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AIKI – AN ORGANIC JEWEL OF A RESTAURANT

Worth a Trip to New Zealand Just to Sample Its Wares

"I think this is the best food I have ever eaten in a restaurant," my 21 year old son Aaron said to me yesterday as we made our way through sashimi, miso soup, and a delicious salad filled with home made sprouts and meticulously sliced, almost microscopic daikon strings. This is not small statement coming from him since he has travelled the world with me from the time he was born and eaten in restaurants even the name of which makes your mouth water.

Yet Aiki, at 599 Colombo Street in Christchurch, New Zealand – just five minutes walk from Cathedral Square in the centre of town - is no grand restaurant. It is small, simple and organic. And, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, is delicious, healthy, and made with the most remarkable care and love. Its owner Ui Chida, who is passionate about the interconnectedness of all life, has lived all over the world and had a fascinating life in the arts. She chose to come to this place in South Island New Zealand because she believes that to express her love and care for the world she needed to reach out to others with her offerings of simple, healthy, delicious food.

The menu caters for vegetarians, omnivores, and vegans alike. In addition to organic foods it offers organic wine, beer, coffee, juice and deserts if what you are after is not a meal but a snack. The dishes are not only delicious they are about the best value for money I have ever found in a restaurant anywhere. A large lunch for two will set you back about NZ$30 – US $15 ,UK10 pounds sterling. It is open from 11:30 to 2:00 for snacks and lunch and from 5:30 to 9:00 (last orders) for dinner. Closed Saturdays, Sunday luchtimes and public holidays.

The chef at Aiki was trained in Kyoto, ran a family hotel in Japan which served healthy foods and a vegetarian restaurant in London. Here at Aiki she has created a menu which represents authentically home style Japanese cooking interpreted in an original and unique way. They make their own natto (fermented soya beans), their own organic rice, and pickles their own umeboshi plums. It is Ui Chida’s passionate wish that everything in the world can co-exist in harmony . She worries about a future in which so many are fed on food full of additives and prepared without love. She thinks that such people may never get to know the taste of ‘real’ food. It is her wish that Aiki will become for many a home away from home where friendship and simple beauty can spread throughout the world. May it live long and thrive. The world needs more such wonderful places of simple beauty.