Pothichor brings authentic Kerala cooking to Upper Riccarton, serving the flavours of India's south-west coast from a cosy spot on Riccarton Road. The name refers to the traditional banana-leaf packed meal of Kerala, and the restaurant stays true to that spirit: food cooked slowly, spices balanced with care, and guests welcomed with the warmth of a Kerala family feast. Every plate draws on traditional South Indian techniques and recipes that honour generations of home cooking.
The kitchen works with small-batch spice combinations inspired by Kerala kitchens and family memory, relying on slow simmering, careful tempering and handcrafted prep done fresh each day. From banana-leaf inspired meals to comforting classics, the aim is to deliver the depth of Kerala culinary heritage to Christchurch without compromise.
Guests consistently point to the biriyani and appam as tasting like home, while the fish fry and kothu parotta earn particular praise, alongside masala dosa and the puttu biriyani that feature in the restaurant's own gallery. Reviewers highlight generous portions and an impressive spice balance, calling it a standout South Indian spot in Christchurch.
Beyond the food, Pothichor leans into what it calls the Kerala Experience: authentic spices, traditional technique, family recipes and South Indian hospitality that feels familiar, generous and unmistakably Kerala. You can dine in, collect a takeaway, or order ahead by phone, and there is a sister branch in Rolleston for those south of the city.
On Riccarton Road in Upper Riccarton, Pothichor is doing something refreshingly specific: cooking the food of Kerala, the spice-rich coastal region on India's south-western shore, with the care of a home kitchen rather than the shortcuts of a takeaway. Even the name is a promise. Pothichor refers to the beloved banana-leaf packed meal of Kerala, and the restaurant is built on the same spirit as a Kerala family feast — food cooked slowly, spices balanced with care, and guests welcomed with genuine warmth.
Everything on the plate reflects traditional South Indian techniques, fresh ingredients and recipes that honour generations of home cooking. The spice blends are made in small batches, inspired by Kerala kitchens and family memory, and the kitchen relies on slow simmering, careful tempering and handcrafted prep done fresh each day. That patience shows up in the results: the depth of Kerala culinary heritage, brought to Christchurch without compromise.
For anyone who grew up with this food, the effect is immediate. One reviewer put it simply — the flavours reminded them of home in Kerala, especially the biriyani and appam. Another praised the warm staff, generous portions and incredible spice balance, calling Pothichor a standout South Indian spot in Christchurch.
The guest reviews read like a cheat sheet for a first visit. The Kerala biriyani is the dish people return to, layered and aromatic, and it pairs beautifully with soft appam. Seafood fans should look straight to the fish fry, which one guest described as exceptional, as was the kothu parotta — the satisfying Kerala-style classic of chopped parotta tossed through with flavour.
The gallery gives a sense of the kitchen's range: masala dosa crisp and golden, and a puttu biriyani that shows how playful the kitchen can be with tradition. And at the heart of it all are the banana-leaf inspired meals, the fullest expression of what the restaurant is about — comforting Kerala classics served like home.
Pothichor frames its offering around four pillars. First, authentic spices: small-batch combinations inspired by Kerala kitchens and family memory. Second, traditional technique: slow simmering, careful tempering and handcrafted prep done fresh each day. Third, family recipes: rooted in home cooking and preserved through generations. And fourth, South Indian hospitality — warm service that feels familiar, generous and unmistakably Kerala.
That last pillar matters as much as the food. This is the kind of place where the welcome is part of the meal, where portions are generous and the spice is balanced with a deliberate hand rather than dialled up for effect. It is comfort food in the truest sense: the food of home, whether or not Kerala is your home.
Pothichor keeps family-friendly hours split across lunch and dinner: the kitchen opens from midday to 3pm and again from 5pm to 9pm, Monday through Saturday, and closes on Sundays. You can dine in, collect an order, or call the Riccarton Road branch on 03 341 6700 to arrange a pickup — the restaurant's online ordering for the Christchurch branch is listed as coming soon, so phoning ahead is the reliable route.
If you are south of the city, there is a second branch on Chaucer Street in Rolleston, keeping the same hours and the same kitchen philosophy. Either way, the promise is the same: authentic Kerala flavours, crafted with tradition and heart, served with warmth. As the restaurant itself puts it — bring Kerala home tonight.