Capital eats for little capital

There’s no need to wait for Wellington on a Plate next month for a feast? The city is a foodie’s paradise for cheap eats every day, writes Siobhan Downes.

With more eateries per capita than New York (it’s true, we checked), there are foodie temptations around almost every corner in Wellington. This is a city where you can get a lot of eating done on a very small budget. From the capital’s ubiquitous Malaysian restaurants and burger joints to a converted public toilet pumping out pizza and fried chicken, here are some favourite cheap eats.

Taste of Home

At any given lunch time or dinner time, this tiny restaurant on Vivian St is crammed with hungry customers, waiting for takeaways or hunched over big bowls of noodles on one of the coveted bar stools.

The signature dish is yo po mian ($12.50), or hot oil noodles, which originates from the Shaanxi province of China. What makes it really special is that the noodles are freshly hand-pulled – a labourintensive technique that involves stretching and slapping hunks of dough into long, chewy ribbons.

The Sichuan-style dan dan noodles ($14.50) are another favourite, or fill up on ‘‘munchies’’ such as the moreish fried tofu with sweet garlic and chilli sauce ($10). For an interesting sweet treat, try the fried mini buns with condensed milk ($6).

128 Vivian St, Wellington Central.

Gunusu

Step inside this cosy little cafe on Willis St, and you will feel as though you have stumbled across one of the capital’s best-kept foodie secrets. A recent addition to the dining scene, every time you visit there’s something new to sample.

Gunusu serves a unique menu of Arabian and Tibetan food, such as its signature ‘‘gunusu’’ dish – an Arab-influenced seafood soup ($14, petite size). It also has dumplings ($11 for eight), and manakeesh ($7.50), a tasty flatbread topped with goat’s cheese and lamb.

The drinks menu is just as interesting. Try a cup of the sweet Tibetan wolfberry tea ($3), or Arabic coffee served the traditional way with dates ($6). It also has beautiful freshly squeezed juices. 161a Willis St, Wellington Central.

Little Penang

Malaysian has long been the capital’s cuisine of choice, and while there are a number of authentic restaurants to choose from, most locals will point you in the direction of Little Penang.

What sets it apart is that it specialises in Peranakan food, using ingredients imported from Malaysia that give each dish its distinctive taste.

Nothing on the menu will cost you more than $20, and there really is no wrong choice, but you might experience more than a touch of food envy should a huge plate of mee goreng ($18.50), topped with crispy vegetable fritters, pass by your table.

The roti and curry ($10.50) is a delicious budget option – our pick is the mild but fragrant kapitan. 175 Victoria St, Te Aro and 44 The Terrace, Wellington Central.

Rasa

Another of the all-time great Malaysian restaurants is Rasa. The colourful Cuba St eatery is always packed with a diverse crowd, from students (on a Friday night it’s a lively BYO spot) to families.

The restaurant offers Malaysian and South Indian cuisine, with almost every kind of curry you can think of on the menu. The aromatic beef rendang ($20) is one of the best in the city.

But it’s a particular South Indian dish that is the true star – dosai ($15), a kind of savoury crepe filled with spiced potato or meat, rolled up and served with a selection of tasty chutneys.

There are pictures of this dish all over the walls, but you won’t get a sense of just how enormous Rasa’s dosai is until it’s in front of you, hanging over the edge of your plate.

200 Cuba St, Wellington Central.

1154 Pastaria

This stylish restaurant on the corner of Cuba and Ghuznee streets might look expensive, but you can fill up on a bowl of the fresh house-made pasta for about $20.

The pappardelle alla bolognese ($17) is a crowdpleaser, with its rich, meaty sauce, as is the creamy fettuccine carbonara ($18) that will have you practically licking the bowl.

Or keep it simple and go for the classic rigatoni pomodoro ($15), mopped up with a garlic and rosemary roll ($3).

It also has Baller Thursdays where, from 4pm, you can get a huge bowl of spaghetti and meatballs for $18, or upgrade to the combo, which comes with a bread roll and a house beverage for $25.

There’s no need to book. Simply rock up and grab a seat by the window, perfect for peoplewatching.

132 Cuba St, Wellington Central.

Rogue Burger

Find the entrance to the Park Hotel on Lambton Quay and take the lift up to the Terrace to find yourself in one of the city’s best burger joints.

Expect a small menu of perfectly formed burgers, including the classic cheeseburger ($14 for a single patty), fish burger ($15), and vege burger ($14), plus a weekly changing new creation. For an extra $6, you will get a generous serving of shoestring fries.

The buns are fresh, the veges are crisp and the sauce hits the spot. What’s not to like?

101 The Terrace, Wellington Central.

Tommy Millions

In a former public toilet building on the corner of Taranaki St and Courtenay Place is this pizzeria serving 18-inch (45cm) New York-inspired pizzas by the slice (or you can buy them whole, depending on your appetite).

There’s not much in the way of seating. It’s very much a grab and go situation. On Saturday nights, the kiosk is surrounded by revellers in various states, tottering about with slices precariously balanced on paper plates.

If you’re in town on a Monday or Tuesday, don’t miss the lunch deal where you can get two slices of ‘‘the original’’ (pizza sauce and mozzarella) for the price of one ($6).

The corner of Courtenay Place and Taranaki St, Wellington Central.

Lucky

In the same complex as Tommy Millions is an equally beloved fast food spot – fried chicken specialists, Lucky.

The simple menu features a fried chicken burger ($14 for a single), a fried halloumi burger ($14), fried chicken ‘‘poppers’’ ($11 for a single), and gravy fries ($5 when added to a burger).

If you are down the business end of town, Lucky also has a kiosk in the Press Hall food court on Willis St.

The corner of Courtenay Place and Taranaki St, Te Aro, and 78 Willis St, Wellington Central.