Maria R.'s
Best Asian food
- 1688 Asian Fusion Restaurant + Lounge BarFranz JosefAn absolute favourite of mine. 88 Asian Fusion Restaurant specialises in Asian fusion. I love the mix of Asian, Japanese, Thai and Chinese flavours and is a great place to refuel after a long day on the glaciers.
- 27Kingtiger Eastern Eating House and BarFranz JosefThere’s one thing that’s hard to beat at Kingtiger … their happy hour! Aside from the fact they serve Indian food AND Chinese food, Kingtiger is famous for their $7 sweet and sour pork dish and $5 wine!
- 32Hong Kong RestaurantGreymouthHong Kong Restaurant specialises not only in Chinese food but fish and chips too! The spring rolls are my favourite starter dish on the menu, oh, and the burgers on the main menu are so good.
- 46Sampan RestaurantGreymouthI love Sampan! The chicken and corn soup is to die-for and the deep fried wontons are so filling and delicious. A great place for the family, a group of friends or a romantic one-on-one.
Maria R.'s
Best Thai
- 13The Thai KitchenSydenhamThai Kitchen is a great spot to breeze in for some delicious Thai. Dine or takeaway, you’ll love the fast and tasty food. Great for a casual dinner. I love the spring rolls and noodles.
- 24Chinwag EathaiChristchurch CentralA wonderful Thai-fusion restaurant, I love Chinwag’s international-style atmosphere and amazing cocktails and meals. This is a fancy night out so expect only the best service and quality of food – I love the rice paper rolls the most here.
- 310King of SnakeChristchurch CentralAn amazing restaurant that is hard to beat, King of Snake does delicious Thai-fusion meals including some fantastic vegetarian options. Their spinach leaves are the best, and so are the beef wontons. Yum!
- 42Charming ThaiAshburtonA great place to stop off on a road trip, Charming Thai is cheap and good. Dine in or take away. The food is very affordable so you can order a lot and take home the extras for lunch.
- 51Sukhothai RestaurantTimaruA fantastic Thai restaurant where the stir fried beef noodles are truly superb. The full licensed bar is a great place for lunch or to grab some tasty Thai takeaways on your way home.
Maria R.'s
Best Thai
- 12Thai Crom RestaurantCromwellA fun place to dine, I love Thai Crom for their genuine Thai food and great atmosphere. They pair your meals with mostly Central Otago Wines so you can expect the best food washed down with the best drinks too! I particularly like the chicken satay sticks as a way to start my main.
- 22@Thai QueenstownQueenstownI love At Thai for their swift service and delicious Thai food. Their genuine and delicious Thai is always a treat and I love their friendly atmosphere. Try the pad Thai, steamed white rice and Thai omelet.
- 32Thai Siam RestaurantWanakaSeek this place out whenever you’re in Queenstown. Thai Siam has a whole wide range of amazing Thai dishes. The spice beef salad is a highlight and so is the sweet and sour pork
- 41Thaitanium Restaurant & CaféFranktonA great name for a Thai restaurant and a fantastic place to dine, Thaitanium is satisfying and affordable, and is the place to go for fried rice and noddles. If you’re after something savoury, they do cakes and baked goodies too. Their coffee making skills are pretty great too!
- 52Thai Land RestaurantNorth DunedinIf you like hot chili fish and pineapple fried rice then you’ll love Thai Land in Dunedin. I love this place for a quick Thai fix and is great for takeways!
Maria R.'s
Best Thai and Japanese food
- 11Thai Saigon RestaurantInvercargillThis Thai restaurant is one of my favourites in Invercargill. Their set menu is a steal at $28 and features five varieties of mains including my favourite … chicken pad Thai! Great for lunch, dinner or takeaways.
- 21Thai DeeInvercargillIf you want an authentic taste of Thailand in Invercargill then I always find that Thai Dee is hard to beat. The modern restaurant is scattered with traditional items from Thailand. Their stir fried noodles are really good, and so is their pork massaman!
- 33Kims Sunshine SushiInvercargillFor consistently fantastic sushi and cooked Japanese meals then it’s hard to best Kims Sunshine Sushi. Their service and atmosphere are authentic and their sashimi is so fresh and delicious. I love the fresh salmon sushi here too!
- 42Bonsai RestaurantInvercargillJapanese food is really popular in Southland and a local favourite (and my favourite) is Bonsai Restaurant in Invercargill. Their chicken karaage on rice is ridiculously tasty especially mixed with their classic mayonnaise.
- 51Bento InvercargillInvercargillThe food at Bento is healthy and authentically Japanese. I love their fun atmosphere and I’m a massive fan of their chicken sushi and miso soup. A great place for lunch and is really easy on the wallet too!
Maria R.'s
Best vegetarian
- 13Gibbys CafeWestportI love Gibbys Cafe. This vegetarian-friendly cafe has a fantastic all-day breakfast and amazing lunch options sans meat including sandwiches and omeletes.
- 27Stella CafeHokitikaThis simple and classic cafe makes some delicious vegetarian dishes including nachos, cheese toasties and burritos. I love this place because they have vegan versions too!
- 31Drifters Cafe RestaurantWestportFamous for their whitebait patties, although if you’re a vegetarian you can still indulge at Drifters. Try the veggie burgers and chips - they’re the best!
- 44Ocean View RestaurantHokitikaAn amazing restaurant! I love Ocean View for their excellent views of the ocean, fast and friendly service, and their veggie dishes. The vegetarian pizzas are the best especially washed down with their cocktails!
Maria R.'s
Best vegetarian
- 17Circadian RhythmDunedin CentralA fantastic vegetarian and vegan restaurant in the heart of Dunedin, I love Circardian Rhythm’s selection of cuisines and their all-you-can-eat buffet!
- 22The Joyful VeganDunedin CentralI love the Joyful Vegan. This food truck in the Otago Farmers Market is awesome for their cruelty-friendly desserts and savoury delights.
- 31Burt.RitosWanakaBurts is the best. This gorgeous wee caravan serves burritos and man are they delicious! Luckily they have an amazing vegetarian burrito and a vegan option too!
- 43Caribe Latin KitchenQueenstownI love Caribe Latin Kitchen for their vegetarian-friendly Mexican dishes. The nachos, burritos and tacos all come without meat and dairy (if you wish!). I love the colourful service here too.
- 59FergburgerQueenstownIf you’re a vegetarian and craving a burger then there’s only one place to go in Queenstown … the world famous Fergberg! Their burgers can be made vegan too!