Indian Moments is a modern Indian restaurant on Marshland Road in Shirley, Christchurch, serving dine-in, takeaway and delivery from a kitchen led by two veteran chefs — Kedar Semwal with close to 25 years of experience and Arvind Baghri with 23. They cook with traditional Indian spices, fresh ingredients and time-honoured techniques, and the house rule is simple: quality, consistent food that tastes great every single time.
The menu covers both vegetarian and non-vegetarian favourites, from creamy butter chicken and paneer makhani to lamb vindaloo, lamb biryani, Dhaba Style Chicken, chilli paneer, chicken malai tikka, lollipop chicken, crispy naan bread and dosa. Heat is flexible here — you order each dish exactly as hot as you like it, so mild-dish fans and chilli chasers can happily share a table.
Beyond the dining room, Indian Moments runs online ordering for pick-up or delivery with manually confirmed orders and real-time updates on when your food is ready, plus Indian tiffin services across Christchurch and catering for all types of occasions with bespoke, customised menus. Diners rate the restaurant 'good' across more than 600 Google reviews, praising the friendly staff, generous portions, free water, huge seating area and cozy, welcoming atmosphere.
On Marshland Road in Shirley, Indian Moments has made its name with something simple: quality, consistent Indian food that tastes great every single time. It's a restaurant built for every occasion — a relaxed dine-in dinner with family, a quick takeaway on the way home, or a delivery order tracked in real time from their kitchen to your door.
The kitchen is in genuinely experienced hands. Chef Kedar Semwal brings close to 25 years of cooking behind him and Chef Arvind Baghri around 23, and together they cook with traditional Indian spices, fresh ingredients and classic techniques. That foundation shows in the range on offer: everything from creamy North Indian curries to South Indian dosa, with full vegetarian and non-vegetarian menus. The team sums up its standards in a short list — great quality food, excellent service, experienced staff, hygienic food, a healthy environment and a huge seating area — and says plainly that it won't compromise quality and taste over price.
Comfort first: the butter chicken is creamy and familiar, and paneer makhani gives vegetarians the same rich treatment. If you like heat, the lamb vindaloo delivers — and here you order your food exactly as hot as you like it, so mild-dish fans and chilli chasers can sit at the same table. The lamb biryani earns repeated praise for fragrant rice and meat so soft it melts in your mouth, while the Dhaba Style Chicken has become a guest standout that reviewers mention by name.
Starters earn their own following. Garlic prawns arrive aromatic and full of flavour, chilli chicken and chilli paneer bring the punch, and chicken malai tikka and lollipop chicken count among the menu's classic favourites. Paneer tikka and dosa round out some of the more unique choices. And don't skip the bread — diners regularly call the naan wonderfully crispy, ideal for mopping up the last of the curry.
Indian Moments is just as much a takeaway and delivery kitchen. Online ordering is enabled for pick-up or delivery, and every order is manually confirmed by the team — you can watch on-screen in real time to see exactly when your food is ready for collection or on its way. For households that want Indian food on rotation, the restaurant also runs Indian tiffin services across Christchurch.
Catering is a core part of the business, too. The team caters for all types of occasions and will customise a bespoke menu for your event, with dedicated catering lines for enquiries.
Step inside and the room is bigger than it first appears — a huge seating area with comfortable couches and chairs, a cozy atmosphere, and staff guests describe as friendly, calm and genuinely happy to talk through the menu. Water is supplied free with your meal, portions are generous, and dishes come out quickly even at peak dinner time.
The verdict from diners is consistent. Indian Moments holds a 'good' rating built on more than 600 Google reviews, with guests calling the food authentically Indian — one regular says it feels like having mum's food — and plenty promising to be back. It's a spot families return to, couples turn into date night, and takeaway loyalists order from week after week.
If you've been missing home-style Indian cooking — or you're simply after a curry night done properly — Indian Moments aims to serve it, in their own words, to every corner of Christchurch. Eat delicious food, grab a drink, and above all, relax.