Matai Restaurant

Welcome to Matai Restaurant

At Matai, we aim to create powerful tastes and appealing aromas.

CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

About Us

Our Story

Matai is an intimate fine dining restaurant in the heart of Rotorua – a city renowned for its culture and natural beauty. Fuelled by the passion of Head Chef Ryan Gregorash, each dish his team designs is connected to the land and tells a uniquely New Zealand story – seasonal, flavoursome and wildly simplistic, with a focus on ethically and locally sourced ingredients, often foraged close to home.

Our Food

Everything served at Matai is crafted in our kitchen and prepared to order. Our menus change with the seasons and are dependent on what is fresh and available each day. We offer carefully balanced, flavoursome dishes – meticulously crafted from local ingredients and perfectly presented every time. Those with special dietary requirements are well catered for with our vegan and vegetarian options – there is no compromise on taste.

Who we Are

Matai is owned and operated by its founder and Executive Chef – Ryan Gregorash and is part of the Stolen Bike group of companies which has won multiple culinary and business awards since its inception in 2016.

matai restaurant is a friend of fair kitchens

Ryan Gregorash

Executive Chef & Owner

A renowned chef with over 25 years’ experience, Ryan has run successful restaurants, cafés and bars in Rotorua and Tauranga. Ryan has won numerous culinary awards including four NZ Beef & Lamb Awards, arguably the most sought-after local award in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

Ryan was named New Zealand’s first Ambassador for #FairKitchens – a global movement which promotes positive culture within kitchens and the treatment of hospitality staff.

Tanja Lotter

Head Chef (Breakfast)

Tanja is a recent arrival to New Zealand, having emigrated to join the team, and comes with more than 15 years’ experience creating and developing menus in high quality restaurants, delicatessens and hotels across South Africa.

Tanja has featured on ‘20-Something’, a South African television show focusing on up-and-coming entrepreneurs, and has been the focus of a number of magazine and newspaper articles in her homeland.

Fair Kitchens

Matai Restaurant and its sister-company Stolen Bike Catering is proudly associated with the global #FairKitchens movement. In 2019, Ryan Gregorash, Matai’s Owner and Executive Chef was named as New Zealand’s first #FairKitchens ambassador.

Owner/Executive Chef Ryan Gregorash shares his views on retaining staff and putting employees first. Chef Tanja Lotter & Sous-Chef Ash Watson share their experiences with feeling valued and being treated well in the kitchen.

A global movement backed by Unilever, #FairKitchens is based around the philosophy that a positive kitchen culture makes for healthier businesses, healthier staff and ultimately a better experience for customers. With research showing that 74% of chefs are sleep-deprived to the point of exhaustion, 63% of chefs feel depressed and more than half feel pushed to breaking point, #FairKitchens promotes fair pay, safe working conditions and positive working environments.

Ryan’s work in this area caught the attention of the #FairKitchens, and in 2019 sent an international film crew to New Zealand to interview Ryan and his staff.

Dine and stay packages at Regal Palms Resort Rotorua

Breakfast Menu

WARM CHAI SPICED OATS
$10.50
served with berry compote, banana and maple syrup.
HOUSE MADE GRENOLA
$10.50
with fresh fruit and coconut yogurt served with honey.
NEW YORK TOASTED BAGEL
* $9.50
with smoked salmon, capers and cream cheese or seasonal fresh berries with cream cheese.

* S$11.50 | CC$9.50
LEMON BLUEBERRY PANCAKES
$24.50
with blueberry compote yogurt and warm maple syrup.

PANCAKES
$21.50
with crispy bacon and banana with warm maple syrup.
TWO EGGS
$18.50
on flame toasted sourdough.
EGGS BENEDICT
* $22.50
with house made Hollandaise and your choice of salmon, bacon or mushroom.

* S$25.50 | B$22.50 | M$23.50
MATAI’S COMPLETE BREAKFAST
$24.50
with two eggs, tomato, avocado, bacon, whipped feta and sourdough.

Dinner Menu

Entrée

Twice cooked pork belly
* $24.50
with chili and passionfruit glaze, pickled cabbage and apple slaw.
Porcini & Wild Mushroom Arancini
* $23.50
on a truffle, mushroom and cognac sauce, finished with roquette and parmesan.
Gnocchi Potato
* $24.50

with ricotta, mesclun salad.
Venison Carpaccio
* $26.50
a beautiful and meltingly tender Coffee crusted seared venison loin is a stunning dish. Served with horseradish butter, wasabi aioli, caper berry, pickled grapes, shaved parmesan, mesclun leaf, seasonal fresh berries finished with truffle oil and a crunchy house lavosh.
Beef Wellington
* $24.50
traditional English complimented with smooth pureé and a baby vegetable, finished with pinot jus.
NZ Queen Scallops
* $28.50
on a pea purée with organic vegetables complemented with caviar, ocean coral twill.
Oysters Te Matuku
* $54.00
Waiheke Island. Shuckers Dozen – 13 for $54.00 / Half Dozen $27.50

Natural – Mignonette sauce and fresh lemon or lime

Tempura Battered – served with lemon aioli

Kilpatrick – with a tomato reduction bacon cheese and toasted bread crumbs

Mains

Truffle & Porcini ravioli
* $43.50

matai restaurant fine dining restaurant in rotorua

served with smoked mushroom consommé, green herb fused oil complemented with porcini crostini.
Pan Seared Market Fish
* $44.50

served on a luxurious smoky agria potato puree with seasonal baby vegetables and finished with a beurre blanc.
Angus Eye Fillet
* $48.50

served on a silky-smooth parsnip puree with baby vegetables, balsamic shallot & roasted beef marrow complemented with peppery merlot demi glaze.
Lamb
* $47.50
Dukkha Crusted Lamb Back Strap with Smoked Aubergine Puree and Jalapeno Sauce served with seasonal baby vegetables.

Dessert

Eton Mess
* $23.50
island style with Cocoa Meringue, beurre noisette pineapple, fried banana, toasted coconut, passionfruit pulp, slices of strawberry and lightly whipped cream.
Panna Cotta
* $22.50
smooth silky dairy dessert flavoured with vanilla bean, accented with fresh seasonal berries complemented with a basil, mint and raspberry dressing.
Ispahan Parfait
* $22.50
complimented with Vanilla, rose water, raspberry sorbet, lychee granita served on a pistachio and ginger crumb.
South Pacific Coconut Parfait
* $24.50
chocolate coconut shell encases a light coconut flesh parfait with a coconut tequila gelled centre, cracked open on almond and coconut edible sand, finished will grilled pineapple and a zesty lime cremeux.
Chocolate Fondant
* $23.50
gooey, dark centred with raspberry sorbet and French vanilla ice cream.
Trio of Ice Cream
* $15.50
treat yourself and choose three: Spicy Apple Crumble, Nectarine Summer, Lemon Grass & Ginger, Fig & Honey, Chocolate Caramel Salted & Almond and Black Doris Plum & Creme Fraiche.

Bar and Room Service Menu

Flame Grilled Chicken Skewers
* $18.50
with BBQ Sauce.
Prawn Skewers
* $18.50
Thai Green Curried King Prawn Skewers.
NZ Lamb Sliders
* $18.50
with cumin infused tomato relish.
Polenta Fries
* $18.50
Smoked paprika polenta fries with aioli.
Flame Grilled Kumara
* $18.50
with avocado salsa.
Empanadas
* $18.50
Crab and corn red curried empanadas.

Pizza’s

Meat Lovers
* $19.50
Hawaiian
* $19.50
Margherita
* $17.50

From The Basket

Steak Fries
* $12.50
with tomato sauce and aioli.
Potato Wedges
* $18.50
with sour cream, bacon and cheese.
Kumara Chips
* $12.50
with tomato sauce and aioli.
Polenta Fries
* $12.50
Smoked paprika polenta fries with aioli.

Smaller Sized – Ideal For Kids

Macaroni and Cheese
* $12.50
Calamari and Rings
* $12.50
with tomato sauce and aioli.
Fish and Chips
* $12.50
with tomato sauce and aioli.
Chicken Nuggets and Fries
* $12.50
with tomato sauce and aioli.
Banana Split
* $8.50
with chocolate ice cream and whipped cream.
Brownie
* $8.50
with vanilla ice cream

NON ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE MENU

Soft Drinks
* $5.50
Coca Cola,

Coca Cola Zero,

Sprite,

L&P,

Tonic Water,

Soda Water.
Bundaberg Selections
* $5.50
Ginger Beer, Blood Orange, Pine Coconut, Apple Cider, Peach, Lemonade Organic, Passionfruit.
Juices
* $6.50
Apple, Mango, Orange, Pineapple, Cranberry, Tomato.
Sparkling Water
* $6.50
Antipodes (500ml).
Sparkling Juices
* $12.50
Sparkling Apple Juice,

Sparkling Red Grape Juice.

COCKTAILS MENU

Coconut Rum Mojito
* $18.50
Mint leaves and Sugar crushed in Bacardi rum, Malibu, lime juice and shaken with ice, served in a tall glass topped with soda.
Campari Spritz
* $18.50
Campari and Soda Served in a tumbler glass filled with ice garnished with orange.
English Garden
* $19.50
Gin, Elderflower Liquor, Lime and Apple Juice shaken with ice and served into a tumbler glass, garnished with fresh lime wedge.
Oui (we) Chef
* $18.50
Malibu, Coconut Tequila, Mango Juice, Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice and three squeezed wedges of lime shaken with ice and served into a tumbler glass, garnished with edible flowers.
Chef Ryan’s Rum Cocktail
* $18.50
Spiced Rum, Dark Rum, Apple Juice, Pineapple Juice, Orange Juice shaken with ice and strained into a tumbler glass garnished with a pineapple.
Smoked Pineapple Bourbon Sour
* $19.50
Bourbon, Campari, Lemon and Pineapple Juice shaken with ice and strained into a tumbler glass garnished with a smoked pineapple slice.
Margarita
* $18.50
El Jimador Tequila, Triple Sec, lime juice, shaken with ice and served in a chilled martini glass rimmed with salt.
Tokyo Ice Tea
* $21.50
Gin, Vodka, Rum, Tequila, Triple Sec, Midori shaken with ice and served in a tall glass topped up with Lemonade garnished with a lemon wedge.
Caramel Martini
* $18.50
Vanilla Vodka, Baileys, Caramel shaken with ice and served in a chilled martini glass.
Cosmopolitan
* $18.50
Vodka, Triple Sec, lime juice, cranberry juice shaken and strained in a chilled martini glass and garnished with orange.
Espresso Martini
* $18.50
Espresso, Vanilla Vodka, Kahlua shaken in a tumbler with ice and strained into a chilled martini glass garnished with coffee beans.