First Dunedin restaurant to win 'hat'

Bracken chef-owner Ken O'Connell  has a prestigious ''hat'' to his name. Photos by Sharron Bennett.
Bracken chef-owner Ken O'Connell has a prestigious ''hat'' to his name. Photos by Sharron Bennett.
The dining room that ''charmed'' the judges.
The dining room that ''charmed'' the judges.
One of Bracken's signature dishes.
One of Bracken's signature dishes.
Another of Bracken's signature dishes.
Another of Bracken's signature dishes.

One of Dunedin's newest restaurants has won a coveted chef's ''hat'' in New Zealand's premier restaurant awards - the first to be awarded in the city.

Bracken, in Filleul St, only celebrated its first birthday in March, but chef-owner Ken O'Connell has won over the judges in the Cuisine Good Food Awards, receiving a score of 15 out of 20 to be awarded one ''hat''.

His degustation menus have been described by judges as ''beautifully composed'' and ''teem with clear evidence of his respect for local, seasonal produce which he transforms into cleverly presented, balanced dishes''.

''It's fantastic. To have only opened 13 months ago and for a team of five staff to go up against the big chefs, restaurants and operations in the country shows it's all about the food and the service,'' Mr O'Connell said yesterday.

Mr O'Connell and his wife Fiona, also a trained chef, are from Ireland and moved to New Zealand in 2007.

He worked in restaurants in the Hawkes Bay, Mt Cook and Te Anau before settling in Dunedin where the pair opened their own place in the 1894 villa that has been home to a variety of restaurants.

He now hopes to do some more work to the building.

He made the decision four months ago to drop a la carte from his menu and only serve tasting plates to provide a different option for the city's diners.

''I thought we'd take a chance and it's obviously paid off. We've had great support from Dunedin.''

A keen culinary competitor, he has been selected for the New Zealand Olympic Culinary squad to compete in Germany in 2016 and has won the New Zealand chef of the year title twice, in 2008 and again in 2013.

His new aim was to try for two hats next year, he said.

Seventy-five restaurants around the country were reviewed for the awards with 37 winning chef's hats.

They were judged on the total restaurant experience.

Restaurants receiving between 18 and 20 points achieved three hats.

Up to nine points can be given for food, up to four points for service, four for wine and wine service, and up to three points for ambience.

Two other Dunedin restaurants were reviewed - No 7 Balmac received 14 out of 20 ''hearty flavours cooked well'' and Two Chefs 14.5 out of 20 for its ''classic dishes with the occasional twist''.

Otago Daily Times columnist Bevan Smith, of Riverstone Kitchen, near Oamaru, retained his ''hat'' for another year with a score of 15 for the kitchen's ''simple, locally focused dishes with soul'', as did celebrity chef Josh Emett's Rata restaurant, in Queenstown, for its ''smart food'' with a score of 15 also.

The two other Central Otago restaurants reviewed were Queenstown's Botswana Butchery, which scored 14 for its ''superb red meat in luxurious surrounds'' and the new Sherwood, which received 14.5 for its ''standout simple food''.

Winner of the restaurant of the year award was Roots, of Lyttelton.

Add a Comment