Lucas.
Came back from France to find his partner had moved to Piha and an empty restaurant space waiting.
Lucas.
Lucas Parkinson is the chef behind Aryeh, the destination restaurant at Piha North. He came back from consulting in France to find his partner had moved to Piha and an empty restaurant space waiting — and despite swearing off another big restaurant after his time at Ode in Wānaka, he opened one anyway. He lives in Titirangi to be closer to his kids' school but spends most of his time at the beach. We asked him five questions.
How long have you lived in Piha, and what first brought you here?
I lived in Piha for a solid year, but now we are based in Titirangi to be closer to our children's school. That said, I probably spend more time out in Piha than I do at home these days!
When my partner moved here, I was over in France consulting and came back to this! There just happened to be an empty restaurant space, and a beautiful space at that. I swore I wasn't opening another big restaurant after what happened with Ode and our life in Wānaka (lockdowns etc etc) — but here we are!
What do you do for work (or how do you spend your days)?
I own and operate Aryeh Restaurant — it's an all-consuming lifestyle, but I love it.
Creating a zero-waste menu, figuring out how to run a restaurant of this calibre without using single-use plastics and only NZ ingredients is a full-on but epic adventure. Serving guests at such a stunning location, and doing something new for West Auckland — it's all so crazy but feels purposeful and there is barely a dull moment.
We forage for native and wild ingredients to use on our menus. My life is pretty much work, family time, or sleep.
What’s something about Piha that surprises people once they actually spend time here?
It's always the sheer, raw beauty of Piha in real life. Photos never quite capture it. I could add more words or be more descriptive, but my primitive writing abilities withhold me from describing such beauty. I'm unsure any person's words could truly describe the energy and visual spectacles that Piha beholds.
What’s your favourite thing to do in Piha?
Going for long, barefoot winter walks along the beach when the sun is out — doing the Kitekite Falls track and the Mercer Bay Loop walk. Being up there is like being transported to another time and place.
For food and drink I enjoy having a burger cooked by Chef Dhruv at the Bowling Club, or a coffee and a treat at Murray's (when it's open — when is it open these days?) and a drink and a pie from the Piha Store.
I also thoroughly enjoy talking with Fiona Anderson from the campground. She's had such a vast and wild life experience and maintains a great balance of being warm, welcoming and loving whilst also being clear about boundaries and potential issues. She's been a godsend for me during my time in Piha. If Piha has a final boss, it is her. She's bloody fantastic.
What do you love most about living here?
I live close by, but commuting to work in a place this beautiful is amazing. Rounding that final corner on Piha Road and seeing the sea and horizon never fails to impress. Plus, there's no traffic (apart from the slow campervans!) and you always run into some super interesting folk out here to have a yarn with.
I say this to anyone who wants to live here or stay for an extended time. There is a lot of energy here — whether you call that spiritual energy, God, the Universe, whatever it is, there is a lot of it here. If you can catch that energy, it can take you to great heights. But treat it with respect and care.
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Lucas is the chef and owner at Aryeh, 20 Seaview Road, Piha.
