PremiumKim KnightSenior journalist - Premium lifestyle·NZ Herald·27 Jun, 2026 06:00 PM13 mins to read‌Awatoru wild venison, gin botanicals and a $56 price tag at Matt Lambert's new Ponsonby Rd restaurant, Return. Photo / Babiche MartensFor years, restaurants played chicken with a $50 price tag. Kim Knight asks chefs why that’s no longer possible.The week Matt Lambert opened his new restaurant Return, someone in the kitchen overcooked $1200 worth of meat.

“The customer should never know,” Lambert says. “That’s not part of their dining