Dishwasher makes good

If you’re looking for a short description of Tokerau Turia’s career in the hospitality industry, that’s as good as any. Oh, and just for the record, Turia also washed and peeled vegetables at one time.
The owner of the Pawpaw Patch Restaurant & Bar, Turia now hires others to do those basic chores. But the little boy who dreamed of opening a restaurant, and then did just that after he trained as a chef, is still evident when he talks about his love of all things gastronomic.
“If you look at most chefs, they’ve had some kind of introduction to food at an early age,” Turia says. “The same with me. I enjoyed cooking mainly because of my mom and her influence.”
Born and raised in New Zealand, Turia was always curious about his Cook Islands’ heritage. It was until he moved to Rarotonga with his partner, Meegan, in 2001 that he was finally able to learn more about his culture and everyday life on the island.
In 2004, Turia and Meegan took what was little more than a sitting area off the lobby of the Moana Sands Beachfront Hotel in Titikaveka and turned it into the Pawpaw Patch. Turia has run the kitchen himself at times, while also employing New Zealander Aaron Kane before hiring Vivian Vucago, a Fijian-born chef.
“I went over the menu with her and she was great – she picked it up very quickly,” Turia says. “Vivian is hoping to introduce her own menu a little bit later on, which I’m quite happy to have a look at. That would be fantastic if she could do that.”
Turia describes the Pawpaw menu choices as “local, with influences of international flavours”.
“We try to invent dishes where we can use produce from the local shops and markets,” he adds. “When you have guests, you want them to try the local ingredients.”
While some visitors are pleasantly surprised to discover the high quality of restaurant fare and service on Rarotonga, Turia says that wasn’t always the case.
“Things have only developed over the last five to seven years,” he says. “The push to excel has been enormous. It’s gone from zero to a very high standard within a couple of years. Everyone is striving to be the best. In some regards, that helps push the quality and the service and the food up there with international markets.”
While Turia credits Meegan’s accounting background for helping the restaurant become a successful enterprise, it’s obvious that, when it comes to balancing items, he’d choose a hot stove over a ledger book.
“It’s the fact that you’ve created something,” he says of the thrill he receives from presenting magic on a plate. “It’s about knowing what people will enjoy. It’s about seeing the satisfaction on a person’s face after their first bite. For me, that’s always been the big thing.”

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