Kisa

Where? Kisa (Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu

When? Monday January 27, 2025

Who? Me

Food Style? Turkish

I was supposed to come here with Jordan but he had some emergencies to deal with last minute, so I decided to keep with the plan and go by myself. The restaurant sits diagonally opposite Wellington icons Logan Brown and Ombra on Cuba St and Vivian St, and is in fact part of the Ombra group. The tables are booked out even at 5pm but there’s room at the bar where I can watch the inner workings of the kitchen, and this excites me. Already there are slabs of meat on the charcoal grill, and because of the glass window between me and the kitchen, I can only imagine how aromatic and appetising they must smell.


The menu has a lot of items and words that I do not understand, but the wait staff recommend some of the dips and spreads, then one or two mezze plates depending on my appetite. I’ve gone for a good selection of carb, greens and protein, so I’m hopeful for a great experience and some interesting flavours. They’ve started me off with complimentary sparkling water, and I’m already impressed.

Appetiser

Hummus and pita bread
The pita bread is warm to the touch and has some flavour from sitting on the charcoal fire for a few seconds. The hummus is definitely homemade and I love the fried chickpeas on top that give it some crunch and texture.

As more people pour into the restaurant, more proteins get slapped onto the grill and the fire starts to come alive from all the drippings. There’s a beautiful array of meats resting above, and a dozen plates of hummus ready to go on the bench opposite, with what looks to be about a hundred slices of orange. Further into the kitchen, the pita bread dough is being prepared and rolled out. I love how orderly and mechanical the kitchen is, and it really is such a joy to observe.

Salad

Turşu pickle salad, frisee, walnut and pomegranate dressing, hazelnut dukkah
It's colourful and vibrant, and my first mouthful is spicy and tangy with some great crunch. That chilli is super delicious, and the sweetness helps to balance the acidity of the pickle perfectly, while the spiciness opens up the tastebuds to fully appreciate the flavours on the plate.

Mains

Lamb pirzola, loin chops, çemen butter, grilled pear
Oh my god that fat is rendered perfectly, and that wonderful smokiness from the grill comes through beautifully. The lamb is flawless and I would happily consume another one. The pear doesn’t really do much for me but that butter really helps accentuate the flavour of the meat, keeping it moist and juicy. I am definitely going to grab the bone with my hands and savagely rip all the meat off until it’s clean. Phenomenal.

Dessert

Candied pumpkin ice cream sandwich, pistachio sesame biscuit, saffron white chocolate
This is surprisingly large, but the flavour is great, though the saffron in the white chocolate is very subtle. It’s not too sweet, but the pumpkin taste is wonderfully strong, as it should be.

I'm so full but thanks to the long summer days, I've decided I'll walk up Mt Vic to catch the sunset and work off that meal.

Posted by Jeremy at 5:34pm on Thursday October 23, 2025 :: 0 comments ::

Rasa

Where? Rasa (Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu

When? Sunday January 26, 2025

Who? Me

Food Style? Malaysian

Rasa is nestled next to two of Wellington’s most iconic eateries, Argentinian churrascaria El Matador and Wellington staple Logan Brown. Though it’s not as high profile as Little Penang, they have been around for longer and their focus is more on the Indian side of Malaysian cuisine - curries, biriyani, rendang and roti. It’s a Sunday night and I’m not really wanting to spend too much money on food (I know the rest of the week is going to be expensive!) so a sub$20 price for a nasi lemak with lamb rendang is pretty attractive. They’re a short walk - 10 minutes - from my Airbnb, and I’m all for eating as much Malaysian food as I can before I go back to Toronto.

Mains

Nasi lemak: steamed coconut rice served with a boiled egg, peanuts, anchovies, tomato sambal and lamb rendang
I do have to admit I’m a little disappointed with the portion, but the lamb is beautifully soft and tasty. I think my rendang is better - my secret is toasting some desiccated coconut and stirring that in to give it that wonderful fragrance - and I always have a ton of ikan bilis and roasted peanut on the side. Lamb in Canada is primarily from New Zealand so I usually make mine with beef, so I guess it's kind of a treat to have lamb rendang. However, I’m still hungry, but dessert staples Duck Island and Kaffee Eis are not too far away. I do appreciate not having to tip and also not having to wait for the staff to bring over my bill. I can just waltz up to the counter and pay whenever I’m ready. At least there's that? Good job, New Zealand. Please stay that way.

Posted by Jeremy at 5:10pm on Thursday October 23, 2025 :: 0 comments ::

Little Penang

Where? Little Penang (Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu

When? Saturday January 14, 2023

Who? Me

Food Style? Malaysian

LP is one of my favourite places in Wellington. They’ve established themselves as one of the city’s top casual eateries, serving home style Malaysian fare. Uncle Keith and Auntie Tee have been at this for over 11 years; I remember their small little stall on Manners St where they first opened, and now, they've got a larger restaurant. The pandemic has really been difficult for them, with staff shortages and closures that have been prevalent throughout the hospitality industry. Still, when I came to visit, the place was busy and full of people wanting to taste the delicious food, and I was genuinely touched when Uncle Keith recognised me in the queue and came over to give me a hug. Today, I’m by myself and I’ve ordered my favourite dish, the char kuay teow.

Mains

Char Kuay Teow: Flat rice noodles fried with prawns, Chinese pork sausage, chives and beansprouts
It arrives quickly. Spicy, peppery and with generous servings of Chinese sausage to give it that extra smokiness, this is just how I remember it. It’s been long enough since I was in Malaysia that I’m craving good Malaysian food again, so this has definitely hit the spot.

To be honest, I love a lot of their menu items. You don't often see otak-otak on Malaysian menus in New Zealand, and here it's served with beautiful aromatics like lemongrass and ginger in a banana leaf pouch. I love Auntie Tee's claypot rice and hokkien char as well. And when I'm feeling particularly in the mood for sweets, the pandan cakes really hit the spot too. I genuinely wish them all the success in the world because they deserve it. Their food is some of the best Malaysian I’ve had outside of Malaysia and I’ve always raved about to anyone that will listen.

Posted by Jeremy at 2:36am on Sunday October 29, 2023 :: 0 comments ::