COMMERCIAL KITCHENS 2021 QT’s Esther restaurant features a country-style kitchen, allowing for theatrical food preparation.
Theatrical Preparation on Display
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uccessful 2021 commercial kitchens are embracing a combination of form, function and sustainability with design at the forefront as displayed at the QT Auckland. Creating the right magical ambiance also requires matching the menu to the fit out. At QT Auckland’s newly opened Esther, the country-style kitchen, allows for the theatrical preparation of produce and seafood, with an open hearth, gold Marana Forni discoball wood-fired oven, and a Molteni oven in a custom hue of green. Esther displays a host of vintage found objects as mindful decoration to evoke memory and conversation. A casual collection of vintage metal work benches, vases, urns and ceramic kitchenware are inspired by Chef Sean Connolly’s grandmother and how she used to bring joy to the family dining table. With a mix of traditional techniques and New Zealand ingredients, standouts from Connolly include the custom lamb tomahawk, the vibrant Te Anau saffron linguine, barrel-aged feta
Matching the menu to the fit out. at the centre of a Greek salad; an everchanging selection of freshly caught daily seafood, and to finish the feast six farmhouse puddings. Guests also walk away with a seed packet by Clevedon-based tomato growers, Curious Croppers, to remember their dining experience. QT Auckland General Manager Doron Whaite says, “From fashion to art and music, no detail was spared in bringing QT’s signature service to life here in Auckland. Throughout the hotel, including Esther and Rooftop at QT, there are so many carefully considered components to discover, all pointing to a central narrative of unearthing hidden treasure.” Public spaces bursting with local flair An iconic presence at the doors of QT Auckland, guests are greeted with theatrical flair by a Director of Chaos armed with insider knowledge for guests to navigate the City of Sails. Dressed in an empowering ensemble by local fashion
Timed for accuracy
At 10 KFCs owned by Jody Luihn in Morrisville, North Carolina, fryers and pressure cookers communicate with the same system as the cash register. The fryer signals when the shortening is hot enough, times the cooking of the chicken and reports when 32 new pieces are available for sale. Once the pieces are fried, a screen advises how long they have been held and when to discard them. It rates the store on selling pieces while they’re fresh and dings it for selling pieces that aren’t. “Because you’re managing the cook cycle and the hold times closer, you run out of chicken less,” Luihn says. “The chicken is hotter as well, and the customers notice that.”
10 FEBRUARY 2021 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
Design, form & function play key roles in commercial kitchen success.
label Maggie Marilyn and a custom makeup look by Alpeh, Directors of Chaos and the front-of-house team are the starting point of the QT Hotel experience. Inside QT Auckland, a visual feast unfolds with an ode to the oyster. An emphasis on first impressions, eyes are drawn to a lobby statement piece by New South Wales artist Minka Gillian. The hanging sculpture creates a joyful and intriguing world through found materials, while on the opposite wall, a beautiful composition by NYC-based digital artist Jennifer Steinkamp plays slowly on a large-scale LED screen. No area left untouched, visual stories of the mythical sea come to life in the lift cars and bathrooms, with bold bespoke wallpaper created by graphics collaborator, Toben. n