Cathay's Restaurant is a neighbourhood eatery at 7/11 Chalmers St in Hornby, Christchurch, holding a 4.3 rating on Google. It shares updates through its Facebook page, the handiest place to check before a visit.
A suburban restaurant lives or dies on its regulars, so watch the room: tables filling with familiar faces on a weeknight tell you more than any sign. Menus in places like this tend to be broad and family-friendly rather than fussy, so it pays to ask what the kitchen does best instead of guessing from the list. Midweek dinners are the quietest and often the most relaxed, while Friday and Saturday nights reward ringing ahead. A steady takeaway trade alongside the tables is another good sign of a kitchen that can keep up.
For Hei Hei and Hornby locals after a straightforward meal close to home, Cathay's is right on the doorstep on Chalmers St.