Local chef Jesse Moa takes over reins of former Waterfront Café & Bar in Mangōnui

Jesse Moa, 33, of Mangōnui outside the front of his new restaurant, Jesse's on the Waterfront, formerly known as the Waterfront Café & Bar.

After 18 years of serving the local community, a popular Far North restaurant is starting a new chapter.

Jesse’s on the Waterfront is Mangōnui’s newest food and dining offering, taking over from the old Waterfront Cafe & Bar.

Mangōnui chef Jesse Moa is the proud new owner of the restaurant, which officially launched on December 2.

Moa recently moved back to the Far North after seven years of working as a chef in Australia, having worked in both Melbourne and Uluru (Ayer’s Rock).

He said while the first day came with all the usual nerves of starting a new venture, it was a dream to finally own and operate his own restaurant.

“We’ve had an amazing first couple of weeks where we’ve been fully booked for breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” Moa said.

“My aim is to eventually offer a variety of cuisines and techniques, and more options than what you might usually find in a small town.

Jesse Moa is excited to bring his flair and international experience as a chef to Mangōnui.

“I also want people to come here and experience a nice atmosphere where they can have fun, relax and have a good time.”

The 33-year-old’s career started at the tender age of 14 at Auckland’s Helensville Golf Course, where he worked for a few years before going on to attend the Auckland Hotel and Chefs Training School.

During his formative years, Moa competed in a number of national culinary competitions, won a Beef + Lamb award and completed a Specialist Seafood course, before scoring his first job as a qualified chef at age 19 at Soljan’s Estate Winery & Bistro.

Moa then went on to work at a number of high-quality outfits, including West Auckland’s Waitakere Resort and Spa, Taipa Beach Resort and Queenstown’s Hillbrook Resort, before making his way to Melbourne to work as a senior chef at Australian restaurant chain, European Restaurants Company.

After years abroad, Moa decided to make the move home to the Far North last December, where he took on a role as a senior chef at the Waterfront Cafe & Bar.

He said it was during this time the opportunity came to bring his dreams of owning a restaurant to life.

“The old owner was looking to take some much-needed time off, so that’s when the conversation about me taking over began,” Moa said.

“I’ve been working on this for the last six to 12 months, so it’s really cool that it’s all happening now.”

In terms of his specialty, Moa believed seafood was his forte and said he was currently working on his chef’s special.

Jesse Moa said his new restaurant had been pumping since it opened two weeks ago.

In the meantime, Jesse’s menu currently offers a range of meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as a kids’ menu, pizza, dessert and a bar menu.

Some standout meals include the Marlborough smoked fish cakes, made up of poached eggs, Hollandaise sauce and balsamic glaze; a classic Reuben sandwich featuring pastrami, sauerkraut, Dijon mustard and Swiss cheese on rye bread; and spaghetti marinara, featuring prawns, fish, scallops, mussels, burnt chili, garlic and chardonnay broth.

Moa said the demand for service had meant he was now on the lookout for another chef and front of house worker.

He therefore invited anyone interested in joining the team to send their CV to: jdrpmoa@gmail.com or arrange a time to pop in to say hello.