Dinner Menu

Martin James, Co-Owner-Chef, takes care and time to source the ingredients for his dishes. With his creative kitchen team the dishes are put together with flare and attention to detail to evolve into the Menu you see today.

Some ingredients are rare, some from exotic places, some are uniquely New Zealand in orgin and flavour, but all are the BEST quality we can find.

All dishes on our Winter Menu are matched with a specific handpicked wine match. Please ask for our recommendations or select from our extensive wine list. We look forward to welcoming you to Wai this Winter.
* Menu items and prices are subject to change.

Freshly Shucked Premium New Zealand Oysters

Market Price
Arriving daily for your enjoyment.
Classic Kilpatrick or Tempura Batter
Wai Speciality Plate of Freshly Shucked Oysters served with
white balsamic jelly, lemon caviar and ginger lime sorbet

Southland Pork Belly

26
Slow roasted belly of pork on braised red cabbage,
with cinnamon and celeriac dough nuts and sour apple puree,
finished with pork crackling

New Zealand Mussels and Cockles

27
Steamed New Zealand green lipped mussels and native cockles,
served on top of a paddle crab potato gnocchi,
and finished with a creamy crayfish bisque




Confit Quail

26
Pan seared breast and confit leg of Canterbury quail on a raisin French toast,
with a grape and pistachio salad,
orange and maple relish and crispy pancetta


Northland Kingfish

26
Pan fried fillet of Northland kingfish served on top of a tomato and basil salad,
with green olive emulsion, olive powder, tomato salt and potato crisps,
accompanied by soft boiled quails eggs.

Tempura Soft Shell Crab

26
Soft shell crab in a light tempura batter with avocado puree,
passionfruit jelly and tomato orbs, highlighted by coconut foam and ginger salt

Vegetarian and special dietary requirement are catered for,

Selection of Homemade Sorbets

10

Northland Snapper

39
Pan seared snapper and crispy fried baby squid, with potato croquet,
and soft boiled Manuka smoked egg, all accompanied by a tartare cream.

Grain Fed Ribeye of Beef

42
Prime Angus ribeye seared to medium rare,
with slow braised oxtail in crisp polenta.
Accompanied by celeriac and horseradish remoulade,
carrot puree, roast onion powder and Yorkshire pudding

Fiordland Groper

41
Oven roasted Fiordland groper
resting on a bean and Merguez sausage cassoulet,
with a prawn butter and finished with a ham consommé.

New Zealand Crayfish served as 2 courses

120
Begin your meal with a creamy crayfish bisque .
Followed by a main course of a whole tail of truffle buttered crayfish,
served with potato pavé, olive oil hollandaise
and a pickled radish, cucumber and cray meat salad

Canterbury Duck

42
Confit leg and smoked breast of duck
highlighted by sweet braised shallots, with cauliflower three ways –
crisp roasted, puree and a cauliflower almond crumble

Rotolo Di Pasta

39
Butternut squash, pine nuts, sheeps feta cheese and cinnamon
encased in cavolo nero and hand rolled pasta and finished with sage butter

Home Made Breads

6

Warm Seasonal Greens

8

Gourmet Potatoes

8

Baby Beet, Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad

10

Green Salad

8

Coffee Crumble

18
White chocolate and pistachio mousse encased in smooth coffee parfait
with a crunchy coffee biscuit crumb, milk jellies,
chocolate orbs and a barley sorbet

Wai Apple Pie

18
Home baked apple and calvados pie
accompanied by a peanut butter ice cream,
Anglaise foam and finished with peanut brittle

Wai Home Made Ice Creams

18

Wai Home Made Sorbets

10

Chef’s Dessert Platter

40
Chef’s selection of fine Wai desserts for sharing

Chef’s Cheese Platter

40
presented with red onion jam, poached pears and quince paste

Night Cap

22
petit fours served with your choice of coffee, complimented by either
Remy Martin V.S.O.P or Graham's Tawny Port