Imperial Indian Takeaway — Restaurant in Christchurch

I've had chicken tikka from many restaurants, but this was by far the worst experience. The only flavor I could taste was charcoal — it was overpowering, and the smell filled my entire room as soon as I opened the box. The chicken was extremely dry, hard and tasted like old, stored meat — definitely not fresh. I called the restaurant to share my concerns, but I was told, quite bluntly, that "this is our style of service" and they can't do anything about it. No apology, no offer to make it right — just complete disregard for customer feedback. Really disappointed. I won’t be ordering from here again.

I had to order Chicken Tikka from another restaurant as this one was horrible and inedible — there’s one is cooked in a proper tandoor, no gas involved — and it was full of flavour with a perfect balance of smokiness. No overpowering charcoal, but definitely that authentic tandoor touch. The taste and freshness were on point, which is why they’ve become my go-to. I’ve attached a photo so you can see for yourself.

Now about what your staff said — I never told anyone I didn't want charcoal flavour or that I preferred a gas-cooked tikka. That’s completely false, and honestly, a bit frustrating to hear. If you’re going to quote a customer, at least make sure...

Absolutely the worst experience ever. We ordered food yesterday and it was a complete disaster. The food was ripped, cold, and tasted awful. This place clearly has no idea how to treat customers — the staff were rude, disrespectful, and completely unprofessional. Instead of apologizing, they started arguing with us and saying we were wrong. How can paying customers be wrong for expecting decent food?

The kitchen is congested and unhygienic — we saw it ourselves when we went to pick up the order. If you’re vegetarian, avoid this place at all costs — they don’t clean properly and cross-contamination is clearly happening. There’s a serious risk of food poisoning here.

Also, beware — in the past, Imperial Indian blocked our Uber account after we left a 1-star review. Instead of fixing their standards, they hide the truth and silence real customers. We’re not fake accounts — we paid for the food and experienced the poor quality firsthand.

Horrible food, worse attitude, and totally unsafe. Never again, and I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone — especially not families or...

I hadn't been here before and was excited to learn of this place so close to home. Went here for first time last night thinking we might like to dine in. Although there were a couple of tables available, the place was cold, so we decided to takeout instead. The lady that greeted us was friendly and patient. I ordered lamb Rogan Josh and my friend, the lamb bhuna. Additionally, we also ordered chicken tikka and a garlic naan. Unfortunately, our food took a long time, so by the time we got it home, the rice was barely warm and the curry wasn't hot. It needed reheating. Although the flavours of my Rogan josh were really good, it was extremely watery and I had to drain the water off my plate. My garlic naan was also not great as I could not detect any garlic flavour. The chicken tikka was probably the highlight of my meal. It had charred crispy bits that were very tasty. My friend said her lamb bhuna was tasty. Also agreed that the naan lacked any garlic flavour.

I may give this place another chance in the future as Id love to be able to give them a 5...