Claire Rogers Cuisine www.sunlive.co.nz

We were very privileged to be invited to dine in Halo Restaurant at the Trinity Wharf Tauranga hotel and sample an amazing array of dishes featuring
Ora King salmon created by executive chef Simon Green.

Halo Restaurant executive chef Simon Green.

Ora King Salmon are grown sustainably in the deep, cool waters of the Marlborough Sounds. With worldwide demand for seafood increasing, aquaculture is a highly efficient use of the marine environment. It takes the pressure away from ocean fishing and is a means of providing the world with valuable and nutritious protein.
Every Ora King salmon can be traced back to its original brood stock.
Ora King is to salmon, as wagyu is to beef. The highly prized Ora King salmon is itself a rare luxury, which makes up less than one per cent of the world's salmon species, giving it a luscious, elegant texture and rich taste – you can definitely tell the difference.
A natural approach to husbandry, and nearly two decades of classical breeding and world
leading intellectual property ensures the selection of the finest stock in terms of size, colour and flesh quality.
Each salmon is reviewed by master graders and if it doesn't meet the highest level of grading then it doesn't go on to become Ora King salmon: truly the best of the best. Ora King salmon has the highest natural oil content of all salmon – a naturally rich source of Omega 3s. A 150g portion of this salmon provides the complete daily requirement of Omega-3, (I cannot think of a nicer way to get your daily intake). Added to the health benefits, Ora King salmon looks stunningly distinctive. It's fantastic texture is buttery and soft, without excessive fat. It cuts easily due to its unique muscular structure, is light in the mouth and coats the palate delicately making it a real pleasure to eat. It is easy to pair with other ingredients, rendering it visually appealing, or as I say: Perfection on your plate.
As well as starring in superb dining experiences to gourmet connoisseurs in countries such as Australia, China, Europe, Japan and North America, Ora King also appears on the menus of top New Zealand restaurants. Halo Restaurant currently features some delicious salmon dishes. Locally the salmon can also be found at Mount Bistro, Phil's Place, and will feature on Mills Reef's Christmas menu. We had an informative evening in the lovely surroundings of Trinity Wharf Tauranga. Best of all were the nine dishes we got to sample, the great company and some very nice wines. - perfectly matched by the hotel to compliment the flavours. The favourite dish of the evening was the scallop coconut lime and coriander ceviche, followed closely by the beetroot soy and horseradish gravlax.
Next time you're out for dinner make sure you ask for Ora King salmon!