i. Biography
On Dominion Road in Auckland, plant cookery is built from feijoa skin, kūmara, roasted hazelnut milk, preserved ingredients, pickle brine and the quiet discipline of using what might otherwise be lost. Plabita Florence is the owner and head chef of Forest, where vegetarian cooking is treated as a material craft: seasonal, thrifty, textural and closely attentive to place.
The Place Forest began with pop-up dinners in 2018, then opened a 16-seat dining room on Symonds Street in 2019. The restaurant moved to Dominion Road in 2023, keeping its focus on a plant-led menu shaped by the seasons and by preservation. The idea came from Florence’s experience in kitchens where she saw major food waste and a disconnection from food sources. That origin still shapes the room: ingredients are chosen with local sourcing in mind where possible, handled thoughtfully, and worked toward creating as little waste as possible.
The Method The cooking is entirely vegetarian and often vegan, with a constantly changing menu that follows seasonal produce and makes use of ingredients that might otherwise be discarded. Its à la carte format changes frequently according to the season and to preserved ingredients, giving the kitchen room to move between fresh, fermented, pickled and held-over flavors. Fermenting and pickling are part of Florence’s plant-focused technique, not decoration. The point is direct: she aims to make diners appreciate plants by treating them with respect, whether the ingredient is a skin, a root, a nut milk or a preserved element brought back into service.
The Range Among the dishes tied to Florence’s cooking is deep fried feijoa rolled in feijoa skin sherbet, served with sticky ginger cake and earl grey custard; the restaurant has described it as one of its defining dishes. Smoked Kūmara with Marmite Cream was listed on Auckland Eats and described as smoky, comforting and packed with flavour. The sweet side has carried the same plant-first logic. Forest Scoops has served lilac kūmara ice cream drizzled with salty caramel, topped with crunchy rosemary and showered in savoury sherbert. Another noted ice cream, made from roasted hazelnut milk, was described by Florence as salty hazelnut with a soft, fudgy texture and intense dark roasted hazelnut flavour. Recognition followed the small-room discipline. Cuisine Magazine Good Food Awards awarded the restaurant 1 Hat, and in 2024 it received 2 Hats at the Cuisine Good Food Awards. That same year, Metro Restaurant of the Year named it Restaurant of the Year.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Plabita
What are Plabita Florence's signature releases or dishes?
Her noted dishes include deep fried feijoa with feijoa skin sherbet, sticky ginger cake and earl grey custard; Smoked Kūmara with Marmite Cream; lilac kūmara ice cream with salty caramel, rosemary and savoury sherbert; and salty hazelnut ice cream made from roasted hazelnut milk.
What is Plabita Florence known for making?
She is known for vegetarian cooking that is often vegan, seasonal, low-waste, and shaped by fermenting, pickling, preservation and careful use of plant ingredients.
Where does Plabita Florence work?
Florence works as owner and head chef at Forest in Auckland, New Zealand.
