By Leigh O’Connor.
Growing up in New Zealand of a Maori and Polynesian background and living in a working-class family, going out to a nice restaurant was the local buffet for Will Houia.
Fast forward and this Chef now finds himself in charge of the kitchen at prestigious, Chef-hatted AMARA restaurant at Spicers Sangoma Retreat in Bowen Mountain, where guests dine in an elegant vibe of beige-clothed tables and leather chairs, while a glass frontage allows spectacular sunset views.
A finalist in the Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year Award in 2017, Will says food has always been a big focal point in his culture with his Mother and Aunty Donna being his food heroes.
"Still to this day, my Mum’s chop suey is my favourite meal so naturally I wanted to learn how to cook it,” he tells AGFG. "Because Aunty Donna was the person who encouraged me to explore different tastes and cuisines when I stayed over, she would allow me to select a dish from a recipe book then we would gather all the ingredients, cook and dine together. The more variety I cooked, the more I became intrigued. "
It wasn’t until 2005, in his last year of high school while watching Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ on TV, that Will was drawn to the exciting, fast-paced and high-pressured world of cooking:
"Most would find it absurd to work in those conditions however, I decided not to go to university and enrolled at the Auckland Hotel & Chefs Training School during which time students were placed in different restaurants for two weeks to gain work experience with mine being at the 4-Star hotel restaurant ‘Thyme’ under Hew Thomas. I loved it! That's when I knew I wanted to be a Chef.”
Will says his food philosophy embodies a simple, ultimately natural approach to cooking, preferring traditional methods of charcoal and fire, using seasonal humble ingredients and making them shine through a variety of techniques.
A stint working with Lennox Hastie at Firedoor fuelled his love of cooking with flames:
"Just like so many Chefs, my featured trend is fire and smoke which I love, and it features in our dishes in various formats but never overwhelming. Obviously when working at Firedoor, we learned that wood-fired cooking is an amazing natural way to cook, adding flavour to ingredients, which I’ve continued at AMARA.
"I love the freedom to be creative through an edible platform. Essentially people are paying for an experience delivered through our culinary creativity. The camaraderie within hospitality is extraordinary. We form deep connections with all and are blessed to be influenced by a plethora of different cultures and cuisines.”
One of Will’s and his guests’ favourites on the current AMARA menu is the heirloom carrot dish:
"These beautiful organic Dutch carrots come from Harvest Farm in Berambing, only 45 minutes from the restaurant. It reads simply on the menu as ‘heirloom carrot’ however the preparation and presentation of the dish is quite complex. We steam and meticulously slice the carrot, almost noodle-like, with housemade ricotta, tomato and coal oil. The skins are fried to ensure every part of the carrot is utilised and the dish is served with our sourdough and butter. The dish is a delightful surprise to guests, becoming a firm favourite.”
It is his signature recipe for kingfish ceviche, Geraldton wax, coconut cream and apple that Will shares with AGFG home cooks.
"My inspiration came from a Polynesian dish, with its ‘raw fish’, paying homage to my upbringing in New Zealand and a modern twist is the inclusion of indigenous Australian ingredients like Geraldton wax, aligning our two culinary cultures.”
Ironically, this kitchen mastermind was kicked out of his second high school cooking class lesson and told never to return because he was a ‘smart alec’!
