As a feather in the cap of the entire Kiwi-Indian community, Sid Sahrawat’s – who comes from Chandigarh – fine dining restaurant, Sidart, has won the Restaurant of the Year title at the Cuisine Good Food Awards announced early this week.

Cuisine editor’s Kelli Brett noted on its website that their team of more than 40 food and drink professionals did the assessments, after which the results were declared. As for Sidart, which is based in Ponsonby, Auckland, Cuisine’s citation says this:

Cuisine Restaurant of the Year – Sidart

“Sidart has been evolving since it opened nearly a decade ago, but in the last year the evolution has become bolder and more experimental, with the fine-dining restaurant now firmly fixed in Sid Sahrawat’s Indian roots. Sid has become a leading practitioner of an innovative, exhilarating and seasonal-based blend of fine contemporary cuisine. At Sidart in Ponsonby, his plates combine an array of locally sourced seasonal ingredients and Indian spices. Expect unfamiliar and surprising pairings melded so skilfully it leaves the balance without question: a circle of finely sliced pale-green apple encases the white flesh of crab and is garnished with tiny ice balls and rocket flowers; a piece of John Dory is rubbed to perfection with spices and served on a bed of cashew and black garlic pure and topped with nasturtium leaves that are likely to have been plucked straight from Chand Sahrawat’s [Sid’s wife] vegetable garden. Located on an elevated site, Sidart offers resplendent views of the city; the twinkling vista makes for a night you are sure to remember.”

-TIN Bureau