New Zealand’s premium dining scene is set to make its mark in China this November, as acclaimed chef Ben Bayly and his team bring their award-winning Auckland restaurant Ahi to W Shanghai – The Bund for a month-long culinary collaboration.
Running from November 4 to 30, the pop-up, titled Ahi Shanghai, will transform W Shanghai’s signature venue The Kitchen Table into a showcase of New Zealand food, design and hospitality. The project aims to strengthen cross-cultural culinary ties between New Zealand and China while positioning Ahi — and the broader Kiwi food story — on the global stage.
Ahi Shanghai will feature an immersive New Zealand dining experience developed by Bayly and his Auckland team, highlighting the country’s sustainable ingredients, regenerative farming practices and fire-driven cooking philosophy.
“We created the Ahi menu to celebrate authentic New Zealand food — fresh, organic produce with bold, elemental flavours, grown by New Zealanders embracing regenerative agriculture,” says Bayly. “When I visited China last year, I was inspired by the generosity and passion for food I encountered. I can’t wait to return that hospitality and share a little piece of New Zealand with Shanghai.”
A New Zealand Food Story
The pop-up’s opening week (November 4–8) will be dedicated to trade and media events showcasing New Zealand food and beverage producers to Chinese hospitality and tourism leaders. The restaurant will then open to the public from November 9 to 30. Footage from the collaboration will also feature in the upcoming Season 5 of Bayly’s television series A New Zealand Food Story, due to air in 2026, further extending its international reach.
W Shanghai’s Kitchen Table restaurant has undergone a full interior redesign for the month, led by Hannah Churchill of hcreates Design, a New Zealand designer based in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
The result is a contemporary yet inviting environment that reflects Ahi’s Auckland aesthetic — blending natural textures, light and warmth to evoke the essence of Aotearoa. Beyond the dining room, the hotel’s waterfront terrace has been reimagined as “The Bach Shanghai” — a casual space inspired by New Zealand’s coastal holiday homes. Guests can enjoy New Zealand wines, oysters, and refined versions of familiar Kiwi favourites while taking in panoramic views of the Bund skyline.
“At W Shanghai, we’re constantly seeking fresh ways to engage our guests,” says Maarten Van Moortere, Director of Food & Beverage at W Shanghai – The Bund. “Ahi Shanghai delivers something genuinely new — not just in menu and service, but in design, storytelling and experience. It reflects a partnership that’s both creative and commercially significant.”
Tribal Brands Asia
The collaboration is being delivered in partnership with Tribal Brands Asia, a Shanghai-based, Kiwi-owned food and beverage marketing agency that has operated in China for over 15 years. The Ahi Shanghai project forms part of Tribal’s Ends of the Earth series, which promotes cross-border culinary innovation and exchange between New Zealand and Asia. “This project is a passion piece for us,” says Aaron Marsich, Managing Director of Tribal Brands Asia. “Ben Bayly’s storytelling aligns perfectly with our mission to connect cultures through food. It’s about presenting New Zealand’s food identity in a way that feels authentic, premium, and globally relevant.”
The partnership also underscores the growing value of food diplomacy and culinary tourism as tools for international brand and trade development — positioning New Zealand not only as a source of premium ingredients, but also as a leader in creative hospitality and sustainable food culture.
Bayly, known for his restaurants Ahi and Origine in Auckland and Aosta and Little Aosta in Arrowtown, is among New Zealand’s most influential chefs. His commitment to provenance and storytelling has helped redefine modern Kiwi dining, with Ahi Shanghai extending that narrative to an international audience. For W Shanghai – The Bund, part of the global Marriott International portfolio, the project represents a model of how hotels can leverage culinary partnerships to drive guest engagement and market differentiation.
As Ahi Shanghai opens its doors, it stands as both a business collaboration and a cultural bridge — one that brings together the best of New Zealand hospitality, design and storytelling on one of Asia’s most dynamic stages.