Greer Wylder
New Zealand's near-perfect environment comes from strict pollution
controls, low population and limited industries. The agriculture is
pristine -- clean air, free-range verdant pastures and untainted
translucent waters.
Even its foreign minister, Phil Goff, opposed nuclear shipments
passing through the Pacific Ocean. Last year, he considered potential
weapons traveling from Japan to Britain an unnecessary risk,
insisting that shipments could not come within a 200-mile zone.
The climate produces some of the world's cleanest foods, most
notably from Noel Turner, a world-renowned food purveyor of Turner
New Zealand fine foods. Now, there's the first Turner's New Zealand
Restaurant in Costa Mesa.
Turner's comes from a family passionate about New Zealand's
extraordinary natural resources -- for nearly 100 years, they've
earned their living from its fishing and farm cultures. In 1982, Noel
and his brother John pioneered the aquaculture industry. They
originated the processing and exporting of New Zealand green shell
mussels to the United States.
Turner's vast collection of gourmet exports now includes beef,
venison, lamb, shellfish and fish. To top off the selection, classic
New Zealand desserts joined the repertoire including Pavlova, brandy
snaps and baskets.
Turner's restaurant manager, Michael Villas, refers to him as a
crazy and enigmatic Kiwi and the ultimate gourmet. Turner's standards
are high; he owns the processing plants to control quality -- from
pasture to plate. For the past 20 years, he's exported his country's
products to fine restaurants throughout the world and to connoisseurs
through mail-order catalogs.
Local restaurants serious about premium ingredients purchase
Turner's foods, including Pascal's and Bayside in Newport Beach and
Antonello's in Costa Mesa. Turner chose Costa Mesa's theater district
to open Turner's New Zealand's first concept restaurant, which
showcases all-natural, free-range, and hormone- and antibiotic-free
farmed seafood and meats.
Turner's New Zealand Restaurant moved into the former Il Fornaio
Rosticceria location, behind the Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel. The
soaring 30-foot ceilings, arches, stylish expansive windows and wood
accents hide that it's an oddly shaped, long and narrow building.
It's exceptionally well-designed, only the chairs and tables needed
replacing.
High-quality foods are expertly prepared with a vast style of
culinary tastes. Cuisines represented include French, Mediterranean,
