Tan's Takeaways is a Chinese takeaway at 3 Awarua Street in Crofton Downs, a small suburb north of central Wellington, and it holds a 4.3 rating on Google.
A good suburban Chinese takeaway lives on turnover: the best shops cook to order over a hot wok rather than holding food under a heat lamp, and that smoky char — wok hei — is the tell. Regulars order the dishes that move fastest, usually the Kiwi-Chinese classics such as chop suey, sweet and sour pork and fried rice, and they know to ask what's popular that night. Generous portions are the norm, so it's worth asking how a saucy dish survives the trip home.
For Crofton Downs locals, Tan's is the sort of neighbourhood shop that takes the effort out of a weeknight dinner.