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Dunedin has the area's highest concentration of good restaurants. Seafood is a big player, in part because of Dunedin's coastal location but also because of its proximity to Bluff, the home of New Zealand's great delicacy, the Bluff oysters. Many of the least-expensive options are café-like Asian restaurants; these tend to close early, around 9 pm. Locals don't usually dress up or make reservations for anything other than the most exclusive establishments.
Invercargill has a more limited selection of mostly moderately priced restaurants. Stewart Island has a reasonable selection considering its location, but in winter some places limit their hours or close.
Students crowd into this no-frills noodle bar that serves yummy, filling, and inexpensive soups and other dishes. Highlights on the lengthy menu include spicy satay chicken burgers, fried rice, bong-bong chicken, and deep-fried wantons; hot pots are another choice.
