The Battle for Cook Strait Culinary Supremacy
Chowed down by Ethan Rogacion (he/him), with help from Kate Seager (she/her), and Mauatua Fa’ara-Reynolds (she/her)
It’s that time of year again—Wellington on a Plate is back! And with that comes the annual return of Burger Wellington, the competition where Pōneke’s most inventive chefs battle it out for the right to say that their burger is in fact the most burger in all the land.
But, as it happens, the sandwich skirmish isn’t restricted to ye landlubbers! Yo ho, me hearties: both Interislander and Bluebridge have thrown their sailor’s hats into the ring. This year, the theme for the competition is “Play With Your Food”, so I—along with two of Salient’s most enthusiastic burger enjoyers—hopped aboard to check out what our two biggest passenger ferries have on offer.
Interislander: Boaty McBoatface ($23)
Ok, well not exactly on board: we had Interislander’s offering at their production kitchen instead of going onto the Aratere or any of their other ships. Though given… recent events, that may be a good thing. I can’t exactly afford to run aground in Picton.
But no issues with Boaty McBoatface, which I can only imagine is the name for the incredibly cute, little cardboard boat guy that the burger comes in. To be completely frank, a lot of what drew us to Interislander’s offering was Mr. McBoatface—I mean, how can you resist what is in essence a grown-up kids meal! No toy with this one though, I’m afraid.
However, while Interislander may lack in that respect, they most certainly do not lack in terms of flavour. This burger offering is astonishingly good. The culinary masterminds behind Mr. McBoatface made a point of ensuring that the ingredients used in its construction are locally sourced. From a soft and pillowy Dough Bakery bun and Pickle and Pie pickles to Kāpiti cheese and watercress harvested in the Wairarapa, this burg’s got it all!
The watercress was really the star of the show. We were initially sceptical when offered this by the Interislander’s chef—deeply spicy and mustardy, how could this possibly work? Oh boy were we wrong. The watercress complemented the umami flavours of the thicc beef patty beautifully. And the interplay between the tartness of Boaty’s pickles with the richness of the jalapeno mayonnaise that underscored the whole dish? Sensational.
Boaty McBoatface is available on select Interislander ferry sailings, as well as at a pop-up burger caravan outside Wellington Station.
Bluebridge - Captain Macaroni ($22)
Listen—I know that it looks like that. But you’ve gotta remember that the theme this year is “Play With Your Food”, and you certainly cannot deny that having Captain Macaroni was a tactile experience! We were invited on board Bluebridge’s Strait Feronia, and put to the task of figuring out how one is meant to wrap a human mouth around this behemoth.
The star of the show—in terms of both Bluebridge’s advertising and it being the Largest Thing I’ve ever seen on a burger—was the deep-fried mac & cheese patty. It was, I’ve gotta say, pretty good! I’d gladly buy a pack of those and chuck them in my freezer any day. However, it was sort of overwhelmed by all the other elements on the burger: what seemed like a whole garden salad, salsa (??), a gravy boat (???). While interplay was Mr. McBoatface’s forte, Mr. Macaroni’s elements combined struggled along.
However! I do think that, all things considered, this is still very much a burger worth trying. I mean, you really can’t get more value for money than a burger that is about the size of your own face—who needs to eat more than one meal when you’re chowing down on this guy? A meal for a week, not a meal for the weak.
Captain Macaroni is available onboard Bluebridge sailings.
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