Chefs Peter Gordon and Anna Hansen hail from New Zealand and, together, have made a mark on the world food scene with their bold and imaginative cooking style. Co-owners of the wildly successful The Providores in London with partners Michael McGrath and Jeremy Leeming, the pair has recently teamed up with brothers Brad and Adam Farmerie to launch a state-side collaboration with their new restaurant Public in Nolita.

AsiaFood talked to Peter and Anna about their signature cooking style, and the various influences that define, inspire and bind them.

You are both highly acclaimed chefs, and viewed by many as culinary ambassadors of New Zealand. How does being from New Zealand influence your cooking style?

Anna: New Zealand is a young immigrant nation and therefore its culinary history, although short, is a fairly diverse mixture of cultures and palates. I think this has had a very positive influence on my cooking style. I am naturally curious about new ingredients and flavors and am always looking for ways to incorporate them in my pantry.

Peter: As much as I'd like to think NZ had a culinary history- it doesn't. We're mainly, but not exclusively, descended from Europeans, many from the Scots and English- neither sources of great culinary expertise either! My ancestors are Maori and Scots. So, without a tradition of fine dining behind me, I've always been open to whatever looked or tasted good. So, in my case too, it's allowed me to be broad-minded and open in areas of potential flavors or combinations.

Your style of cooking has been described as "adventurous antipodean fusion fare". What is it about your food that evokes that description?

Anna: I guess it's the fact that we are not afraid to try new things or to blend cultures and therefore cuisines. The "Antipodean" part comes from our choice of ingredients, we use many things from our part of the world that diners here may not be as familiar with, such as kangaroo, tamarillos, New Zealand venison, Manuka honey and so on.

Peter: Personally, I'd never describe it as such- it's way too floral a description! Adventurous- yes. Antipodean- sort of. Fusion-certainly. The adventure comes from our willingness to combine and experiment, which is always challenging. But I think the term Antipodean is a little misleading- it over-generalizes, and would be like saying that food by Thomas Keller and Burger King are both American cuisine and therefore similar. True to a point, but far from reality. Fusion is a term I happily use. Funnily enough, when we were first getting started in New York I was told to come up with another term as fusion has bad connotations here. Well, I hope someone comes up with something better, but I haven't heard it yet.

It's true, fusion cuisine has developed a rather unfavorable reputation. What is the beauty in fusion and, as chefs, how do you transcend its inherent challenges?

Anna: The beauty of fusion is that there are no boundaries in terms of technique or the use of ingredients. The only limitations are self-imposed and in our own ability to be creative. Understanding fusion cooking is really about being receptive to new ideas, flavors and textures and open to experimenting with them. To me, this is no different from understanding any other cuisine; however, fusion has the advantage of using the world as its pantry.

Peter: To become historical for a moment, most cuisines are the end result of fusion in a variety of ways. Dutch baking is infused with spices brought from Indonesia, the British have as their national drink a member of the camellia family grown in India and Sri Lanka (tea) and their staple is a vegetable native to Peru (the potato). Americans celebrate Thanksgiving with a bird native to South America (the turkey) and the Thais are famous for their combinations of chili (Mexico) and cilantro (the Mediterranean). It is considered fine to use cinnamon and Turkey in American cooking, but replace them with wattleseed (Australia) and kangaroo (Australia) and it becomes a cause for concern in culinary circles. Madness! Food is a combination of flavor, texture, and health properties. Looked at like this, the historical provenance of ingredients is unimportant.

Many people talk of Pacific Rim cuisine as a distinct category of food. What do you see as the characteristics of Pacific Rim cuisine and does your food fall within its boundaries?

Peter: The Pacific Rim is defined by geography and not all of the world's ingredients are produced in this area, so for myself, a lover of all things new and "rediscovered-old", I would find this a limiting source of food.

Anna: I see Pacific Rim cuisine as a fusion of foods and flavors from the countries bordering the Pacific with a strong Southeast Asian influence. Our food is more global as it embraces ingredients from the Middle East, Spain, Turkey, etc. as well as Asia.

You work mostly in London and New York, but when at home in New Zealand, what are the foods or ingredients you reach for first- things that are either unavailable or simply not as good elsewhere in the world?

Peter: New Zealand produces great fish, varieties that aren't found elsewhere, and their flavor is definitely the best I have tasted. New Zealand lamb is by far my favorite lamb, the flavor of the fat in the meat is reminiscent of my childhood, and when I get to eat it back home I'm thrilled, especially the hogget and mutton. New Zealand has great whitebait- a tiny fish that is caught in vast quantities around September. As a kid we used to go toheroa fishing- they're a huge bi-valve shellfish, which are now protected. Fresh New Zealand kina (sea urchins) are something I ate as a child, but have rediscovered in the past few years - the orange roe is amazing. Paua, our black abalone, is another fishy gourmet delight. For a chocolate fix I eat peanut slabs, chocolate fish and buzz bars!

Anna: I have to admit to having a serious addiction to New Zealand meat pies, or as we affectionately refer to them back home, "dirt bags"! I don't know what it is- the buttery flaky pastry, the filling which not only claims to have meat but indeed does! I also love paua fritters which you can't get anywhere else and buying a kilo of green-lipped mussels from the local fish shop, steaming them open with a little white wine, smoked chili and garlic, then gorging myself. I could go on and on…

You are both real believers in the use of organic produce. Besides being better for you, what are some specific examples of flavor and textural differences evident when you cook with organic ingredients?

Peter: My sister and her partner owned an organic green grocer in Melbourne for many years and it was an eye opener. This was due to the fact that their organic food tasted so much better than the regular stuff. Unfortunately, here in the UK, as the big supermarkets have realized, there's money to be made in organics, their versions don't always taste better. I guess this is due to being grown in the old mass-produced way, by forcing growth, without many of the inherent qualities that organic farming should have. Some of the best tasting food to be found here in the UK (apart from the brilliant organics at farmers' markets and better organic shops) are foods produced bio-dynamically. Avocados are often a good taste comparison of organic and non-organic produce, and coffee is another. We only use organic coffee and milk at The Providores and our coffees are often hailed as the best in London.

Anna: I would add organic nuts, grains, chicken and eggs as examples of alternatives that are not only better for you, but offer significantly better flavor and texture.

The original menu for Public was fashioned after The Providores' signature cuisine. Were any adjustments made for the US palate?

Peter: We were told by everyone that our food would be too adventurous for the American palate, yet when Americans come and eat at The Providores, they love it. So, together with head chef Brad Farmerie (whose brother Adam Farmerie is one of the main people behind Public) we decided to just go for it. The food at Public is very similar to the food we produce here in London, perhaps a little less complicated in it's assemblage, but very similar - and at any one time, you'd be likely to see three to five dishes identical to ones we have on our menu in London. Actually, I also consult for a restaurant in Istanbul called Changa, and I do similar food there, working with the two food obsessed owners, Tarik and Savas. It seems there are lots of people worldwide that are prepared to be experimental and appreciate food in all its potential.

Anna: Yes, surprisingly, no real changes were made to accommodate the American palate- that is a beauty of fusion, its appeal is universal! The only significant adjustment was the one Peter and I had to make learning a new language! For example, learning to refer to cilantro and arugula instead of coriander and rocket.

To complement your menu, a wide selection of handpicked New Zealand wines is available at Public. Could you recommend a couple of favorites for our readers to try with their meal?

Anna: For a lovely fruity Sauvignon Blanc, try Craggy Range and for a delicious soft, smoky Chardonnay try Ata Rangi. For a fabulous Pinot, we have a wonderful Gibston Valley Pinot Noir.

Peter: My picks for whites would be the Kumeu River Chardonnay or the Pegasus Bay riesling. Some of the wineries Anna mentioned make great reds too; try an Ata Rangi Celebre (Cabernet blend), or a Craggy Range Sophia (Merlot, Cabernet Franc). I also like the Seresin Pinot Noir. A heartfelt welcome to all our guests- enjoy your wine, and your meal!

Interview conducted by Sue Lin of AsiaFood.