The immersive dining experience that combines food, culture and dance

An immersive dining experience that combines delicious food with incredible talent has come to Auckland, ready to entertain and educate foodies on kai and culture from across the Pacific.

Takurua Ti’iti’i Sacred Knowledge tells the tale of Ti’i-Ti’i-Atalaga (a contemporary of Māui) a rebellious trickster and hero of the Pacific, alongside a five-course banquet created by Kingi’s executive chef Wallace Mua Frost.

Stuff chatted to chef Frost and Tausan Simei-Papali’i, Takurua’s artistic director, to find out why this event is so important.

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Simei-Papali’i first experienced Takurua five years ago, describing it as “a very old form of celebrating food through art”.

“We had a goal to introduce Cook Island food to restaurants, not only in the Cook Islands for tourists but also in Aotearoa and hopefully globally,” he said.

“I spent lots of time researching what Cook Island food is, what it symbolises, what is the history and the story to tell through the food.”

Simei-Papali’i explained that the word “kai” doesn’t just mean food, but “taking life and strength in every sense to absorb the food”.

“It’s much more than just the food itself, it has a spiritual purpose and food is just the vessel,” he said.

The man behind the food, chef Frost, was introduced to Takurua by Simei-Papali’i when the pair were in Rarotonga in 2018.

“The fact that it was our stories being told by our people, but add to it the idea of melding our food into the stories and having dishes that ran parallel to the storylines was the “hook” for me,” Frost said.

Frost acknowledged that Takura was “a challenge”, but one he was willing to commit to.

“A five-course dinner is no easy task, a five-course dinner that coincides with the acts of a theatre show and it’s themes, over the course of 6 shows, with limited resources was firstly a huge challenge,” he said.

“But it was the chance to honour the past and shine a path for the future, especially for the younger generation of Polynesian chefs coming through.”

Frost described the food and theatre experience of Takura as “two forms of art combining”.

“Usually when people generally go out for dinner, they are wanting to experience a meal they generally wouldn’t get or make at home,” he said.

“Adding the drama of the theatre elevates and awakens all senses.”

Frost said deciding the menu for the event was the “easiest part of the process”, because it was guided by the story.

“Simei-Papali’I would tell me the way the story was going, and I would take something from my mum’s or family’s cooking (traditional Samoan meals) and work towards that,” Frost said.

As part of the experience, diners will learn about Polynesia’s rich culture surrounding their meals.

“Our food has untapped potential, and is so adaptable that even after 18 years in the kitchen I have barely scratched the surface,” Frost said.

Simei-Papali’i hopes that the event will change people’s mind on Māori and Pacific Island food.

“I really want people to remove the barrier and perception that Māori and Pacific Island food is just for people from the islands,” he said.

To book your tickets to Takurua Ti’iti’i Sacred Knowledge, head to the Elemental AKL website.