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After years of running other people’s kitchens in resorts, hotels and restaurants, award-winning chef Daniel Atesh Emmanuel is excited to be opening his own café in the Riverside Arcade.
And he is promising Warkworth a café they can be proud of.
Formerly Café Q, Daniel has changed the name to Emmanuel’s to reflect that it is a family-run business.
Working alongside him is his wife Sharon.
“Regular customers can expect the same quality food and service, but with some innovative offerings to keep things interesting,” Daniel says.
“The blackboard menu will remain basically the same with some minor changes and every week there will be a chef’s special board. It will be an opportunity for customers to try something maybe a little different, a little bit special, that they may not have tasted before.”
Originally from Fiji, Daniel and Sharon moved to New Zealand 20 years ago.
“I’ve always loved cooking and as a child I would peel the veggies for Mum and get the fire going in the outdoor oven. There were eight of us in the household – three generations – so there was always lots of cooking to be done.
“I started my training in the kitchen of a resort in Nadi and then followed my then girlfriend and now wife, Sharon, to NZ.”
In Auckland, Daniel worked for the Langham, Heritage Hotels, Stamford Plaza and Waitakere Estate. For the last seven years, he has been the head chef at Plume in Matakana.
Sharon says the family has found the peaceful lifestyle in this area addictive.
“We love the beaches and the rural setting,” she says. “It’s why we’ve chosen to invest in a business here.”
Daniel sees plenty of potential to expand the business in the months ahead. He is already looking at offering off-site catering for parties, weddings and other celebrations, and will apply for an alcohol licence in due course, so he can hold small events at the café as well.
