika cuisine, will be closing its doors next month, joining a host of high-profile Wellington restaurants calling the end of an era.
Founder and celebrity chef Monique Fiso and general manager and co-owner Katie Monteith made the announcement via a social media post on Tuesday.
Fiso began Hiakai in 2016 as pop ups, hāngī and events around Aotearoa and overseas with a kaupapa to explore and develop Māori and Pasifika ingredients and cuisine.
In 2018, the restaurant opened its doors on Wallace St, Mt Cook and had been fully booked since the day it opened, it said in the post.
It received international acclaim, with Fiso also appearing on Netflix show The Last Table and cooking with luminaries like Gordon Ramsay.
She was named Chef of the Year in the Cuisine Good Food Awards 2022, while last year, the restaurant won Specialist Restaurant of the Year despite dropping to two hats.
“The world has changed since those doors opened, and so have we,” the post read.
It outlined the tough landscape for small businesses, like many other recently closed restaurants, including Field and Green and Shepherd restaurant.
The co-owners said they felt ready for a change to be a part of the solution “at a time of unprecedented global food crises”.
“We care deeply about the systems, security and sovereignty of kai … We have a wealth of ideas and projects that we want to bring to life.
“We have been working on these in the background while running the restaurant but we are ready to make them our primary focus.”
It also coincided with the landlord wanting to sell the building.
The restaurant was fully booked until its closure in March, but Hiakai was evolving and “not coming to an end”.
“We know there are many people that wanted to dine with us and haven’t yet had the chance. Please know that there will be opportunities in the future.
“Our deepest gratitude is to our manuhiri, your support has been unwavering, and te ao Māori. Te ao Māori has been our greatest inspiration and guided our journey every step of the way.”