Tongtara Thai Restaurant

About Tongtara Thai Restaurant

Tong Tara is a Thai restaurant on Hardy Street in Nelson, with indoor and outdoor seating in a space described as warm, clean, relaxed and elegant, featuring wooden floors and big windows. The kitchen serves modern Thai cuisine, offering authentic Thai taste infused with local ingredients, including vegetarian, gluten-free and children's meals, with no added MSG in any dish.

The extensive menu spans starters, salads, soups and curries, alongside separate lunch special, dinner, non-alcoholic, dessert, set, Christmas, Valentine's, hen's and cocktail menus, plus a dedicated wine list. Dishes are clearly marked for heat level (Mild, Hot or Extra Hot) and for gluten-free or vegetarian options, letting guests tailor their meal to their preferences.

Tong Tara also offers a Take Away Menu and online ordering for guests who'd rather enjoy their meal at home.

Tong Tara Thai Restaurant: Modern Thai Cuisine on Hardy Street, Nelson

Tong Tara sits on Hardy Street in the heart of Nelson, offering a warm, clean and relaxed dining space with wooden floors, big windows, and both indoor and outdoor seating. The restaurant describes its food as modern Thai cuisine — authentic Thai flavour built with local ingredients, and made without any added MSG.

A menu for every appetite

Tong Tara's food menu is genuinely extensive, spanning starters, salads, soups and curries, with vegetarian, gluten-free and children's meals available throughout. Starters range from classic Crispy Vegetarian Rolls and Chicken Satay Skewers to a Cheesy Pork Spring Roll and a shareable TongTara Combination platter bringing together several starters at once. Salads lean into bold, spicy Thai flavours — a Yum Beef with red onion and ginger, a herb-heavy Larb Gai, and a Fish Salad made with lightly floured, fried Hoki.

Soup and curry, done properly

The soup section is anchored by Tom Yum, described as the restaurant's most popular dish, built on lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves and chilli, and available with chicken, beef, pork, tofu, prawn or seafood. A creamy Tom Kha and a Traditional Thai Clear Soup round out the options, alongside a New Zealand-specific Mussel Green Lips Tom Yum Soup.

On the curry side, Tong Tara covers the classics: a hot, creamy Green Curry, a full-bodied Red Curry, a medium-spicy Panang Curry, and a coconutty, sweet-and-savoury Massaman Curry. The Massaman treatment also extends to a standout Massaman Lamb Shank, slow cooked until tender with onion, potato and peanut. For those after more heat, the Jungle Curry skips the coconut cream entirely in favour of lime leaves, lemongrass and finger root, while a milder Yellow Curry brings sweetness from tomato and pineapple.

Marked for heat and dietary needs

Throughout the menu, dishes are clearly labelled Mild, Hot or Extra Hot, so guests can gauge spice levels before ordering, and gluten-free (G.O.A) and vegetarian (V.O.A) options are marked wherever available. Combined with the no-added-MSG approach, it's a menu built to accommodate a wide range of dietary preferences without guesswork.

More than a regular menu

Beyond the everyday food menu, Tong Tara maintains a Lunch Special Menu, a Dinner Menu, a Non-Alcoholic Menu, a Dessert Menu, a Set Menu, and seasonal or occasion-specific menus for Christmas, Valentine's Day and hen's parties, alongside a dedicated wine list and cocktail list. A separate Take Away Menu and online ordering option make it easy to enjoy the same food at home.

Visiting Tong Tara

Tong Tara is located at 142 Hardy Street, Nelson. Guests can find the restaurant on Facebook and Tripadvisor, and can get in touch by phone for reservations, takeaway orders, or questions about the menu.

Signature items

• Tom Yum Soup
• Pork Spare Ribs
• Massaman Lamb Shank
• Green Curry
• Larb Gai
• TongTara Combination

Menu

Soup

• Tom Yum — The restaurant's most popular Thai soup, with lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, mushrooms, onion, lime juice, coriander and chilli; chicken, beef, pork, vegetarian, tofu, prawn or seafood.
• Tom Kha — Creamy Thai soup with galangal, lemongrass, coriander, mushroom, onion and lime juice; chicken, beef, pork, vegetarian, tofu, prawn or seafood.
• Traditional Thai Clear Soup — Thai style bouillon with fresh vegetables, onion and mushroom; chicken, beef, pork, vegetarian, tofu, prawn, seafood or fish ball (GOA/VOA).
• Mussel Green Lips with Tom Yum Soup — New Zealand green lip mussels in tangy Tom Yum soup with onion and mushroom (GF).

Salad

• Yum Beef — Spicy Thai beef salad with red onion, celery, garlic and ginger.
• Moo Kum Wan — Thai pork salad based on sweet and chilli sauce.
• Larb Gai — Chicken mince served with Thai herbs and toasted ground rice (GF).
• Crispy Chicken Salad — Spicy Thai salad served with crumbed chicken.
• Seafood Salad — Mixed seafood spicy salad with chilli, garlic and chilli sauce (GF).
• Fried Tofu Salad — Fried tofu tossed with red onion, garlic, chilli and cashew nut (GF).
• Nam Tok — Choice of chicken, beef or pork belly tossed with tamarind sauce, ground rice, mint, red onion, spring onion and chilli powder.
• Fish Salad — Diced Hoki fish lightly floured and fried, tossed with red onion, celery, fried shallot, lemongrass and toasted ground rice with homemade tamarind sauce, topped with coriander.

Starters

• Crispy Vegetarian Roll — Vegetarian golden deep fried spring rolls (6).
• Prawn Roll — Prawn meat wrapped in thin pastry (4).
• Golden Puff — Puff pastry filled with kumara, pumpkin, potato and onion (4).
• Chicken Satay Skewer — Grilled marinated chicken skewers served with homemade peanut sauce (4).
• Fish Cake — Thai fish cakes with finely minced fish blended with curry paste, served with clear tangy peanut sauce (4) (GF).
• Lemon & Pepper Calamari — Crumbed calamari served with garlic aioli sauce.
• Coconut Prawn — Crumbed whole prawn with seasoned coconut, served with sweet chilli sauce (5).
• Pork Spare Ribs — Marinated pork spare ribs topped with grill sauce.
• Chicken Nibble — Fried marinated chicken nibbles with sweet chilli sauce (5).
• Sun Dried Pork/Beef — Deep fried marinated striped pork or beef served with chilli sauce.
• Rice Paper Fresh Spring Roll — Thai style fresh spring roll with chicken mince or tofu, cucumber, carrot, coriander and mint, served with sweet chilli and crushed peanut dipping (GOA/VOA).
• TongTara Combination (For 2) — Crispy vegetarian rolls, golden puffs, fish cakes and pork spare ribs.
• Mini TongTara Combination (For 1) — Crispy vegetarian rolls, golden puff, prawn roll and chicken nibble.
• Cheesy Pork Spring Roll — Deep fried marinated pork spring roll filled with cheese, cream cheese, onion, cabbage and carrot, served with sweet chilli sauce.
• Chicken Curry Puff — Fluffy puff pastry filled with chicken mince, carrot, water chestnut and onion.
• Grilled Pork Skewer (Thai Style) — Marinated pork mince with garlic and pepper, topped with tamarind sauce.

Curry Dish

• Green Curry — Hot creamy green curry with Thai herbs and spices simmered with mushroom, fresh vegetables and coconut cream; chicken, beef, pork, vegetarian, tofu, prawn or seafood.
• Red Curry — A classic Thai curry with bamboo shoot, mushroom and seasonal vegetables; chicken, beef, pork, vegetarian, tofu, prawn or seafood.
• Panang Curry — A medium spicy curry with mushroom, vegetables and finely chopped lime leaves; chicken, beef, pork, vegetarian, tofu, prawn or seafood.
• Massaman Curry — Traditional Southern Thai curry, coconutty, sweet and savoury, with onion, potato and peanut; chicken, beef, pork, vegetarian, tofu, beef chunk, prawn or seafood.
• Massaman Lamb Shank — Lamb shank slow cooked tender in Massaman curry with onion, potato and peanut.
• Jungle Curry — Red curry cooked without coconut cream, with lime leaves, lemongrass, finger root, mushroom and vegetables.
• Yellow Curry — A mild curry cooked with potato, ginger and onion, sweetened with tomato and pineapple.

Frequently asked questions

What cuisine does Tong Tara serve?

Modern Thai cuisine, with authentic Thai taste infused with local ingredients.

Is there vegetarian or gluten-free food available?

Yes, vegetarian, gluten-free and children's meals are available, with gluten-free options marked G.O.A on the menu.

Does Tong Tara use MSG?

No, the restaurant states there is no added MSG in its dishes.

What is Tong Tara's most popular dish?

Tom Yum is described as the most popular Thai soup on the menu.

Does Tong Tara offer takeaway?

Yes, there is a dedicated Take Away Menu along with online ordering.

Are there special occasion menus?

Yes, including Christmas, Valentine's and Hen's menus, as well as a Set Menu.

Where is Tong Tara located?

At 142 Hardy Street, Nelson, with indoor and outdoor seating.

Tips

• {"body":"Dishes are marked Mild, Hot or Extra Hot, so check before ordering if you're spice-sensitive.","title":"Check the heat level"}
• {"body":"It's described as the restaurant's most popular Thai soup.","title":"Try the Tom Yum"}
• {"body":"This starter platter brings together several popular starters at once.","title":"Order the TongTara Combination to share"}
• {"body":"Christmas, Valentine's and hen's party menus are available at different times of year.","title":"Ask about seasonal menus"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Children's meals are available.","dietary":"No added MSG; gluten-free (G.O.A) and vegetarian (V.O.A) options are marked throughout the menu, and children's meals are available."}