Luntian NZ

20/06/2025

✨ Matariki is a time to remember, to honour, and to dream forward.

This season holds a different kind of weight for me.

Around the same time last year, we made the incredibly hard call to close Luntian’s doors. And while it felt like an end, it’s also been a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come and the immense love it took to build something so radically true to who we are.

Luntian was never just a restaurant.
It was an idea.
A movement.
A kitchen filled with soul.

And it lived… because of the people who believed in it.

To my Luntian brigade:
Every prep, every plate, every late-night laugh:
you carried this dream with me. Your grit, heart and fire brought Luntian to life. I am forever grateful.

To our Lot23 whānau— Nat, Sam and friends:
Will always be grateful for all the years of warmth welcoming us, and for giving Luntian its whare.
Thanks for holding space for us, and for being the rock we anchored Luntian on. You will always be a part of Luntian’s heart.

To our supporters, fans, friends, day-ones, ride-or-dies:
Thank you. You reminded us that food can be more than food. It can be resistance. It can be remembrance. It can be healing. It can be joy.

This Matariki, I’m sitting in all of it.
The grief, the gratitude, the quiet.
Letting go. Giving thanks. Planting new seeds.

Luntian isn’t gone. It’s just transforming.

And whatever comes next — it will still carry the same heart.

🌿🫶🏽
Ngā mihi o Matariki, te tau hou Māori.

With so much love,
Angel

P.S. We’re just riding out the storms, and gearing up for Season 2 ✌🏽Watch this space? 😉

15/11/2024

Standing here with these remarkable chefs, I am filled with such gratitude and pride. 💚✨
Last Friday, we weren’t just cooking or hosting — we were creating something extraordinary. Bringing together flavours, dreams, and a shared purpose, we showed how food can connect us, inspire us, and fuel a vision much bigger than ourselves. 🙌🏽

Being invited to join Bocuse d’Or Team NZ on this journey, as they prepare to bring New Zealand’s heart and soul to the global stage in Lyon, was nothing short of magical. ✨
Each dish, each moment, was infused with the passion we all hold for our craft and for the dream of showcasing the best of our beautiful country to the world. 🇳🇿🌏💥

To my fellow guest chefs, to the Bocuse d’Or Team NZ, to the event partners .and.co , and to each of you who came out to support and believed in the power of this vision—thank you from my heart 🫶🏽

And to this unstoppable team, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your journey. 💙

But this is only the beginning.

We still need your help to get Team NZ to the Bocuse d’Or.

Join us in fueling this dream by donating to their Givealittle page (link in ‘s bio). The team has just lost more than $15k worth of equipment and personal effects which are crucial to get them through the line. Every bit of dollar, share, and cheer will count towards Team NZ’s preparation for one of the biggest events in the culinary stage.

Let’s rally together to show the world what New Zealand is made of—passion, heart, and pure culinary magic. 💪🌿✨
Here’s to bringing our dreams to life, one plate at a time. 🥂💫

Love,
Angel 😇

PS: Missing Brett in this photo 😄



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22/10/2024

Hey Luntian fam! We’re running one of the culinary stations at A Night of Art, Music, and Gastronomy on the 8th of Nov at Jacespace in Symonds St from 7PM 😊 Please help us support Bocuse d'Or Team New Zealand and raise funds to get Team New Zealand on the world stage for the global culinary competition in Lyon for the prestigious Bocuse d’Or (this is happening in Jan 2025!) 🫶🏽👏🏽
We will be doing of course an all-plant-based whole foods menu, working with Chevalier produce 🌱
This is also a fab night to have fun, mingle, enjoy a unique culinary and artsy experience while supporting our national culinary team to represent New Zealand 🇳🇿🥳
Huge shout to the team at Bocuse d’Or NZ for the opportunity — grateful to be a part of this amazing experience, and can’t wait to get cracking back at the kitchen and be creative again! 🥰🫶🏽🌱
Please like, follow and support our Bocuse d’Or Team New Zealand socials as well and let’s all rally together for the 🙌🏽
Tickets via Eventbrite, use code EARLYBIRD for special access until 31st Oct only 😎

Thrilled to announce that Chef Angel Apun of Luntian will be joining us as one of our guest chefs at A Night Of Arts, Music & Gastronomy on 8th of November at JaceSpace 👏

Angel Apun is a visionary vegan chef known for reimagining Filipino cuisine in New Zealand through plant-based innovation. With a deep passion for cultural advocacy and a culinary style that merges tradition with creativity + sustainability, Angel brings a rich culinary repertoire that spans Filipino, Southeast Asian, and Japanese cuisines and techniques.

Angel has won numerous accolades, including the 2019 Vegan Cooking Competition Grand Prize and Champion of the Adobo Festival.

She was recognised by the Philippine Government through the Philippine Embassy in New Zealand for her outstanding contributions to championing Filipino culture overseas, and was honoured as New Zealand’s Filipino Chef of the Year for 2021.

She is currently the Founder and Head Chef of Luntian, a groundbreaking culinary project that has been veganising Filipino cuisine across Australia and New Zealand since 2018, and kickstarted The Filipino Food Movement of New Zealand, a non-profit organisation which aims to bridge Philippines and New Zealand culture through food.

Angel's familiar face has graced the cover of the NZAVS Cruelty-Free Magazine, and having featured in Cuisine Magazine’s “We’re Watching section”, spotlighting her dedication to creative, ethical, plant-based cuisine using New Zealand produce.

Join us as Angel runs one of our culinary stations with Chevalier Produce at the Bocuse d'Or NZ fundraising dinner on November 8th — get your tickets now and support our Team New Zealand on their journey to put NZ on the world stage in Lyon this 2025!

Use code EARLYBIRD to access special tickets until 31st Oct only.







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11/10/2024

Kia ora Luntian fam — we may not have found our next whare to launch Luntian’s Season 2 just yet, but really grateful and excited to be creative again in the kitchen — this time as guest chef at Everybody Eats!
I’ve had the time to scope out inventory yesteday, and really excited to be dishing out an all-plant based menu with Everybody Eats Head Chef Archana .with.me.nz and working with donated food & produce from the amazing sponsors who rally behind this social enterprise!
If you don’t have anything planned yet at the start of the week — come to Everybody Eats Onehunga on next week’s Monday 14th Oct, dinner time.

I’ll do my best to whip up a Luntian-esque menu (haha!) and would love to see you all again at some stage… just like the old times at the markets and Lot23! 😉

Hit me below with a “Yay Ok!” and I’ll make sure to look out for you from behind the pass.☺️

Huge shout to the team at Everybody Eats and to Chef Archana for this amazing and lovely opportunity — and big high fives to my commis Olly for bringing us all together.🥰
Though I miss my original brigade, I’m looking forward to working with the kitchen volunteers on Monday! 😄

Hope to see you beautiful humans at Everybody Eats on the 14th, and let’s help support this initiative — especially during these times 🤗

Love,
Angel

03/10/2024

Hey Luntian Fam!!! We’re going to rock up the kitchens at Everybody Eats on 14th October for an all-plant-based menu.
Please come and support Everybody Eats, would love to see you again 💚
Thanks to chef Archana and the team for this opportunity to share our love with Everybody Eats 💜
Hit us up below if you’re coming 👇🏾

30/09/2024

This is going to be an epic night! 🤗
We’ll be one of the guest chefs running the stations in the event on 8th November at Jacespace in Auckland. More details to follow — please like, share, engage and follow the Bocuse d'Or Team New Zealand page and let’s help our national NZ Team on their road to Lyon in 2025 🥳

We're bringing you an exclusive night of art, music and gastronomy with the d'Or Team New Zealand at JaceSpace on the 8th of November from 7.00 PM.
Come celebrate with Team New Zealand's recent Bronze win at the APAC submissions, meet and greet your chefs representing Aotearoa New Zealand in Lyon, and enjoy the night filled with music, arts display, and delightful culinary stations brought to you by our guest chefs for the night:

Chef Glen File of Onslow .nz
Chef Angel Apun of Luntian
Chef Greg Piner of Silver Fern Farms
Chef Bryan Bae of Choux .nz

This will not only be a memorable night, but a night that will make a difference.
Your support will go a long way in helping Team New Zealand on their and put New Zealand on the culinary world map!

This is an exclusive event you won't want to miss out -- get your tickets here NOW and secure those spots:

www.tinyurl.com/roadtolyon

See you there and let's cheer on team for the gold!

17/06/2024

Last weekend we had the opportunity to dish out our plant-based version of the beloved Filipino adobo at a local Filipino community event running an Adobo Festival/Competition during the Philippine Independence Day celebrations in Auckland. Out of 10 finalists, we were the only ones who dared to serve the complete antonym of what is a very traditionally meat-heavy dish 🤟🏽
We never thought of winning — but 130 samplers and a plated judging dish after — our plant-based Adobo version (we aptly named as Adoboncini) was named not only as the overall Champion, but also was voted by the masses as the People’s Choice 😊🥳🥇🎖️
In a sea of traditional meat dishes, traditional concepts and expectations — we dared to make a stand and a difference ✊🏽🫶🏾🇵🇭🇳🇿🌱
And it is proof of what we can do and have been doing all along: to show that we can enjoy kind and compassionate versions of our beloved ethnic cuisine without sacrificing taste, flavour and textures.
Having lost the resto lately, this event has brought me back to my “why” — and as I reflect on my journey with Luntian — I realised that sometimes, the hustle and grind get to you and you lose sight of your very purpose because of managing the mundane 🥺 I’m just grateful to be back creating again, and grateful that we were given this opportunity to still fulfill what Luntian was really born to do — serving delicious plant-based versions of Filipino Food, and inspiring kind and compassionate sparks within — one Kiwi plate at a time 🇳🇿🇵🇭 Thanks to everyone who have supported us all this time, and I can’t wait to see you all again when Luntian is back in its Season 2 ✌🏽
P.S. If this looks familiar, yes it’s your highly addictive adobo balls starter from our menu! 🌱

Angel 😇

11/05/2024

Take a bow 🙇🏻‍♀️Tonight was our final dinner service at Lot23 — and as we closed the pass and rang the last docket on the till, we can’t help but look back at the awesome memories and wild run we’ve had ever since we officially opened our brick and mortar doors in November 2023.
On behalf of my brigade, I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported and rallied for us since I have conceptualised Luntian.
We have proven that we can do it; putting Filipino cuisine on Kiwi plates in a kind, compassionate and experimental format that NZ hasn’t seen before. From doing hand-pulled plant-based chicken in house through an archaic precision fermentation method, to catering for more than 1,000 plates of plant-based goodness — we have had a fun ride. The wins we’ve had have trumped all the sad and uncertain times.
I would like to personally thank Nat and Sam at for giving us a home since 2019 and holding space for us to execute our vision of experimental Filipino cuisine. Grateful for all the love, support and the community that we have created and generated through Lot23 and Luntian.
Huge shout to my brigade who have held the fort so strongly for Luntian as well.
This is not the finale for us. We have just ended Season 1, and we are coming back up bigger and bolder in Season 2.
Thank you for all the love and support, we will see you again soon in Season 2.
Stay tuned to what we will be up to next, but for now…
Brigada Luntian and Chef Angel, signing off.
💚💚

07/05/2024

Kia ora, Luntian fam and followers 🥹
These past few weeks have been an emotional and physical roller coaster for us at Luntian, with myself being away for 2 weeks in the Philippines to attend to family, while my brigade has been holding down the fort and smashing the days.
I would like to sincerely thank everyone who have come and supported us since we opened our doors to a full service operations at Lot23 Studio — your presence have fueled not only our dreams to put the very first experimental plant-based Filipino cuisine on Kiwi plates, but also the dream of every intersectional advocacy’s voice to be heard through what we do at Luntian.
I have met and made new friends, forged alliances and built bridges through Luntian, which I will always be grateful for.
On behalf of my team, we are thankful for all the love and support all these years.
We have now come to our final week of our dinner service, and would love to see you and share with you our kai for one last time before we say our goodbyes.
If you would like to book a table, please visit our website or click the link in our bio.
Fried Chicken Fridays are still on for Friday, with Thursday and Saturday on regular dinner service menus (looking into a prix fixe menu as we are closing).
I am back on the pass, and will aim to walk the floor to personally say hello and thank you (and maybe some hugs and high fives!) when you come in. Don’t worry — I’m fun, and I don’t bite 😋
Look forward to see all your beautiful faces this week at Lot23!

💜
Angel