Fine Dining with a Local Touch
Award-winning chef Helen Turnbull brings world-class dining to Paraparaumu Beach at 50-50, her fine-dining restaurant celebrating fresh, local ingredients. Inspired by her time in Japan, Helen fosters a warm, community-focused ethos—mentoring staff and welcoming guests like family. With new restaurant, Lustre, Kāpiti’s culinary scene is thriving.
Award-winning chef and Kāpiti restaurant owner Helen Turnbull knows what it means to get her hands dirty.
When she’s not creating decadent six-course meals at her Paraparaumu Beach fine-dining restaurant, 50-50, Helen’s often foraging and handpicking unique herbs and fruits like Sichuan peppercorns and elderberries.
When she opened at Paraparaumu Beach in 2017, Helen chose Kāpiti for its fresh produce, easy drive from Wellington, and friendly locals.
“Having worked in lots of big cities, I really wanted a place where I could have a relationship with my guests,” says Helen, 42, who worked at Michelin-starred restaurant Gordon Ramsay at Conrad Tokyo. “Even though you have regulars in the cityscape, it's not quite the same relationship.”
Her community ethos was heavily inspired by five years cheffing in Japan’s famous hospitality industry, known for its caring, approachable communication.
“It’s rewarding helping young people become amazing at hospitality.”
She was taken under the wing of her sensei, Toshihisa Tsukada, of Kuon restaurant, which changed her life.
After returning to Aotearoa, Helen became head chef at Rātā Restaurant in Queenstown and then Hummingbird in Wellington.
Today, she’s passionate about passing hospitality knowledge onto her own Kāpiti staff, with communication and care at the forefront.
“I have a new full-time apprentice, Heather, who started with me as a dishwasher and made the commitment to become a chef,” says Helen. “It’s rewarding helping young people become amazing at hospitality.”
With new restaurant Lustre now open in Paraparaumu Beach, Helen’s excited about Kāpiti having two city-style venues within walking distance.
“A lot of my guests come to Kāpiti for the weekend, and now have another place to go while they’re up from Wellington or from further afield,” she enthuses. “The level of food we’re doing is really drawing more people through.”
Helen calls the sense of community on the coast “incredible”.
“Kāpiti is such a great place to have a restaurant,” she concludes. “I totally understand why people live here.”