The original Masterchef NZ winner Brett McGregor is set to create a three-course dinner showcasing his own unique spin on the famed food of Thailand, the country that inspired his passion for cooking, in his role as head chef of the hit pop up restaurant Tasting Lounge by Mondo Travel.
The Thai culinary experience, on Monday April 30, is the third offering in Mondo Travel’s monthly pop-up restaurants at Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter, which aim to provide the true “flavour” of different countries, and have been sold out to date. McGregor, author of cook book Taste of a Traveller, says he is particularly excited about exploring the food of Thailand for the Tasting Lounge menu because it’s where his love affair with food began. “I fell in love with Thailand and Thai food during my first trip there in the 90’s,” McGregor says.
“It was the first time I had experienced a cuisine so different to ours, with such contrasting flavours. –it was an assault on the senses,” he says. “I’ve since been back numerous times, travelling extensively throughout Thailand, sampling its delicious delights one dish at a time. Now, with The Tasting Lounge I get to bring diners my Thailand, and I intend to deliver a Thailand experience they’ve never had before!”
The Tasting Lounge is open at the Marvel Grill, in Auckland’s newest dining precinct the Wynyard Quarter, on the last Monday of every month until June this year. Each month celebrates the best cuisine from a different destination or travel experience with matched wines, and MC’d by iconic Kiwi entertainer Jackie Clarke.
Previous Tasting Lounge’s have showcased the food of New South Wales and Tahiti, and Mondo Travel marketing manager Gordon Bayne says the April event is one not to be missed.
“Brett is so passionate about Thai food; he’s going to come up with something really spectacular.” Bayne says the Tasting Lounge is the latest in Mondo’s long history of innovative travel concepts. “Mondo prides itself on selling more than just plane tickets and hotel rooms,” he says. “Travel with us is about really experiencing a destination – and guiding our clients towards sampling the amazing cuisine of a country is a perfect example of how we bring a destination to life.”
Bayne is also thrilled to have Qantas on board as a key partner for the Thai Tasting Lounge. The airline offers great fares for Kiwis travelling to Thailand, and operates seven flights from Auckland to Bangkok every week.
Mondo Travel’s other key Tasting Lounge partners include Marvel Grill, Easy Mix, Grab One and Thailand Tourism.
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Additional information: Tickets for the dinner are $99 per person including the three-course meal by Brett McGregor and matched wines. Funds raised from the pop-up restaurant will go to the Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust, which trains mobility dogs to assist those with physical disabilities.
Other destinations and travel experiences celebrated in future Tasting Lounges will showcase Western Australia and cruising.
For further information on The Tasting Lounge, menus, and purchasing tickets visit www.mondotravel.co.nz/tastinglounge.
