This year’s My Dish category winners are being served at participating restaurants from today and will be available for the remainder of the festival.
Budding chefs were invited to enter recipes into one of eight categories for the chance to have their dish featured at one of Wellington’s top restaurants during DINE Wellington. Two stand-out entrants dominated the competition, taking three of the eight categories apiece.
Wendy Slieker’s Burmese Pork Curry is hot off the press at Monsoon Poon, while her Light as a feather Ricotta Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Sauce will likely prove a capital choice at Capitol. The chance to claim bragging rights to a dessert at Cuisine Restaurant of the Year 2009 proved the most tempting My Dish category, attracting 35 entries. Wendy took top honours here with her Yorkshire Treacle Tart with Brown Bread Ice Cream.
Diners can start with Tim Henley’s Salad of Venison and Potato Crouton with Cabernet Cranberry Dressing at Arbitrageur, or tuck into his Espanol Pizza at Osteria del Toro. Seafood fans, meanwhile, will absolutely positively salivate over his Grilled Salmon, Caramelised Fennel Bulb, Goat's Cheese Ice Cream and Lemon Dill Risotto at Martin Bosley’s.
Category winners have won a meal for two to sample their winning entry cooked for them by the pros, while the overall supreme winner receives $1000 worth of cookware from Kirkcaldie & Stains. My Dish received 123 entries.
:: Category winners and dishes are listed below. The overall winner, judged by Ruth Pretty, will be announced later this week.
Visa Wellington On a Plate 2010 My Dish Category Winners:
| CATEGORY | RESTAURANT | WINNER | DISH |
| Pasta | Capitol | Wendy Slieker | Light as a feather Ricotta Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Sauce |
| Entree | Arbitrageur | Tim Henley | Salad of Venison and Potato Crouton with Cabernet Cranberry Dressing |
| Pizza | Osteria del Toro | Tim Henley | Espanol Pizza |
| Asian Curry | Monsoon Poon | Wendy Slieker | Burmese Pork Curry |
| Bistro Classic | Boulcott Street Bistro | Agnieszka Kowalik-Tait | Herbed Rack of Lamb with Roasted Vine Tomatoes, Minted Pea Salsa and Balsamic Jus |
| Seafood Entree | Ortega Fish Shack | Sue Duncan | Fresh Salmon with Spicy Noodles |
| Seafood Main Course | Martin Bosley's | Tim Henley | Grilled Salmon, Caramelised Fennel Bulb, Goat's Cheese Ice Cream and Lemon Dill Risotto |
| Dessert | Logan Brown | Wendy Slieker | Yorkshire Treacle Tart with Brown Bread Ice Cream |
Background
Positively Wellington Tourism (regional tourism organisation) and Grow Wellington (regional economic development agency) established the Visa Wellington On a Plate festival in 2009 to showcase the city’s food and beverage sector, and to develop culinary tourism in the region. The two organisations plan and market the event in liaison with the food sector and hospitality industry.
Notes for Editors
1. Visa Wellington On a Plate 2010 runs until Sunday August 29.
2. The 2009 festival was a resounding social and economic success. Many events sold out and restaurants reported between 20-60% increases in lunch covers over the festival period compared to the same month the previous year.
3. A survey of 2009 restaurant participants showed almost half were using new local suppliers as a result of the festival and the relationships it had fostered.
