Namasthe — welcome to Bombay Masala, a small, authentic Indian takeaway at the corner of Botanical Road and Featherston Street in Takaro, Palmerston North. For the people who run it, this little corner shop has become everything, and over the years it has won the hearts of the great people of Palmy with its tasty, authentic Indian food.
Behind the counter is an owner with more than 25 years in the food industry, including time in some of the world-renowned restaurants and hotels. He started Bombay Masala with a simple hope: to provide the true, authentic flavour of India to Kiwis.
The menu runs to more than 100 dishes, spanning the street food of Bombay (now known as Mumbai) through to some of the popular dishes of Southern India, laid out across entree and mains sections on the online menu. The team takes pride in the food and loves serving the wonderful people who come through the door.
Ordering is easy: order takeaway online through Order Meal, use the Order Meal apps on Google Play or the App Store, or phone the shop on 06-358 0714. Doors are open Monday to Saturday from 11:00am to 9:30pm and Sunday from 2:00pm to 8:00pm. The team thanks everyone who has supported the shop over the years and become part of its small family.
There is a small shop on the corner of Botanical Road and Featherston Street that means everything to the people who run it. Bombay Masala, an authentic Indian takeaway in Takaro, Palmerston North, began with a simple hope: to bring the true, authentic flavour of India to Kiwis. Years on, the team can happily say it has won the hearts of the great people of Palmy.
The greeting here is Namasthe, and it sets the tone. This is a small shop in the best sense of the word: personal, proud of its food, and genuinely glad to see you walk through the door. Regulars are treated like family, because over the years, many of them have become exactly that.
The story behind the kitchen is a big part of what makes Bombay Masala special. Its owner has worked in the food industry for over 25 years, including time in some of the world-renowned restaurants and hotels. He started this shop with a clear purpose: to give Palmerston North the real taste of India, done properly rather than approximated.
That background shows. The team takes pride in the food and loves serving the wonderful people who come through the door — and it shows in the steady stream of locals who have made this corner shop a habit rather than an occasional treat.
The menu is the headline act. Bombay Masala offers over 100 dishes, a range that stretches from the street food of Bombay — the city now known as Mumbai — to some of the popular dishes of Southern India. Entrees and mains are laid out clearly on the online ordering menu, so it is easy to browse before you order.
That breadth matters. Where many takeaways offer a familiar handful of curries, this menu covers a whole country: Bombay street snacks at one end and the distinctive flavours of Southern India at the other. It is the kind of menu you can work through over months of orders and still keep finding something new. For anyone new, the entree section is a gentle way in; for regulars, the depth of the mains list is the reason to keep exploring.
Bombay Masala is, at heart, a takeaway — the kind of place you pop into on the way home and leave with dinner sorted. Ordering ahead is simple: the full menu is online through Order Meal, there are Order Meal apps on Google Play and the App Store, and the shop can be reached directly on 06-358 0714.
Hours are generous, too. The shop opens Monday to Saturday from 11:00am to 9:30pm, with shorter hours on Sunday from 2:00pm to 8:00pm — handy for a late weekend lunch or an easy family dinner before the new week begins.
Perhaps the most telling thing about Bombay Masala is how it speaks about its customers. The team thanks everyone who has supported the shop over the years and become part of its small family — and after a visit or two, it is easy to see why locals feel the same way about the shop.
They are also open about the future: the team is constantly striving to improve its service and quality to give customers the very best experience. In a small shop, that commitment is easy to see — in the food, the welcome, and the regulars at the counter.
If you are in Palmerston North and after authentic Indian food from people who have spent a lifetime in the industry, the corner of Botanical Road and Featherston Street is a fine place to start. Namasthe — and welcome.