The Musket Room's Matt Lambert Explains New Zealand Cuisine To New Yorkers

This is one part of a two-part interview with Matt Lambert, Executive Chef and Co-Owner of The Musket Room about earning a Michelin Star and introducing New Zealands cuisine to NYC. Read the second part, where he curates NYCs top 6 restaurants.

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 citys streets. And The Musket Room, arguably New York Citys 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.

The Musket Room

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 Merediths, one of New Zealands most critically acclaimed restaurants. A move to NYC to perfect his art at some of NYCs 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 countrymans 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 Rooms 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.

Matt Lambert Executive Chef and Co-Owner of The Musket Room NYC

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 mustve been a wonderful surprise! Can you tell me about the moment you found out?

Originally posted here:
The Musket Room's Matt Lambert Explains New Zealand Cuisine To New Yorkers