Fish kedgeree, Nikau cafe, $24.50

Nikau’s fish kedgeree is so legendary that the cafe, tucked off Civic Square, has printed the recipe on teatowels for sale.

The risotto-like dish is made with creamy, curry-spiced rice, smoked fish and boiled eggs, a sunshine yellow concoction that is absolutely divine.

At one point, the chefs tried to make it with brown rice but it was quickly rejected by fans, and makes up about a third of all orders.

Nikau cafe, 101 Wakefield St.

The dumpling queen learned to make dumplings while growing up with her mother in Hong Kong, and set up her dumpling house in Wellington in 2012 with two manual pasta machines.

House of Dumplings, 117 Taranaki St.

Market fish and shellfish, cooked Catalyn style, Whitebait, $38

Chef Paul Hoather says: ‘‘We make a flavoursome fishhead and shellfish stock broth, spiked with local white wine and local olive oil.

‘‘We spike it with a little saffron to give it that Mediterranean feel.

‘‘We thicken the stew with a romescada, which is a blend of preserved red peppers from the summer, thickened with seasonal New Zealand nuts,’’ Hoather says.

‘‘For a unique touch we cook the broth over manuka and charcoal in our Josper oven to create some complex smoky notes as well.’’

Whitebait, 1 Clyde Quay Wharf.

Assam Laksa, Little Penang, $14.90

Since 2011, Tee Chiew Phee and her husband Keith have been serving authentic Malaysian food on Wellington’s Dixon St.

They import their herbs and spices from Penang, including the ginger bud that adorns their Assam Laksa.

The local Penang dish is a fishbased broth, sweet, hot and sour, garnished with fresh fish, and topped with fresh pineapple, fresh herbs, and the legendary torch ginger bud. Delicious.

The catch? It’s only available on Thursday.

Little Penang, 40 Dixon St.

Garage Project beer, Garage Project taproom, price depends on brew.

Wellington is officially the craft beer capital so a mention of our top tastes in the city can’t ignore the frothy ale.

Our pick is Garage Project’s line-up of tasty brews, and there’s no better place to taste a Golden Ale or an Angry Peaches than on boho Aro St. You can sample 18 taps and two cask beers at Garage Project’s taproom.

Project taproom, 91 Aro St.