High-Kut Bistro is a popular little bistro on Victoria Avenue, Whanganui’s main street, admired for fresh, inventive food and genuinely welcoming service. Its own aim is simple: great food and great service in a relaxed, casual atmosphere. The dining room is cosy and intimate, comfortably seating about 30 guests, so only a limited number of groups and seating times can be offered each night. Behind it is a small team whose messages to diners are signed by Vy and Kelvin, with Kelvin cooking as the chef. That scale gives the place a personal feel, and the menus show a kitchen that likes to put its own spin on familiar dishes.
Brunch and lunch are served from Friday to Sunday. Eggs florentine arrives on toasted croissants under hollandaise, and the cereal crusted French toast pairs cornflake coated brioche with mixed berry compote, grilled banana, maple syrup and whipped cream. Korean fried chicken bao burgers bring twice fried chicken coated in a gochujang sauce made in house, sweet with a little heat, plus cucumber, scallion and fries on the side. Lighter appetites can choose a lamb salad of slow cooked strips with feta and sun dried tomatoes, or pan seared prawns with mango dressing, smashed avocado and pickled vegetables. A creamy mushroom risotto, an omelette of spinach, leek, feta and ham, polenta fries and hot smoked salmon as an extra round things out.
Dinner runs from Tuesday to Sunday and gives bistro classics a fresh twist, often with an Asian accent. To start there might be honey glazed scallops on cauliflower purée, roasted canoe marrow bones with onion jam and shavings of cured egg yolk, salt and pepper squid with lemon and dill aioli, or a vegan tartare of smoked beetroot with avocado and horseradish. The herb crusted lamb rack, served with cauliflower purée, broccoli, cheesy kumara croquettes and red wine jus, is a firm favourite. Other mains include eye fillet aged for 21 days with truffle and spinach mash and lotus root chips, miso glazed salmon with cajun butter corn, a stuffed chicken roulade with raspberry sauce, a fiery prawn bisque pasta and a beetroot and feta risotto.
Desserts are offered at dinner: dark chocolate mousse with hazelnut praline, a saffron and honey panna cotta with meringue crumble and lemon curd, crème brûlée scattered with almond crumble, and an affogato that can be spiked with Tia Maria or Baileys. High-Kut is not BYO, but its drinks list runs to wine, cocktails and mocktails, and since stock changes often it is shared on request rather than posted online. A sommelier curates the wines and suggests matches for dishes such as the lamb and the salmon, and a mulled wine made in house returns each winter. The menus flag choices for vegans, vegetarians and people avoiding gluten or dairy, younger guests have a little menu to call their own, and private bookings suit intimate celebrations.
Address: 21 Victoria Avenue, Whanganui 4500
Been to High-Kut Bistro? Be one of the first to rate it.
+ Log your visit
