River's Catch is a family owned and operated fish and chip shop on Pandora Avenue in Sunnybrook, Rotorua, serving restaurant quality kai moana and more to dinner tables and picnic blankets across the city. Behind the counter are Chef Isabel and Norman: Isabel began her food journey in Manila, Philippines, where she met and married Norman, before formal culinary training in Auckland led to a career in renowned kitchens around New Zealand. Norman, meanwhile, hails from a family of gourmands where food was always at the heart of gatherings. Their promise is simple — everything made with love and intention.
The menu moves confidently between familiar comfort and creativity, from the traditional 'fush and chups' to Adobo Fish Tacos that honour where Isabel came from. Fresh local seafood and seasonal produce are at the centre of it all, infused with Filipino flavours and served in takeaway boxes designed to be shared. As they put it, every bite celebrates connection: between land and sea, heritage and innovation, family and guests.
Sustainability shapes the whole operation. Under the banner 'For the Love of Papatūānuku & Ranginui', River's Catch is a member of the Rotorua Sustainable Charter, working on responsible waste management and measuring its carbon footprint. The majority of their packaging is compostable or biodegradable, seafood comes from sustainable local suppliers, and customers are invited to help by sorting waste into the marked bins in-store.
You'll find them at 14D Pandora Ave, Sunnybrook — open Wednesday to Sunday from 12pm, Monday from 3pm, and closed Tuesdays because the team is out biking. Order online for pickup or call ahead, and follow their Facebook and Instagram for the latest.
River's Catch sits on Pandora Avenue in Rotorua's Sunnybrook, and from the outside it looks like the neighbourhood fish and chip shop every suburb needs. Step up to the counter, though — or open one of their takeaway boxes — and you quickly realise this is kai moana with a difference: restaurant quality seafood, a chef's eye for detail, and a thread of Filipino flavour running through the menu.
The shop is family owned and operated by Chef Isabel and Norman. Isabel's food journey began in Manila, Philippines, where she met and married Norman, who grew up in a family of gourmands where food was always at the heart of gatherings. Her formal culinary training in Auckland paved the way for a career in renowned kitchens around New Zealand. River's Catch is where all of that experience lands — not on a fine-dining plate, but in a takeaway box destined for the dinner table or a picnic blanket.
They believe great food is more than just nourishment — it's about creating memorable moments for people to share and enjoy. That belief shapes everything, from the way seafood is sourced to the way the menu moves between comfort and creativity. Their commitment to quality, sustainability and innovation means every takeaway box is a celebration of flavour and technique.
Their motto is 'everything made with Love and Intention', and the menu reflects it. There's the traditional 'fush and chups' — done properly, with the freshest local seafood — alongside creative dishes like Adobo Fish Tacos, which honour the essence of where Isabel came from. The pair describe every box as a thoughtful balance of familiar comfort and creativity: a menu that pays homage to the past while embracing the future.
The Tackle Box is their signature take on the family feast — a take away box loaded with restaurant quality kai moana, made to be shared. Add a scoop of chips and you have the classic New Zealand takeaway, elevated.
Sustainability isn't a footnote here — it's the heading. River's Catch is a member of the Rotorua Sustainable Charter, working on better practice, responsible waste management and measuring its carbon footprint. The majority of their packaging is compostable or biodegradable, sourced through like-minded companies such as noissue, and customers are asked to help by placing items in the appropriately marked bins in-store.
Their sourcing tells the same story: sustainable seafood from suppliers like Star Fish Supply, support for local and seasonal produce through companies such as Lux Organics, and drinks from Karma Drinks. The team sums up their mission warmly — to be part of the sustainability movement and influence others to do the same, 'one fish and a scoop of chips at a time.' As a small business, they also back their community, supporting the Rotorua Trails Trust.
River's Catch opens Wednesday to Sunday from 12pm to 8pm, and Monday from 3pm to 8pm. Tuesdays the shop is closed — the team is out biking, which feels fitting for a Rotorua business that supports the local trails trust. Skip the wait by ordering ahead through their online ordering site, call 07 347 1993, or email [email protected].
Whether you're picking up a family Tackle Box for dinner, grabbing Adobo Fish Tacos for the lakefront, or simply after a properly made 'fush and chups' in Rotorua, River's Catch delivers flavour, craft and care — land and sea, heritage and innovation, family and guests, all in one box.