Monique Tumema Fiso (born 23 October 1987) is a New Zealand chef and author known for her contribution to the revival of Māori and Polynesian cuisine.
With her trademark determination she decided to make a shift and came home to discover a new style of cooking, and a new side to herself.
Fiso attended Wellington Institute of Technology where she gained a City & Guilds Diploma in Cookery and Patisserie and graduated first in her class.
During her time in New York, she worked for Michelin starred chefs Brad Farmerie, Missy Robbins and Matt Lambert.
[9][10][11] In 2016, Fiso returned to New Zealand and founded Hiakai,[12][4] a pop up dining series devoted to the exploration and development of Māori cooking techniques and ingredients.