In Queenstown as part of the Cocktail World Cup, Emett yesterday joined the competition's international media contingent aboard Pacific Jemm.
"I love it down here. I come down all the time. I'm really interested in doing something down here and I'm sniffing around," he said.
Last year, the New Zealand-born chef returned to Melbourne to run the kitchens of Ramsay's Maze and Maze Grill restaurants.
The Masterchef judge said Ramsay, his former mentor at London's Savoy Grill, was not financially backing the venture and he was still searching for the ideal location, a job made easier from the deck of the Pacific Jemm.
"It would [have to] be accessible, with good local seasonal products to showcase what surrounds us - it's a long shot but could be open by next year," Emett said.
Covering the Italian Cocktail World Cup team for Italian Rolling Stone, first-time visitor to New Zealand and journalist Giancarlo Affri described Queenstown as "uber cool", citing the resort's metropolitan bar scene and clued-up punters.
Booze blogger Natalie Bovis, of Los Angeles-based the liquidmuse.com was also visiting New Zealand for the first time and was impressed by Wakatipu's natural charms.
"The nature's incredible ... the mountain and lakes are just astounding. Over here you have nature everywhere, you actually have to look for little towns and for people," she said.
On her first night in town she visited Bardeaux.
• Teams have one more chance to get points on the board with the last challenge - Ready, Steady, Shake - to be held on the shores of Lake Wakatipu today before the grand finale event at Lake Hayes tonight.
