Bushman's Hut, Kaitaia

In a most unlikely setting, one Far North restaurant offers a stunning seafood ceviche as part of the standard menu.

If you're not a local and find yourself in Kaitaia for any odd reason, head for Bank Street. The Mana Party Headquarters and its over-abundant use of flaggery is no longer there and was never the attraction anyway.

But head over the road to the rustic surround-ings of the Bushman's Hut café, restaurant and bar where the signs clearly spell out his and her dunnies (their word not ours) and on the standard menu you will find a fulsome treat in the form of a seafood ceviche - arguably one of the few restaurants in the whole of the Far North that so willingly provides the delicious dish that traces its origins to Peru.

Owners Bob and Jill Coates came to the Far North for the lifestyle in 1999 and had no intention of getting back into the hospitality industry after years of it in Auckland. Famous last words but he had managed the Bushman's Hut in Rotorua for a time, got permission to use the name in Kaitaia and couldn't resist the temptation.

Head chef is local man Nicholas Watts who completed his training in Auckland before returning home to take over from Bob as chef in 2003. He's no mean slouch in the kitchen either. He recently won the inaugural National Marae Challenge with a three-course meal selection and won a kitchen upgrade for his family marae into the bargain. Wally Berghan joined about the same time.

"They would be one of the best teams I have experienced in my forty years in the kitchen," says Bob proudly.

Staff currently number 10 and in June this year there will be some changes under a new manager. They'll be keeping the seafood ceviche and like the generous folk they are, they've given us the recipe:

Seafood ceviche:

• 1 squid cube cut into rings and blanched in boiling water for no more than 2 minutes.

• 6 raw prawns, peeled, deveined and sliced in half lengthways

• 6 scallops, sliced thinly

• Good sized fish fillet (Trevally or similar)

Put all ingredients into a bowl and refrigerate for two hours.

• Small dice two tomatoes and 4 spring onions

• Fresh oregano, diced chillies to taste

• 2 tablespoons of good chilli sauce

• 2 tablespoons of tomato juice.

Mix all together, add seafood when marinated and serve over shredded Iceberg lettuce with avocado and corn chips.