(This article by Jenny Nguyen-Barron first appeared in ForbesLife. Click here to read the original)

Oceanic cuisine is unmistakably trending in New York City right now. In the last year, the media has shone a flattering spotlight on the multitude of cleanly designed, produce-led restaurants and cafes that are beginning to inhabit many of the city’s streets. And The Musket Room, arguably New York City’s first foray into the finer side of modern New Zealand Cuisine has been lapping up its fair share of attention after having acquired a Michelin Star within only 4 months of opening.

Matt Lambert, a proud New Zealander and executive chef of The Musket Room, started his restaurant career as a 14 year old dishwasher before finding his passion at Meredith’s, one of New Zealand’s most critically acclaimed restaurants. A move to NYC to perfect his art at some of NYC’s highly lauded eateries including Saxon + Parole and Public was his biggest step towards a lifetime goal of earning a Michelin Star. Then, it took a passion for his countryman’s cuisine, a successful Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds for The Musket Room and an aligning of the Michelin stars to make his restaurant dream the reality it is today.

Up ahead is a conversation with Matt where he sheds some light on NZ cuisine and The Musket Room’s sophisticated take on it. He also shares his point of view on what the quintessential elements of NZ food are; how it felt the moment he garnered that coveted Michelin Star and his top 6 NYC restaurants.

 

JENNY NGUYEN-BARRON: How would you describe modern NZ cuisine?

MATT LAMBERT: Modern New Zealand cuisine is really fresh and honest as opposed to years ago. Traditional Kiwi cooking takes after the classic ”˜British Isles’ style that settlers brought when they came to New Zealand, incorporating fresh ingredients available locally. I like to take what New Zealand dishes were and work on making them what they can be.

NGUYEN-BARRON: You received a Michelin Star just 4 months after opening ”“ Congratulations that must’ve been a wonderful surprise! Can you tell me about the moment you found out?

LAMBERT: Thank you! The moment I found out was pretty awesome especially since it was a lifetime goal of mine and the main reason I decided to move to New York. I relocated to NYC to work with the Michelin Guide because we don’t have it in New Zealand. For me, it’s one of the most important, well-respected accolades you can get as a chef. It means that all those years and all those hours you’ve been putting into your work are worth however many stars you can get. My goal was to have one in three years’ time. As you can imagine, receiving a Michelin Star after four months was a fantastic accomplishment.

NGUYEN-BARRON: Is there a NZ restaurant or chef that has influenced your cooking at The Musket Room?

LAMBERT: Michael Meredith of Meredith’s in Mt. Eden, NZ is a huge inspiration to me. I worked for him for two years and he really taught me to take my cooking much more seriously, pushing me to create things I hadn’t even dreamed of before.

NGUYEN-BARRON: What would you say is the quintessential NZ ingredient? And what’s your go-to preparation method for that ingredient?

LAMBERT: This may sound corny but ”˜love’ is really the quintessential ingredient. Typical store-bought New Zealand ingredients like passion fruit are really tough to get in the US so I think the passion and love that I bring from my home country is the only native ingredient I need.

In terms of quintessential NZ ingredients, at the restaurant I really like to use great Kiwi proteins like Red Deer from Cervena and Ora King Salmon. The quality is just excellent, and since I know exactly where I’m sourcing the ingredients from, I’m inclined to keep a special place for them on The Musket Room’s menu.

NGUYEN-BARRON: I assume all of the staff at The Musket Room is well versed on modern NZ cuisine ”“ especially those in the kitchen. Is there a dish on the menu that embodies New Zealand cuisine that you use to introduce new staff to the style of food?

LAMBERT: The Steak and Cheese Pie, a very popular dish on the menu, really embodies what New Zealand is all about. Steak & Cheese pie is a true Kiwi comfort food classic – almost every native New Zealander that steps foot in here immediately wants the pie, it brings them right home!

NGUYEN-BARRON: Most restaurateurs would see an outside garden as an opportunity for alfresco dining and turning more tables each night. Instead, you turned The Musket Room’s into an herb garden. Having herbs grown on the premises must really be worth it! Can you explain why it was so important to you to have them grown on site?

LAMBERT: Having an herb garden right out back is so awesome! Vegetables and herbs that are cut minutes to hours before a meal will 99.9% of the time taste better than ingredients that have traveled a distance. With our backyard garden, not only is the flavor on point but we have a lot more control by watching the growth and cutting them when they look perfect and ready to eat.

NGUYEN-BARRON: Are there any new projects you’re working on that you can tell us about?

LAMBERT: Actually, yes – I’m working on a new addition to the menu – a take on the traditional colonial goose (a delicious NZ lamb dish). I’ve always wanted to incorporate it on to the menu, so I’m looking forward to experimenting and seeing how the dish finally comes together.

NGUYEN-BARRON: Is there a new restaurant on the horizon?

LAMBERT: I certainly want to do other things but in the meantime, we are working on perfecting The Musket Room. Over the past few months, we rebuilt the garden and continue to update the menu weekly, we’re constantly thinking about how to make it better. I really want to open another restaurant and I think about it a lot, but at the end of the day, I don’t want to move so quickly. I don’t want to go and do another restaurant, and not be able to fully dedicate myself to The Musket Room.

 

 

NYC’s TOP 6 RESTAURANTS ACCORDING TO CHEF MATT LAMBERT

1. wd~50

wd~50 is the ultimate chef’s restaurant! Every time I go there, it’s different and unique. It’s truly the most mind-blowing restaurant in the world, not just New York City. I am very sad to see it closing in a few months.

http://www.wd-50.com/

50 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002
(212) 477-2900

 

2. Juni

Chef Shaun Hergatt is really good and I absolutely love his food. I go there to enjoy his food but also to support a great talent.

http://www.juninyc.com/

12 E 31st St, New York, NY 10016
(212) 995-8599

 

 

3. Saxon + Parole

I helped open Saxon + Parole so it is a great honor to continue to watch it grow. I really feel it has a part of me and I love watching it evolve, not to mention, the cocktails are amazing too!

http://saxonandparole.com/

316 Bowery, New York, NY 10012
(212) 254-0350

 

4. Pearl & Ash

I have become quite good friends with Chef Richard Kuo and it’s an awesome neighborhood place to stop by after work.

http://www.pearlandash.com/

220 Bowery, New York, NY 10012
(212) 837-2370

 

5. Momofuku Noodle Bar

Momofuku Noodle Bar is by far the best ramen in the city and it is always incredibly consistent. From the minute I walk in, I absolutely love it-the design, the simplicity- I’m dying for them to open one near my apartment on the Upper East Side.

http://momofuku.com/new-york/noodle-bar/

171 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003
(212) 777-7773

 

 

6. Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken

Who doesn’t like a beer and fried chicken? We go there practically every weekend after work, so good!

http://blueribbonfriedchicken.com/

28 E 1st St, New York, NY 10003
(212) 228-0404

(Feature image: Chef Matt Lambert ”“ Photo courtesy The Musket Room)

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