Hiakai Wellington
Amber-Jayne Bain

Hiakai

Wellington, New Zealand

When chef Monique Fiso returned to New Zealand after seven years in New York City, she hosted a series of pop-ups that paid homage to her Maori roots. She soon found that sourcing ingredients for the pop-ups wasn’t as easy as she’d hoped—local suppliers weren’t used to short-­notice requests for vegetables like taewa (Maori potatoes) or titi (a native bird). But Fiso’s dedication paid off. The buzz her permanent restaurant Hiakai (“hungry” in Maori) created when it opened last year has not only spurred appreciation for native ingredients in New Zealand but also fostered new supply chains for those who want to cook with them. —Joseph Hincks

TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.