Quiet Nelson corner becomes street food destination
Tucked into a tired-looking suburban road, Street Food on Washington is easy to miss – and that, owner Ben Smith says, is both “a blessing and a curse”.
The small family-run eatery has quietly built a loyal following in a low-decile neighbourhood that sits under one of Nelson’s most affluent suburbs.
Now, after a major refit and a push to turn the once takeaway-only joint into a fully fledged restaurant, Smith says the gamble is finally starting to pay off.
“It’s a curse because we don’t get foot traffic. We’re a destination,” he said. “But it’s a blessing because people who find us treat it like a hidden gem.”
The hospitality venue on Washington Rd is very much a family affair.
Smith runs the kitchen; his wife Bridget is “the real boss”; Connor, 21, is sous chef; Ethan, 19, runs the food truck; Liam, 17, is trainee chef and co-creator of the chilli-heavy dishes, and Hannah, 16, works front-of-house.
All of them still live at home, along with partners. “There’s usually about 10 of us in the house.”
Smith, who was named a top 10 finalist of 170 entries in the 2024 Great NZ Toastie Takeover for his Pickled Philly, said the family moved from Auckland to Nelson with grand ideas just three months before Covid hit.
They sold up and left behind a dry-cleaning pick-up business, alongside Smith’s high-end chef career.
But, after several failed gigs in local kitchens and financial stress that left him feeling like their new life was “unravelling”, he passed the small ex-dairy in Washington Valley that had briefly been a vegan café.
“I honestly thought there might not be any restaurants left after Covid. So we went all in on takeaway, international street food, Uber and Deliver Easy.”
He stripped the space bare and opened with no seating – just a door, a counter, and a constantly changing menu of street food from around the world.
He said lockdowns turned out to be an unlikely lifeline, with his “ghost kitchen” pumping out delivery orders. As restrictions eased, Smith slowly dragged in tables and benches.
The place has slowly gained a reputation for big flavours and weekly specials – fusion twists on global street food, with each continent represented on the menu.
The pad thai, made with his own sweet chilli sauce and high-heat wok “char”, quickly became a staple.
A rebuilt Bedford ambulance now operates as their food truck at events. Smith said it helped people discover the business, but often earned little for “17 or 18 hours of slog”.
Recently, with support from the landlord and the “not-so-silent business partner” ‒ Smith’s mother in the UK ‒ they closed for six weeks to refit the space, reopening under a new look.
They hoped to be granted a liquor licence in the new year, but for now, diners could enjoy BYO with no corkage fee.
His intention had always been to keep the menu affordable as to not “scare off the locals who use this as a treat spot”, with everything made in-house.
“Breads, sauces, corn chips. I’d rather keep the food honest and fair than charge 40 bucks a plate.”
By Nina Hindmarsh, Nelson Mail
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