Kum Pun Thai Restaurant

About Kum Pun Thai Restaurant

Kum Pun Thai Restaurant is a fully licensed Thai restaurant in Christchurch's city centre, serving traditional, modern and seasonal Thai dishes for lunch and dinner. The kitchen uses recipes passed down through generations of the chefs' families, with cooks drawn from a number of regions in Thailand, giving the menu a genuine range of flavours.

The restaurant caters to vegetarian, seafood, meat and gluten-free diners, with the same recipes and ingredients used for both dine-in and takeaway, so takeaway orders arrive at restaurant quality. It's set up as a family-friendly space with a children's-suitable menu, and also handles bookings for special occasions, banquets and functions of various sizes.

As a fully licensed restaurant, Kum Pun Thai serves alcohol with meals, though it does not allow BYO. Staff are happy to talk customers through unfamiliar menu items and to accommodate special dietary requirements, food allergies or intolerances when notified in advance.

Kum Pun Thai Restaurant: Authentic Thai Dining in Christchurch's City Centre

On Victoria Street in the heart of Christchurch, Kum Pun Thai Restaurant has built a reputation on family recipes and a genuinely wide-ranging Thai menu, serving both dine-in guests and takeaway customers from the same kitchen.

Recipes Passed Down Through Generations

The restaurant's approach to Thai food is rooted in tradition — the recipes its chefs use have been passed down through family members for generations. With chefs drawn from a number of regions in Thailand, the kitchen brings together a genuinely wide variety of flavours, and staff are happy to talk customers through any unfamiliar dishes on the menu.

A Menu Built for Every Craving

The menu runs from starters like Pad Thai spring rolls, fresh spring rolls, money bags and the house-special Kum Pun Sea Star wonton, through to a full range of soups including Tom Yum and Tom Kha in chicken, tofu and prawn versions. The stir-fry section covers a long list of styles — cashew nut, basil and chilli, oyster sauce, ginger, garlic and pepper, sweet and sour, and the classic Pad Thai — each available with chicken, pork, beef or tofu.

Curry lovers have green, red, panang and massaman curry to choose from, while the Chef Recommend section highlights the kitchen's duck and lamb dishes: Cashew Nut Duck, Roast Duck Curry with pineapple and lychee, Chilli & Basil Duck, and a Garlic & Black Pepper Lamb built around the chef's own special sauce. Salads round things out, including a Yum Seafood Salad, Spicy Beef Salad, and Larb, a minced meat salad with cracked rice and fresh herbs.

For larger groups, the restaurant offers set menu options for a minimum of four people, running through shared starters, mains and dessert in one multi-course meal — a straightforward option for celebrations or group dinners.

Dine In, Take Away, or Book a Function

Kum Pun Thai uses the same recipes and ingredients for both its dine-in and takeaway service, so a takeaway order arrives at the same quality as eating in the restaurant. The dining room is set up to be family friendly, with a menu that caters to children as well as adults, and the restaurant also caters for banquets and functions, big and small, for anyone planning a special occasion.

As a fully licensed venue, Kum Pun Thai serves alcohol alongside meals but does not permit BYO. Vegetarian, gluten-free and other dietary requirements can be accommodated — customers are asked to flag any allergies or intolerances with staff ahead of their visit.

Hours and Getting There

Lunch service runs Monday to Friday from 11:30am, with the kitchen closing at 2pm. Dinner runs seven days a week from 5pm, with the kitchen closing at 9pm. The restaurant is located at 73 Victoria Street in Christchurch's city centre, easily reached whether you're after a quick weekday lunch or settling in for a full dinner with family or friends.

With an extensive menu spanning starters, soups, stir-fries, curries and a dedicated chef's recommendation list, Kum Pun Thai Restaurant offers one of the more comprehensive Thai dining experiences in central Christchurch.

Signature items

• Green Curry Chicken
• Cashew Nut Chicken
• Kum Pun Sea Star
• Cashew Nut Duck
• Chicken Pad Thai
• Tom Yum Soup

Menu

Soup

• Tom Yum Tofu (V) — Traditional sour and spicy soup with tofu, chilli, lemon juice, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and mushroom
• Tom Yum Chicken — Traditional sour and spicy soup with chicken, chilli, lemon juice, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and mushroom
• Tom Yum Prawn — Traditional sour and spicy soup with prawn, chilli, lemon juice, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and mushroom
• Tom Kha Tofu (V) — Traditional coconut milk soup with mushroom, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and lemon juice
• Tom Kha Chicken — Traditional coconut milk soup with mushroom, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and lemon juice

Salads

• Yum Seafood Salad — Mixed seafood tossed salad in Thai spicy dressing with grape, red onion, celery and carrot
• Spicy Beef Salad (Yum Neau) — Thai style beef salad with cucumber, chilli, red onion, carrot and celery
• Larb — Minced meat salad with cracked rice, chilli, coriander, mint, red onion and spring onion

Starters

• Pad Thai Spring Roll (V) — Fried traditional Thai noodle spring roll pastry, served with tangy tamarind sauce
• Fresh Spring Roll (V) — Fresh vegetable roll with tofu, accompanied by sweet hoisin sauce
• Money Bag — Wrapped minced chicken and vegetable, served with sweet chilli sauce
• Kum Pun Sea Star — Tender minced chicken wonton sitting in Thai red curry sauce
• Chicken & Lamb Satay — Grilled marinated chicken and lamb on skewers, served with peanut sauce, toast and fresh cucumber relish
• Chicken Nibble — Deep fried chicken nibble served with sweet chilli sauce

Chef Recommend

• Cashew Nut Duck — Deep fried duck, stir fried with cashew nuts, dried chillies and vegetables
• Roast Duck Curry — Roast duck in velvet red curry with pineapple, lychee, grape and cherry tomatoes
• Chilli & Basil Duck — Deep fried duck sautéed with garlic, chilli and basil, topped with fried kale
• Garlic & Black Pepper Lamb — Chef's special sauce with crushed black pepper and fresh garlic

Curry (Chicken, Pork, Beef Or Tofu)

• Green Curry — Green curry with coconut milk, bamboo shoot, pumpkin and green bean
• Panang Curry — Panang curry with carrot, pumpkin and green bean, topped with crushed peanut
• Red Curry — Red curry with coconut milk, bamboo shoot, pumpkin and green bean
• Massaman Curry — Brown curry with potato and onion, topped with cashew nut and fried shallot

Stir Fry (Chicken, Pork, Beef Or Tofu)

• Pad Satay Sauce — Stir fried peanut sauce with vegetable
• Pad Cashew Nut — Stir fried with cashew nuts and vegetable
• Pad Bai Kraprao — Stir fried with basil and fresh chilli
• Pad Oyster Sauce — Stir fried with oyster sauce and vegetable
• Pad Ginger Sauce — Stir fried fresh ginger and seasonal vegetable
• Pad Se-Eew — Rice noodle stir fried with dark soy sauce and vegetable
• Sweet & Sour — Stir fried cucumber, tomato and pineapple with sweet and sour sauce
• Garlic & Pepper — Stir fried vegetable with garlic and pepper sauce
• Chicken Pad Thai — Rice noodles stir fried with tamarind juice, egg, leek, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts
• Fried Egg Noodle — Stir fried egg noodle with vegetable and egg
• Fried Rice — Fried rice with vegetable and egg
• Chilli & Basil Noodle — Fried rice noodle with chilli and basil

Set Menus (Group Dining, Minimum 4 People)

• Set Menu Option A — Multi-course set including Pad Thai spring roll, chicken satay, money bag, shared mains and dessert
• Set Menu Option B — Multi-course set including Pad Thai spring roll, Kum Pun sea star, money bag, shared mains and dessert

Frequently asked questions

Is Kum Pun Thai Restaurant licensed, and can I BYO?

It's fully licensed, but BYO is not permitted.

What are the opening hours?

Lunch is served Monday to Friday from 11:30am (kitchen closes at 2pm). Dinner is served 7 days a week from 5pm (kitchen closes at 9pm).

Does Kum Pun Thai offer takeaway?

Yes, the same recipes and ingredients used in the restaurant are used for takeaway orders.

Are there vegetarian or gluten-free options?

Yes, several dishes are marked vegetarian, and gluten-free options are available on request.

Can I book for a special occasion or group function?

Yes, the restaurant caters for banquets and functions of various sizes, and also offers set menus for groups of four or more.

What if I have food allergies or dietary requirements?

Staff ask that you discuss any special dietary requirements, food allergies or intolerances with them before your visit.

Is the restaurant suitable for families with children?

Yes, it's family friendly and the menu caters for children.

Tips

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• {"body":"Set menus offer a straightforward multi-course option for celebrations.","title":"Consider a set menu for groups of four or more"}
• {"body":"Lunch kitchen closes at 2pm and dinner kitchen closes at 9pm, even though the restaurant may stay open a little later.","title":"Remember the kitchen closing times"}
• {"body":"Cashew Nut Duck and Roast Duck Curry are highlighted as kitchen specialities.","title":"Try the Chef Recommend duck dishes"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Family friendly, with a menu suitable for children","dietary":"Vegetarian dishes marked on the menu; gluten-free options available on request"}