Gorkhali Chulo

About Gorkhali Chulo

Gorkhali Chulo brings Nepalese and Indian cuisine together on Halswell Road in Hillmorton, Christchurch — two neighbouring food traditions served from one kitchen. As the team likes to put it: Indian and Nepalese cuisine at one place, what more could you ask for?

The menu is built around the tandoor. Chicken tikka, tandoori chicken, seekh kebab and tandoori prawns arrive on sizzling platters with seasonal salad and home-made tamarind or mint chutney, alongside entrees like vegetable samosas, pakoras, chilli chicken and Manchurian. Every main comes with basmati rice — butter chicken, korma, saagwala, vindaloo, madras and more — with a dedicated Nepalese section, vegetarian dishes, naan, biryani and desserts rounding things out.

You can pre-order online for pickup, book a table for dine-in, or ask the team about catering for birthday parties and corporate events. Reviewers regularly mention large portions, punctual service and food worth ordering again.

Gorkhali Chulo: Nepalese and Indian Flavours on Halswell Road, Christchurch

On Halswell Road in Hillmorton, a short drive south of central Christchurch, Gorkhali Chulo cooks two cuisines at once. Nepalese and Indian food share one kitchen and one menu here, and the team treats that pairing as the whole point: Indian and Nepalese cuisine at one place — what more could you ask for? The menu is built around the clay tandoor and a long list of curries, with the kind of food made for sharing.

Straight from the Tandoor

Tandoor cooking shapes the entree list, and everything from that clay oven lands at the table on a sizzling platter with seasonal salad and the kitchen's home-made tamarind or mint chutney — or both. Chicken tikka comes half or full; tandoori chicken is marinated in lemon juice, ginger, garlic and spices; murg malai kebab enriches the marinade with cashews, cream and cheese. There are seekh kebabs of spiced minced lamb, tandoori prawns and achari tikka, which the menu simply calls the chef's treasure.

Two platters distil it all: the Mix Platter for two, pairing chicken tikka, seekh kebab, samosa and onion bhaji, and the Gorkhali Tandoori Platter, stacking tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, malai tikka, tandoori prawn and seekh kebab on one board.

Curries That Come with Rice

Every main arrives with basmati rice, and the list runs to fourteen curries across both traditions. Butter chicken is billed as the ever-popular choice — tandoori-cooked pieces in a creamy, rich tomato gravy — with korma, saagwala in fresh spinach, tikka masala, jalfrezi, kadai, pasanda and rogan josh close behind. Vindaloo brings the heat from Goa with vinegar and spice, madras folds in coconut milk and tomato, and the Malabari cooks prawns or fish in a cashew and coconut sauce. There is a Goa fish curry in a deeply aromatic coconut-tomato base, mango chicken for something sweeter, and Balti-style dishes with fresh vegetables. Most come with a choice of chicken, lamb, prawn, fish or beef.

Where the Two Traditions Meet

Alongside the tandoor and curry staples sit the dishes that give the menu its Indo-Nepalese edge: chilli chicken dry or in gravy, chicken or vegetable Manchurian, manchow soup, chicken lollipop and fish pakora. Vegetarians are well looked after with a dedicated section plus tandoori mushroom, vegetable samosas, mixed pakoras, onion bhaji and a vegetarian platter for two. The menu also carries naan, sides, biryani and rice, drinks and desserts, along with a Nepalese section of the kitchen's home cooking.

Ordering In and Celebrating Here

Gorkhali Chulo runs on pre-order: the online menu is for ordering ahead, with pickup from the restaurant at 4/7 Halswell Road. Dine-in tables can be booked through the website, and the team also caters for birthday parties and corporate events. Hours split across two services — lunch from 11am to 2pm and dinner from 4:30pm to 9:30pm, Tuesday through Sunday, with Mondays closed.

Customer reviews keep coming back to two themes: generosity and timing. One first-time order earned 'large portions & best of all some delicious food'; another household reported five different dishes for Father's Day, 'all delicious'. For Hillmorton locals after Nepalese home-style flavours or a dependable butter chicken, this stretch of Halswell Road covers both.

Signature items

• Gorkhali Tandoori Platter
• Butter Chicken
• Seekh Kebab
• Vegetable Samosas
• Chicken Tikka
• Goa Fish Curry

Menu

Mains

• Butter Chicken / Prawn — The ever-popular tandoori-cooked pieces in a fragrant, creamy rich tomato gravy; chicken or prawn.
• Korma — Boneless chicken, lamb or beef in a delicately rich nut gravy and yoghurt, scented with traditional flower essence.
• Saagwala — Tender chicken, lamb or prawn in fresh spinach gravy, garnished with julienne ginger.
• Tikka Masala — Grilled chicken, prawn, lamb or fish in an onion, tomato and capsicum gravy.
• Vindaloo — Hot and spicy Goan curry — chicken, lamb, prawn or beef cooked with spices and vinegar.
• Mango Chicken / Prawn — Tender diced chicken or prawn in onion and yoghurt gravy with a hint of mango puree.
• Jalfrezi — Tender chicken, lamb or prawn cooked with assorted spices.
• Kadai — Chicken, lamb or prawn tempered with coriander seed and garlic in crushed tomato, onion and capsicum gravy.
• Madras — Boneless chicken or lamb in exotic spices, coconut milk and tomato gravy.
• Malabari — Prawns or fish sautéed with onion and capsicum, cooked in a cashew and coconut sauce.
• Goa Fish Curry — Fish in a deeply aromatic coconut and tomato base sauce from Goa.
• Balti Chicken / Lamb — Boneless chicken or lamb cooked with Indian spices and fresh vegetables.
• Pasanda — Tender diced pieces cooked in a rich gravy with yogurt and spices.
• Rogan Josh — Tender diced lamb, beef or chicken in brown gravy, finished with spices.

Entree

• Tandoori Mushroom — Button mushrooms marinated in tandoori masala, tandoor-cooked with onion and capsicum.
• Manchow Soup — Offered in veg or chicken versions.
• Chicken Lollipop — Chicken wings marinated with spices and deep fried.
• Achari Tikka (6 Pcs) — Six pieces of what the menu calls the chef's treasure.
• Manchurian — Choice of veg or chicken cooked with fresh chopped tomatoes, capsicum and onions.
• Murg Malai Kebab (6 Pcs) — Boneless chicken marinated in spices, cashews and cream, tandoor-cooked with cheese.
• Chilli Chicken — Boneless chicken or shrimp with spices, onion, capsicum and soya sauce; dry or gravy.
• Tandoori Chicken — Whole chicken in lemon juice, ginger, garlic and spices, cooked in the tandoor; half or full.
• Fish Pakora — Fish marinated in spices and deep fried.
• Vegetable Samosas (2 Pcs) — Home-made pastry pockets stuffed with spiced vegetables.
• Tandoori Prawns (10 Pcs) — Prawns in mild spices, skewered and cooked in the tandoor.
• Mix Platter (2 People) — Chicken tikka, seekh kebab, samosa and onion bhaji on one plate.
• Gorkhali Tandoori Platter (For 2) — Tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, malai tikka, tandoori prawn and seekh kebab.
• Seekh Kebab (6 Pcs) — Spiced minced lamb pressed on a skewer and cooked in the tandoor.
• Chicken Tikka — Boneless chicken marinated in spices and tandoor-cooked; half or full.
• Vegetarian Platter (2 People) — Vegetable samosa, onion bhaji, mix pakora and spring roll.
• Mix Vegetable Pakoras — Vegetables battered in mildly spiced chickpea flour and deep fried.
• Onion Bhaji — Roughly cut onion dipped in mildly spiced chickpea flour and deep fried.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of food does Gorkhali Chulo serve?

Nepalese and Indian cuisine from one kitchen — tandoor-cooked entrees, classic curries, a dedicated Nepalese section, naan, biryani and desserts.

Where is Gorkhali Chulo located?

4/7 Halswell Road, Hillmorton, Christchurch 8025.

When is Gorkhali Chulo open?

Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00am–2:00pm and 4:30–9:30pm. Closed on Mondays.

Can I book a table?

Yes — dine-in bookings can be made through the Book Now page on the website, and the team also hosts birthday parties and corporate events.

Are there vegetarian options?

Yes. There is a dedicated vegetarian section, plus choices like tandoori mushroom, vegetable samosas, mixed pakoras and onion bhaji.

How do I order food to go?

Place a pre-order through the online menu on the website and pick up from the restaurant, or phone 03 338 9030 with any questions.

What comes with the mains and entrees?

All mains are served with basmati rice. Entrees come with seasonal salad and home-made tamarind or mint chutney, and tandoor dishes arrive on sizzling platters.

Tips

• {"body":"Service runs in two sittings — lunch 11am–2pm and dinner 4:30–9:30pm, Tuesday to Sunday — and the restaurant is closed entirely on Mondays.","title":"Mind the split hours"}
• {"body":"The online menu is pre-order with pickup, so place your order in advance and collect from 4/7 Halswell Road.","title":"Order ahead"}
• {"body":"The Gorkhali Tandoori Platter for two lines up tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, malai tikka, tandoori prawn and seekh kebab — a good way to taste the tandoor.","title":"Share a platter"}
• {"body":"Every main comes with basmati rice, and entrees arrive with seasonal salad and home-made tamarind or mint chutney.","title":"Rice is included"}
• {"body":"The restaurant caters for birthday parties and corporate events — make an enquiry through the website's booking page.","title":"Planning a celebration?"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Sharing platters for two; caters birthday parties and corporate events.","dietary":"Dedicated vegetarian section plus veg versions of many dishes."}