There’s something magical about revisiting the dishes that defined an era. When Chef Rex Morgan, Beef + Lamb Platinum Ambassador Chef and one of the country’s most quietly influential culinary figures, agreed to collaborate with SO/ Auckland, it wasn’t just a menu revival. It was a moment of reconnection with the legacy of Citron, the fine dining restaurant he and his wife Wendy ran with passion, precision, and a touch of boldness that helped shape New Zealand’s food culture in the early 2000s.

It started with a conversation. Roy, SO/ Auckland Hotel’s Culinary Director, reached out with an idea: What if Rex brought back some of the old Citron dishes for a pop-up dining experience? Roy had never dined at Citron himself, but he’d heard the stories. It was one of those places that lived on in culinary circles long after its doors had closed. For Rex, the invitation came as a surprise.

“I hadn’t been asked about Citron in years,” he said. “It made me pause. But I felt privileged to be asked.”

There was no interest in a watered-down version. Rex was clear about that from the start. The building was different; the plates and chairs weren’t the same, but the essence could still be captured. He dusted off his old recipe notes with some literally glued together with age and sauce and began the process of revisiting Citron, one dish at a time.

During the Citron years, Rex was awarded the title of Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chef so many times that he became one of the first to be granted Platinum Ambassador status - a lifetime title he still proudly holds today. Looking back on his long career, Rex says he’s never had a menu without beef or lamb. His relationship with Beef + Lamb New Zealand and local suppliers wasn’t just business, it was a partnership built on trust and a shared passion for quality ingredients.

Rex had always been curious about indigenous ingredients, long before it was fashionable. Horopito, with its distinctive peppery heat, became a favourite of his, especially when paired with a perfectly cooked lamb rack and fresh mint. This lamb dish was rooted in French technique but unmistakably New Zealand in spirit. The light curry sauce, inspired by a trip to Hong Kong, added another dimension - subtle, elegant, and in perfect balance. Originally part of a degustation menu, it returned now in à la carte form and was a delight to eat, with all the layers of flavour coming through.

His revived beef dish reflected Rex’s long-standing love of compound butters - mutton butters, smoked butters, deeply flavoured but never overpowering. This version was delicate yet layered, enriching the beef without overwhelming it. “It’s subtle,” he said, “but it’s got depth.” Served à la carte, the dish was as luxurious as it was nostalgic, every element carefully considered.

While the food took centre stage, the project stirred something deeper in Rex. Citron had never been his alone, it was a shared vision with Wendy. She ran the front of house while he ran the kitchen, and together they created something rare; a 30-seat restaurant that was once booked out 18 months in advance.

“We had to schedule holidays just to manage it all,” he recalled. “It was a special time, a different era, and now to see people twenty-five years later receiving it just as enthusiastically, it’s been pretty special.”

Revisiting those dishes didn’t stir emotion in the way he expected, but it did awaken memories. The rhythm of service, the creative instincts, the energy of working with a sharp kitchen team all came flooding back.

At SO/ Auckland, Rex worked closely with Roy and Head Chef Jimmy. Both were highly capable and both understood the assignment. “They made my job easier,” he said.

Even after all these years, the collaboration flowed naturally. Some recipes came from the retro table talkers that had once graced Citron’s tables, while others he recreated on the fly, just as he had done back then.

When asked about the value of these kinds of dinners in today’s hospitality scene, especially for younger chefs, Rex hesitated.

“I probably couldn’t keep up with the young chefs now,” he laughed. “Twenty years ago, I had the energy. But even if I’m only here for three days, if I can leave them with one or two techniques or ideas they enjoy, that’s a win for me.”

He noted how younger chefs are wired differently, raised in the age of Instagram and fast-changing trends. But maybe that’s where events like this matter most bringing a bit of story, a bit of memory, a bit of legacy into a fast-moving world.

“There’s value in that,” he said. “Not just in the food, but in the way it makes people feel.”

And maybe that’s what this revival truly was, not a recreation, but a reconnection. A reconnection with ingredients, with craft, and with a time when a small restaurant in Wellington could shift the way people saw New Zealand cuisine. The collaboration at SO/ Auckland wasn’t just a nod to the past; it was a celebration of the country’s culinary heritage, a beautiful blend of indigenous flavours and classic techniques that reminded us why Citron had once earned its place as a defining culinary destination.

Check out our nostalgia gallery below:

A TASTE OF CITRON - REVISITING A CULINARY ERA

BROUGHT TO YOU BY BEEF + LAMB NEW ZEALAND