Ocean Odyssey

Kat and Francky Godinho have three small kids who like to eat the heads, cheeks and eyes of fish. Also anything raw – sashimi – and ceviche. Seafood – all of it – nothing is off limits. 

The word “sustainability” is thrown around a lot. Meanwhile the small Godinhos are at the table, sucking on an eye or a carcass, walking – or more accurately gnawing – the talk. 

Francky, 46, is from Goa. He and Kat, 37, own St George’s Restaurant in Havelock North. They’re both chefs who have spawned enthusiastic little foodies. 

Kat’s organising the St George’s Restaurant Ocean Odyssey, part of the Hawke’s Bay Food and Wine Classic (F.A.W.C), on March 21. 

F.A.W.C is one of the most important events for the region because it showcases produce and products to visitors from outside the region, it helps the economy, but it’s also a chance for locals to celebrate with friends and neighbours. 

“We’re very spoiled in terms of our lifestyle,” says Kat. “The pace is fun but slower.”

The Ocean Odyssey is a chance to cut loose, try new things. For the chefs and guests.

“For Francky,” says Kat, “seafood is a really big part of his culture and cuisine. He loves the little baby fish – some of their fish in Goa are not more than 10cm. They just fry them in the pan. We don’t do that so much in New Zealand.”

Octopus has been so big, says Kat. “It’s something we would like to include in the menu.”

In restaurants around Aotearoa, octopus is the new charred lettuce. A friend of mine has vehemently sworn off eating the cephalopod after watching the documentary My Octopus Teacher, in which a man learns the transformative powers of nature. Me, being a little less principled, asks: Can I have both? The meditative, moving story about inter-species bonding AND the grilled octopus entree? 

The Ocean Odyssey menu relies on what is fresh and available but there’ll be raw platter starters with scallop ceviche and sashimi. There’ll be cooked seafood, and Francky will forage the coastline for wild flowers and edible plants. Everything else on the menu is sourced from the Hawke’s Bay coastal waters by Saltwater Seafoods.

The St George’s dining odyssey is a communal and explorative affair.

“Dining at long tables fosters a sense of community,” says Kat.

“I think that style of eating is one of my favourites. When I go to a restaurant and it’s an a la carte menu, I struggle to choose one or two things – there might be three or four things I want to try. And sharing this experience, being at the table with a group of people is very communal. 

“If you’re sitting next to people at long tables and you might have someone opposite or beside you and it fosters community and you’re more likely to strike up a conversation with them.”

And then she says four magic words: “We will have oysters.” 

F.A.W.C runs till March 23.
For more information on events: fawc.co.nz/events