Chef Muthuvelu Supramaniam shares his top food spots in Te Aro, from hidden whiskey bars to standout gluten-free cheese scones.
Malaysia-born chef Muthuvelu Supramaniam, alongside his wife Vanitha, is the force behind some of Wellington’s most beloved Malaysian eateries. The pair are the original owners of the legendary Kanama Kopi Kadai in Kilbirnie and have since brought their bold Malaysian flavours to Te Aro with Macha, Jom Tapau! (The exclamation is theirs.)
Their latest venture is tucked down Left Bank, a laneway in the heart of Te Aro. The name translates to “Bro, let’s get takeaway!”, and that same casual, welcoming spirit carries through to the menu. Whether you’re dining in or grabbing something to go, one can expect flaky roti canai, fragrant nasi lemak, perfectly pulled teh tarik. The versatility extends beyond Malaysian classics too – last year, the eatery claimed first runner-up for their Burger Wellington entry.
Few people know a neighbourhood’s food scene better than those working within it every day. We asked Supramaniam to share his go-to spots in Te Aro – the suburb where he spends up to 12 hours a day.
Three words that sum up the food in Te Aro: Vibrant. Exciting. Promising.
The best restaurant in Te Aro is: Yor Yak.
Why I love Yor Yak: It’s cosy and friendly, and serves the most sumptuous Thai food.
My go-to order is: Pla Yum Takrai. My wife and I simply love the flavours of the sauce, fresh herbs, and the crispiness of the fried fish and shrimp. My wife has a specific intolerance to New Zealand flour (it’s weird, I know!) and the staff are always happy to fry it flour-free for us.
When I’m craving something cheap and cheerful I head to: Top Kitchen. We almost always order mapo tofu and the hot and spicy fish fillet. And sometimes the kung pao chicken too.
Celebrating with a group? You should book a table at: Majestic Cuisine – it’s a yum cha and Cantonese restaurant. The boys running it used to be at Loong Fong Restaurant in Miramar where we regularly ate, and then we followed them to their current restaurant in Courtenay Place. The dishes here arrive in big portions and we love all of their food. Perfect place for a group for sure.
Pub or bar of choice: Dee’s Place. They specialise in whiskey and their cocktails are wonderful. We haven’t been there in a while as we haven’t felt like a drink recently – we usually just want to head home right after closing. This is a good reminder that we need to get there again soon and grab some drinks.
For a late-night food fix you’ll find me at: KC Café. It’s not just because they’re open till late…we really love our favourites there no matter what time of the day it is. The salted fish and chicken with tofu is a must-order dish for us.
The best place to take visitors out of town is: Yor Yak.
For a casual bite with friends go to: Tra Café. It definitely is a perfect spot to meet and chat, and even talk business. Great coffee and nice ambience.
The best date spot is: The Ram.
And make sure to order: The Tiramisu. It’s the best one we’ve ever had.
The local dish I crave the most: The kedgeree which was served at Field & Green until they closed in 2023.
Te Aro’s best…
Breakfast: Turkish Eggs at The Lab on Victoria St.
Coffee: Trim latte at The Oatery.
Sandwich: Can I mention a toastie here? If so, it’s the lemongrass chicken toastie at Peckish Jr. Café
Noodles: Combination noodles with egg at R&S Satay Noodle House. We have the dish with a different name in Malaysia: kung fu chow in Kuala Lumpur where I grew up, and char hor fun in Penang where my wife hails from. This is comfort food for us and it always brings us fond memories of enjoying this dish with family and friends in food courts. We find it very authentic here. We also enjoy our little chats, often spoken in Malay, a mutual language from our home country, Malaysia.
Bowl of soup: Phở at Phở Viet Street Food.
Bread: The gluten-free bread baked and served at August Eatery. This bread in particular comes to mind as it has great texture – it’s so enjoyable. My wife gets this when she orders her favourite breakfast here which is the Istanbul eggs. They sell it by the loaf too.
Baked treat: I don’t have a particular favourite baked treat, but my wife loves the gluten-free cheese scone at The Lab on Victoria Street and I feel it deserves a mention here. My wife used to order a cheese scone at Swimsuit every single day before going to work, but since she developed an intolerance to flour in New Zealand, she’s been sampling gluten-free ones from cafes around Wellington. Most of them were quite dense and heavy, but the moment she tried the one at The Lab, she stopped hunting. It ticks all the boxes for a good cheese scone.
What defines a great gluten-free cheese scone: Light and fluffy, and crispy on the outside when slightly toasted, and obviously, full of cheese.
For a serious sweet tooth, head to: April Patisserie. Their desserts don’t just look stunning; the taste is amazing as well.
If you’re after spice, make a beeline for: Kera-la-carte. We often go there when we feel like something close to home. They serve food from Kerala, the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu where our grandparents are from. Though the dishes aren’t exactly the same, it feels as close to home as you’d get in Wellington. We love the food, especially the dosa and ghee roast chicken.
My favourite grocery shop: Haere Mai on Victoria Street. I get a range of Asian ingredients here for my café and also for home.
For the best produce, I stop in at: Moore Wilson’s. One might find it pricier here, but the quality and variety is unbeatable. The service has always been excellent as well.
A perfect place to linger over a drink: Dragonfly. I sometimes bring my wife here after finishing work when we feel like having a drink and some late-night bites in a relatively quiet place.
My favourite local hospo personality: Chef Laura Greenfield who used to run Field & Green and is now head chef at Glou Glou. She’s not only a gorgeous person, but also very supportive of what I do. She even came over to try my WOAP Burger Wellington entry last year and told us that she absolutely loved it.
A local spot I wish we could bring back from the dead is: None other than Field & Green. That’s where we used to have our weekend brunch ritual. That’s also where we once celebrated our wedding anniversary. We miss their Wellington on a Plate events, which were always unforgettable.
The place I return to again and again: Aunty Mena’s Vegetarian Café. We may not be vegan or vegetarian, but we love their food and the chats we have with the lovely owners.
Why I love eating in Te Aro: While we also eat in Miramar as we live just a stone’s throw away, we spend most of our time in Te Aro and have eaten in most of the cafes and restaurants here. One of the main reasons I love eating here is that I want to support the local spots, many of which have supported me as well. We are in no way a competition with each other. I believe in supporting fellow hospo people, just like most hospo people in Wellington are doing.
The cafes and restaurants here may already be struggling with high rents, fewer workers coming into the city and the lack of parking space. These are worrying times for everyone, and this is just a small bit on our part to keep everyone in Te Aro going. Having said that, the hospo spots here are certainly serving a great variety of food for everyone, with excellent service to boot. There is always something for everyone, and always something for my wife and I for whatever mood we’re in.
