Auckland, New Zealand
• Co-owners Anu and Varun met at culinary school and quickly scaled from a small market stall to three food trucks, catering more than 250 events a year before opening their own brick-and-mortar smokehouse in Grey Lynn, Auckland
• Serves signature items such as brisket, pork ribs, chicken wings and wagyu, paired with inventive sides like truffled mac and cheese and smoked octopus
• Uses a custom Octo reverse-flow pit in-house and a 500-gallon reverse-flow trailer, partly built in Argentina and finished in Auckland
• Primary wood is pohutukawa for its clean burn and rich flavor, blended with oak, manuka, apple, and cherry for variety
• Signature dishes include Wagyu brisket, beef short ribs, and smoked brisket birria tacos