The Tasting Club - Sidart

The Best of the Test Kitchen

The first meeting of the Tasting Club was a magical experience, which was surprising and lovely for all involved, but it did make it difficult for us to decide where to go and what to do next. We wanted our second event to be equally special. We wanted the same magical quality, but we also wanted it to feel entirely different.

The essence of the Tasting Club concept is to try new things, to meet new faces and to discover new places.

Who could we possibly partner with who would be willing to push the boundaries, who would understand and share our vision? Where could we find a person who was already creating a subtle kind of magic all of his own?

The answer, naturally, was Sid Sahrawat, head chef and visionary at Sidart.

Since late January this year, Sid has created eight completely new dishes each week for his Tuesday Test Kitchen. When you take your seat amidst the calm elegance of his gorgeous and unexpected dining room in Ponsonby, you have no idea what to expect. The menu is concealed in a thick black envelope, which you can open... or not. Hours later you emerge completely satisfied, but also entertained, delighted, surprised.

In just six months, Sid has created more than 170 dishes for guests to his Test Kitchen, and for two very special nights in August, he is handpicking his eight favourites to serve to you at the Tasting Club. The Best of the Test Kitchen.

We're not going to tell you a lot about the dishes, because we don't know a lot, and also because keeping secrets is fun! Aside from the occasional clue, you won't know eactly what will be served until the dishes are placed in front of your hungry eyes.

There are some things we can tell you, though:

1. When you walk up the stairs and into Sidart we will be there to greet and seat you with a glass of Malborough Cuvée thanks to our generous friends at Nautilus Estate.

2. Sidart will be subtly transformed into a glowing wonderland by the skills of Caroline Paynter, who created such beauty and loveliness for our Kokako Tasting Club.

3. We won't be able to tell you anything about the dishes, but we will create a beautiful keepsake menu which you may refer to during the course of the evening, or not. It's up to you.

4. Each course will be an adventure in flavour, texture and colour.

5. Each dish will be expertly matched with a wine chosen by Sid's talented team.

6. Your entire meal will be accompanied by still or sparkling water from the lovely Antipodes Water Company.

7. This evening will glow in your memory for years to come.

---

Because of the very nature of this particular collaboration, there are a few practical things to mention:

Dietary requirements cannot be catered for at this event. Sid has chosen and created each dish with the utmost care and attention to detail. We ask you to trust him. We ask you to allow him to take you on a culinary adventure, wherever that may lead. This decision is not one any of us have taken lightly, and we are very sorry if it means you are not able to partake in this, our second Tasting Club. Rest assured there will be others that suit your tastes better.

To ensure the evening runs smoothly, groups of four or six will be seated at fifteen minutes intervals, with the first arriving at 6.15pm. This does mean the nature of this Tasting Club will feel quite different to the bustle and rush that was our beautiful Kokako breakfast - but no Tasting Club event will ever be the same (therein lies the wonder) and this approach is necessary to ensure the perfection of your experience.

Once you have purchased your ticket, we will allocate you to a group of four or six and inform you of your seating time. You can always email us to let us know of any special seating requirements. Each night we will seat a maximum of 36 guests.