Dining
Eating Like an Italian on Waiheke
Oysters, olive oil, salumi and the island's best produce.
6 January 2026 · Luca Bianchi · 5 min read
Italian cooking is a shopping method, not a recipe book. On Waiheke that method is easy: the oysters, the oil and the greens are already excellent, so do less to them.
Start with the oil
Waiheke olive oil is peppery and young. Taste it before you buy, then use it as a finishing oil rather than a cooking one.
Let the sea do the work
Oysters need lemon and nothing else. Fish caught in the morning needs salt, oil and heat. That is the whole technique.
Written by Luca Bianchi · Back to the journal
