On the first night on our recent visit to Wellington I manoeuvred us to Chow for dinner, and I’m so glad I did. The modern Asian menu is designed for sharing and full of vegetarian options, and the drinks list is equally impressive.
We didn’t realise until afterwards just how popular Chow is – it was continually recommended to us for the rest of the weekend – so we were extra lucky to get a table right away when we arrived! The beer they had on tap was from where I was born, so Dad and I ordered one of those each while we perused the menu (Abandoned Brewery Pilsner, $13)
First up was a serve of the Beggar’s Purse ($15) – filled with mushrooms, leek, bamboo and peanuts. These had a super crispy pastry on the outside and were packed with flavour. I loved the large chunks of vegetables inside, so you could really see what you were eating. Delicious!
Next up were the Pumpkin & Cashew Fritters ($14) with saffron, coriander & sweet chilli sauce. I didn’t get a good photo of these given the dim lighting, but I promise they were more delicious than they look! Crunchy exterior, soft filling and full of flavour – perfectly paired with the dipping sauce.
We then had the Seven Spice Tofu ($11) with sea salt, sesame & chilli soy sauce. Some of the pieces of this tofu were extra spicy, but even those were super tasty. I love fried tofu like this, the combination of textures and flavours are always excellent. I definitely ate more than my fair share of this dish!
My folks got one of the specials of the day – the Lamb Dumplings ($15). Obviously I didn’t try these but they got rave reviews from both my parents, and apparently came with quite a good kick of chilli as well!
We also ordered two of the curries, the first being the Braised Lamb Shank Mussaman Curry ($22) with kumara, coriander & roasted peanuts. Again, not one I tried personally but it didn’t hang around for long which is always a good sign. Both my parents loved it, and they’ve eaten a lot of curries across Asia so that’s a good sign in my books!
Our last dish was the Jungle Curry ($18) with roast vegetables, kaffir lime, coconut cream, fried tofu & coriander. This was right up my alley – spicy, creamy and full of some of my favourite vegetables like sweet potato and beans. The fried tofu was also delicious, and I reluctantly shared this with my folks who also loved it. Delicious!
Overall we had an incredibly successful first meal in Wellington. Despite how busy it was the staff were friendly and the food came out quickly. I’d definitely recommend putting Chow on your list the next time you’re in Wellington – but maybe try and book if it’s on the weekend!