Kiwi a la Carte Wins Michelin Star

Gordon Ramsay: Nil. New Zealand chef Matt Lambert: One. That’s the score in the highly competitive world of fine dining in New York, where the latest list of the Big Apple’s Michelin star restaurants was recently announced.

Lambert’s Musket Room was one of the winners, picking up a star for its New Zealand-themed cuisine, while Ramsay’s The London was stripped of both its stars for “instability” in the kitchen and inconsistent and erratic fare on the dining table.

“All of [us] here are so thrilled to have been awarded our first Michelin star after only being open four months,” Lambert posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Michelin-starred restaurants can charge a premium for their meals, which can cost anywhere between US$95-US$395 for the food alone.

The Musket Room was praised as one of the more affordable one-star offerings, with tastings available for US$75-US$115. The menu includes Kiwi classics, albeit with a fine dining twist, pavlova, steak and cheese pie, Chatham cod and a full range of New Zealand wine.