Thai Orchid on Riccarton Road is Christchurch's oldest Thai restaurant, bringing a slice of Thailand to the South Island since the late 1980s. Under owners Jules and Jum, the team has brought the original spices and freshness back to this longtime icon, cooking with more than 60 years of combined traditional Thai experience — food with passion, service with love and Thai smiles.
The menu runs from simple rice and noodle dishes and classic stir-fries to Kiwi-Thai fusion and traditional recipes dating back 300 years: fragrant curries served with jasmine rice, hot-and-sour Tom Yum soup, crispy prawn-and-cheese wontons, and much-loved plates like crispy duck and sizzling beef. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options are available, and the kitchen cooks without MSG.
The recognition follows the food: TripAdvisor has ranked Thai Orchid the number one Thai restaurant in Christchurch for over two years straight and among the city's top five dining spots, with a Certificate of Excellence for 2018–2019. In summer, guests can sit outside in the beautiful courtyard next to the waterfall, and the restaurant welcomes functions, special events, takeaways and deliveries.
Step off Riccarton Road and into one of Christchurch's genuine dining institutions. Thai Orchid is the oldest Thai restaurant in the city, a place that has been bringing a slice of Thailand to the South Island since the late 1980s, and today it is once again regarded as the number one Thai dining destination in Christchurch. Under owners Jules and Jum, the team has worked to bring back the original spices, freshness and spirit that made the restaurant an icon — all delivered, as they put it, with great food, great feeling and Thai smiles.
The building itself was designed in 1988 by architect and landowner Robert Ling with a Thai restaurant in mind, and soon after, Bruce and his Thai wife founded Thai Orchid. For more than 30 years it has introduced Cantabrians to authentic Thai flavours — at one stage importing chefs and kitchen hands directly from Thailand to make sure the food stayed true to its roots. Today the kitchen carries over 60 years of combined traditional Thai cooking experience, and it shows in everything from simple rice and noodle dishes to Kiwi-Thai fusion plates and traditional recipes that go back 300 years.
The menu runs broad and generous. Start with Snax like the Orchid Wontons — crispy wontons stuffed with prawn and cheese and paired with a secret creamy sauce — or vegetarian spring rolls and house-made curry puffs. The curry list covers the classics: green curry with chicken, red curry with beef, a peanut-studded Panaeng, and the famous Massaman with coconut cream, potato, onion and cashews, all served with quality jasmine steamed rice.
Soup lovers gravitate to Tom Yum Gai, the hot-and-sour classic fragrant with galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, while the Orchid Salad pairs crispy chicken and prawn with mint, lime and coriander. Stir-fries and noodles include Pad Se-Ew, Thai-style fried rice and a Pad Peanut Sauce billed as the most popular stir-fry in New Zealand. In reviews, regulars rave hardest about the crispy duck, the sizzling beef and a lamb shank in a creamy sauce. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options are available, and the kitchen cooks without MSG.
Part of Thai Orchid's charm is the setting. In the warmer months diners can sit outside in the beautiful courtyard next to the waterfall, relaxing and unwinding over a long dinner; indoors, the atmosphere is warm and family-spirited, with a team that greets guests like regulars. One reviewer, an airline pilot who passes through Bangkok regularly, called it his favourite Thai food outside Thailand, praising a Tom Yum soup and stir-fried beef that equals or betters anywhere.
That combination has earned recognition: TripAdvisor has ranked Thai Orchid the number one Thai restaurant in Christchurch for over two years straight and among the top five dining spots of all restaurants in the city, along with a Certificate of Excellence for 2018–2019.
Can't dine in? Thai Orchid is open for takeaways and deliveries with online ordering, and the team welcomes functions, special events and anyone who simply wants to feel special. Whether it's a feast with friends, a quiet dinner for two or a lunch between 11:30am and 2:30pm, Team Orchid is looking forward to seeing you.