SIDART restaurant celebrates four years

Acclaimed Auckland restaurant SIDART celebrates its fourth birthday this month.

Esteemed chef and owner Sid Sahrawat, one of New Zealand's most talented and innovative chefs, has been consistently recognised since opening the Ponsonby fine-dining restaurant in 2009.

SIDART has been celebrated in all the major restaurant awards - including the Cuisine Magazine and Metro Magazine awards and the hospitality awards, the Lewishams - and has thrived despite the recession and fierce competition.

SIDART is perhaps most well known for the Tuesday Test Kitchen, an idea that enables Sid and his team to test new concepts, dishes and flavours. It also enables diners to do the same as guests put their faith in the kitchen without a menu to distract them.

If a dish proves particularly popular - such as kingfish with a broth of smoked eel, white soy and ginger and a new take on the black forest dessert - it may make more than one appearance in a month of Tuesdays.

The overwhelming popularity of the Test Kitchen - with bookings taken months in advance - has encouraged Sahrawat to extend the offering to Wednesdays throughout September and October* to celebrate the four-year milestone.

In the competitive restaurant industry, where new eateries come and go within the space of months, Sahrawat knows the importance of keeping one step ahead of trends and new techniques.

"It's crucial to keep bettering yourself in order to keep up with this fast-paced industry.

"Food is more popular than ever and new ideas are being tested daily; we [chefs] have to be adaptable to meet the needs and wants of modern diners. The sky is the limit - it's an exciting time to be a chef.

"And I'm ever thankful to our loyal clientele - they've supported us for these past four years and we're looking forward to cooking for them for many years to come."

Other popular offerings at SIDART include the Chef's Table - where guests get a closer look into the intricacies of the busy restaurant kitchen as the chefs prepare the 10-course meal - and a five-course lunch for $50 offered every Friday.

"The Chef's Table is something we are passionate about - the elevated position enables me to show off my team and our guests can converse and interact with us. It's engaging and interesting and - despite the additional pressure! - we love it."

The intimate restaurant proudly uses the best local, seasonal, free range and organic produce wherever possible from producers such as Neat Meat, Fresh-As, Sabato and La Fromagerie.

SIDART also has a diverse wine list including the likes of Burn Cottage, Surveyor Thompson and a range of the biodynamic Pyramid Valley wines from Marlborough.

For more information about SIDART visit www.sidart.co.nz or call 09-360-2122.