If you’re a regular visitor to Lantern Club you’ll perhaps know that we’ve got an amazing herb garden just metres from our MàZi kitchen. Throughout the year we have fresh food growing before it is picked and put into dishes. This autumn, our garden is choc-full of herbs, specifically chillies which are a spicy food lover’s delight.
Having food at its freshest is a passion for our chef to the stars John Lanzafame, who designs MàZi’s menus around nothing but the freshest ingredients. They may come from our herb garden or arrive daily in the form of fresh seafood and meat. Fresh ingredients are something that John simply won’t compromise on.
So, what will he do with all the chillies? Well many a chilli was consumed at our Mexican Week in March, but the garden continues to blossom. We’ll continue to be serving up chilli inspired dishes, so if you love food with a bit of a kick, you’ll find something you love at MàZi.
Chilli jam
A favourite in Asian restaurants- especially Thai cuisine- chilli jam is a simple yet amazing condiment. MàZi now uses it to literally spice up dishes such as steaks and other meats. Our chilli jam is a Lanzafame special, and he keeps the recipe close to his chest, but most chilli jams contain herbs, vinegar, onion, garlic and of course chillies.
Pizza
With the addition of our woodfired pizza over in 2016, MàZi has fast built a reputation for the best pizzas in the Canterbury region. With the combination of fresh chillies and fresh prawns on handmade bases, the chilli prawn pizza is one of MàZi’s best sellers. When you taste it, it’s easy to see why. For those who want to go next level, we’ve got the chilli oil bottles on stand-by ready to heat up your next woodfired oven dish.
Fresh chilli
Of course you don’t have to look for a dish on our menu featuring chilli if you’re a spice lover. Absolutely any dish can be ordered with a side of chilli and you can walk outside and see the exact plantation it came from- probably just a few hours earlier!
A chilli, did you know?
Gram for gram, chillies have more than four times the vitamin C of oranges! They’re also high in iron, vitamin A, vitamin B, copper and potassium.
Chillies get their kick from capsaicin, which will increase body temperature when consumed. This means they also have a slight effect on the body’s metabolism. So essentially adding chilli to your meal may decrease the amount of calories the body stores. Any excuse, we say!
Come in and try for yourself
The great thing is that you don’t have to be a chilli lover to enjoy a wonderful meal at MàZi. Have you tried MàZi’s new menus yet? They include dishes from our new woodfired oven such as lasagne and pizza- always crowd pleasers- with or without the chilli. You can check them out here, and while you’re at it, book a table for a great (and optionally firey) meal at MàZi Restaurant. We hope to see you soon!