Each winter, SkyCity’s DELISH campaign returns with the kind of dining programme that shifts Auckland’s attention firmly towards the table, and this year’s edition feels particularly considered, drawing together a series of chef-led menus and nostalgic dishes that place memory, comfort and familiarity at the centre of the experience rather than spectacle alone.
Running from 26th May until 31st July across SkyCity’s signature restaurants, DELISH 2026 revolves around the idea that the most memorable dishes are rarely the most elaborate, but rather the plates that become embedded within personal histories, revisited repeatedly and remembered long after the meal itself has finished. It is this sentiment that shapes A Chef’s Story: Plates That Shape The Table, where chefs across Depot, MASU, Metita, Fed Deli and The Grill revisit the kinds of dishes that defined their own relationship with food, reworking them through the lens of their respective kitchens.
At Depot Eatery & Oyster Bar, Jack Stott turns to grilled kahawai with braised leeks, pickled daikon and miso coconut sauce, while Fed Deli’s Megan Cruickshank revisits the comfort of the classic deli counter through smoked cheddar, mozzarella and onion croquettes served with chipotle mayo and house gravy, alongside her take on the corned beef sandwich. Over at The Grill, Lesley Chandra reimagines classic childhood staples, from steak and cheese pie to fish and chips and the unmistakable Bunnings sausage, approached with the refinement expected of the restaurant without losing the humour or familiarity that makes the dishes so recognisable.
Elsewhere, MASU by Nic Watt’s Jun Bae presents an elegant unagi no kamameshi featuring tare-marinated eel, NZ yuzu and Mt Cook salmon ikura, while Metita chef Tommy Hope closes the experience with Pudini Niu, a coconut rice pudding layered with mango and kalamansi sorbet that feels distinctly rooted within Pasifika flavour traditions.
Alongside the individual dishes, DELISH also introduces a series of seasonal set menus designed to showcase each restaurant more expansively, from MASU’s Shomi Menu, which moves through chirashi nori tacos, robata grilled beef fillet and king salmon, to The Grill’s winter menu of Mt Cook salmon with mandarin granita and slow-cooked beef cheek with black garlic. At Metita, a three-course sharing menu centred around Pacific flavours, spanning natural oysters, oka, braised lamb shanks and steamed snapper, offers one of the strongest reasons yet to settle in for a long midweek dinner.
MASU Shomi Menu — $108pp, available daily from 5pm
The Grill Seasonal Menu — $85pp, available daily from 5pm
Metita Seasonal Sharing Menu — available Tuesday–Thursday, 5–6pm
Beyond the set menus, DELISH also sees the return of MASU’s popular Counter Dining Series across four Thursdays in June, where guests are seated directly at the robata counter for an immersive five-course dinner hosted by Nic Watt himself. Long considered one of the campaign’s standout experiences, the evening brings together fire, precision and theatre in a way that feels uniquely suited to MASU’s open kitchen energy. The Counter Dining Series runs 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th June, priced at $138pp.
For those looking for something slightly more casual, MASU’s new midweek ramen lunches arrive just in time for the colder months, with a line-up that includes sesame miso ramen with wagyu shabushabu beef, char siu pork belly ramen and a spicy ramen topped with crab soup dumplings, available Wednesday to Friday from midday. Across the precinct, espresso martinis also take on a starring role this season, with every venue offering an $18 classic alongside signature interpretations unique to each restaurant, from Depot’s Ferrero Rocher-inspired version to SkyBar’s tiramisu espresso martini.
DELISH runs from 26th May until 31st July across SkyCity’s dining precinct.
