kia kanuta

Kia is someone who has been on our peripheral radar for a while. He’s friends with lots of people we know and we kept hearing he makes some bang-up kai so when he slid into the DM’s, we knew it was meant to be.

We are only just getting to know Kia but when we met up to chat about him doing a spot with Roses, he spoke freely about his journey into the kitchen - but more importantly about his journey through life, the highs and lows that got him to be where he is now. We appreciated his honesty and openness with us and have no doubt that those sentiments will resonate in his food. 

Kia’s love for food started young. His grandparents were gardeners and grew nearly all their own fruit and vege. On the days Kia was with them time was always spent in the garden with Grandad, weeding and chasing away cabbage butterflies. His Nan would make all her own preserves, jams and pickles and the cupboards were always full of them.

Kia dropped out of school and started washing dishes at 15, this took him to land a scholarship into culinary training. From there he has managed to work his way through many of the best in business. From making pizza at Non Solo, to Tiramisu at Prego before discovering a love for  Vietnamese cuisine at Cafe Hanoi. He is now very happy in his current home at the much-loved, Pici.

After reconnecting with his Moaritanga his style of cooking has evolved into something that encapsulates his complex journey into a concise culinary perspective. Kia believes respect for kai is paramount, and that we must always try to cook and eat seasonally where possible, wasting little. Kia loves that food holds such an integral place in all cultures, and like most who love food, loves the sharing of a meal with friends and whanau, just as much as the cooking of it. 

Kia’s favourite flower is the watercress bud.