Lemongrass Kitchen is a small, independent fast food restaurant on Willis Street in Te Aro, central Wellington. The name says a lot about the kitchen's direction — lemongrass, the citrus-bright herb at the heart of Southeast Asian cooking — while the format stays true to fast food's promise: quick service, a casual setting, and food you can grab between errands or on a lunch break.
The listing keeps things simple: a central Willis Street address, a $ price range that puts it firmly in budget-friendly territory, and contact details that put you straight through to the team — a mobile number and an email address, plus their own website at lemongrasskitchen.co.nz. Hours aren't published, so the Facebook page, which carries photos, reels and the latest updates, is the quickest way to confirm they're open before you head over.
It's early days for the shop's online presence — a small but growing following and a couple of first reviews — which makes it a genuine local find: a young Wellington kitchen still writing its story, one affordable feed at a time.
Lemongrass Kitchen sits on Willis Street in Te Aro, right in the thick of central Wellington. It's a small, independent fast food restaurant — the kind of place built around quick, casual meals rather than long sittings — and it takes its name from lemongrass, the citrus-scented herb that perfumes so much of Southeast Asia's home cooking. For anyone working, studying or shopping in the city centre, it's the sort of stop that promises a fast, affordable feed without any fuss.
One of the clearest facts about Lemongrass Kitchen is its price range: $. On a listing where many details are still being filled in, that single dollar sign says a lot. Te Aro is home to some of Wellington's most talked-about — and occasionally pricey — eating, so a genuinely budget-friendly option on Willis Street is welcome news for students, office workers on a lunch break, and anyone who'd rather spend on the food than the setting. Cheap eats in the central city live or die on speed and consistency, and the fast food format is designed for exactly that: order, wait a short while, eat well, get on with your day.
Here's the honest part: the public listing doesn't yet spell out the menu item by item. The page describes Lemongrass Kitchen simply as a fast food restaurant, and while the name points firmly toward Southeast Asian flavours built around lemongrass — think of how the herb lifts curries, stir-fries, marinades and broths across Thailand, Vietnam and beyond — the precise lineup of dishes is best confirmed with the kitchen itself. Their own website, lemongrasskitchen.co.nz, and their Facebook page are the live sources for what's cooking, and they're worth a look before you visit, since new kitchens often tweak their offerings in the early months.
What the page does show is a business that's actively presenting itself: photos of the food, short videos on its reels tab, and a small but growing following of a few hundred people. Early days on social media usually mean the menu and the rhythm of the place are still settling — which, for locals, is half the fun of getting in early.
The address is 151 Willis Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011 — an easy walk from the central city's main shopping blocks, and simple to fold into a day in town. The kitchen can be reached directly on +64 22 062 9337, and enquiries — anything about the menu, larger orders or dietary needs — can go to [email protected].
Opening hours aren't published on the listing, and the page's status flips between open and closed through the week, so it pays to check the Facebook page for the latest or give them a quick call before setting out. That small step spares you a locked door and, just as usefully, gives the team a chance to tell you what's on the stove that day.
Wellington's food identity is built in large part on small, independent operators — the family-run takeaways and single-room kitchens that give each street its character. A $ price range in that landscape isn't just cheap; it's an invitation. It says the door is open to everyone: the student stretching a weekly budget, the worker after something substantial, the household grabbing an easy dinner on the way home.
Lemongrass Kitchen is at the beginning of its public story — a couple of early reviews and counting, a following still gathering, a menu waiting to be explored in person. If you're on Willis Street and hungry, it's a straightforward proposition: walk in, order something fragrant and filling, and judge for yourself. And if you like what you find, tell someone — for a young kitchen, a good word from a regular is worth more than any advert.