Great meal. Asked for a Thai dish that wasn’t on the menu but similar to something they did make, it’s a true Thai dish almost identical to what you’d find in Chiang Mai.
Brilliant meal! Went on Saturday night with friends and we all thought the food was excellent. Very traditional Thai. We will definitely go back. Well done.
Brilliant atmosphere and authentic thai! Only thai place I've been to that is authentic. I always get garlic beef and phad thai (only one that has all the right ingredients)
It seems there are very mixed reviews of Sema's though as of now it seems to be heading in the right direction. I've been there 3 times which all of which has made me wanting more. Every curry on that menu is amazing, anyone who likes traditional Thai food shouldn't want anything else. The cashew chicken is packed with juicy and great veggies. I've heard only good things of the Pad Thai and anything with the signature satay sauce. The portions are perfectly sized and pricing is ridiculously cheap. It says its approx $80 for two however with two entrees, two mains and a desert my bill was about $50. For lunch, all you need is one main and nothing else, which mains are $13.50 for the whole menu (the pricing on the photos and estimate pricing for two need to be recalculated). Overall the service is very friendly, the atmosphere is welcoming and the price and food is an absolute stand out.
They offer one of the better Thai menus in town. The wow factor here are the dishes that you're not going to get elsewhere at Christchurch's many other mundane Kiwi- Thai outlets. The service is a touch simpering and the lighting verges more on dark than romantic. Those minor factors aside the menu is well worth putting your bum on a seat.
Delish! This has long been our favourite Thai in Christchurch🙂 Really enjoy the great range of dishes. Perfect for a date or larger groups. Sema is byo too.
One of very few Thai restaurants where the food actually tastes like 'Thai' and least modified for local appetite. Overall great Thai food with fresh ingredients, herbs and complex flavours. I especially love their lunch menu - variety of selections including the unique Thai noodles. Will be looking forward to trying out the dinner menu someday which appears to be much more extensive.
No matter how good or bad the reviews are, at least it tastes thai. When I eat there, I know I'm having thai food in a thai restaurant. The food is not fantastic, but still acceptable or actually delicious. The price is reasonable.
Kind of a hit and miss place. Anything with their peanut sauce is amazing (it's my go to comfort food) but whenever I order with a friend I end up with the best dish by far! The prices are also a bit steep for what you get- especially if you end up with a not so good dish!
I give them 5 stars just for their tom yum soup. Oh I can't get it out of my mind. I've been there now 4 times and really it's just to gulp down that delicious tangy Tom yum. Everything else is quite average really, nice but nothing special, but maybe that's just Thai food. Not sure. I thought maybe there'd be more coriander in the food since my Thai recipe books don't seem to have one recipe without it.! Quite cramped for big groups..like really cramped, but I guess they're just meeting demand as it's been full every time I've gone there. Considering the limited space they have, they could do with buying a much smaller baby chair.
Best Thai takeaway I've had in a long time. Dine in not so great, interior is a bit tired. Still, love the food.
This place rocks, yummy food, always fresh, service has been great every time I have been, which is often... they call back if i leave a message. Reasonably priced, lunch is great, especially if you are in a hurry. The only thing I would like to see would be being able to choose what you want for mixed entrees and enough for the people dining instead of four curry puffs for five people, bring five out....cos it's really a sharing restaurant... it's so good.
Sema's turned out to be one of our best eating experiences in our recent visit to Christchurch. Very much a take away come restaurant and the service reflected that , e.g. we had to ask for a drinks menu. However apart from that the food was great, verging on cheap certainly would go back.
So good have had takeaways from there a number of times and also dined in. Love there lunch specials. Had garlic prawns takeaway it was so good and I think it was duck curry yum definitely recommend it.
Went here tonight. The atmosphere and the decor was nice, not too busy and not too quiet. I ordered the vegetarian green curry and it didn't state how spicy it would be, but wow it was pretty spicy even though I enjoy spicy food. Overall the green curry was very tasty with lots of veges!
Amazing Pad Thai - best in town. Came with crunchy pieces of cashew nuts. The spring rolls left a bit to be desired though (very small and barely any filling). Still tasty though. Service was excellent and decor was very nice. Am going again tonight !
This is by far the best thai place in town used to get takeawys there at least 2 or three time a week unfortunatly only once a week now as I don't live as close.
I usually get the tofu yum it is amazing I would recomend anyone who like great vegetarian food or fresh thai salads try this dish, their currys and pad thai are also good (just would like to suggest the the person who wrote the reveiw before me trys this place again as they clearly had a very rare bad experience either that or they wouldn't know good thai if it ran them over) admittedly this place is more traditional than alot of other Thai places around so it you like crappy westernised asian food this place may not be for you but if you like amzing authentic thai then try Sema Thai you will not regret it
Sema's is an exceptional Thai restaurant and takeaway. Amazing taste and rich in flavour. Takeaway wait time is approximately 15-20 mins on an off peak night because the food is cooked fresh. Well worth it, though. Best Pad Thai I've ever tasted. Thanks and well done!
First time I ever had Thai food and I enjoyed it very much, the staff were very friendly just waited a while for dishes to come out but it was worth it :)
Fantastic for vegetarians and vegans - more veg options than any other Thai place I know of in Chch. (28 on th emenu) They understand about not using fish sauce and are very friendly.
Tried Sema's cuisine for the first time and it was super yummy!!!
Especially loved the pad thai, larb moo and black soup with noodles. Highly recommended
What a fantasic restaurant, staff are so friendly and the food quite delicious, perfect sizes and they have no problem if you over order and want to take a doggie bag. You can take BYO for wine only which saves on the bill, but it really is not expensive. Not sure if I should really be writing a review as this place should be kept a secret so that it does not change! Be warned though that it is very busy so you will need to book.
probably would rate this the best tasting thai restuarant in chch based on my experience to date. Best as in closest to authentic thai food, but still adapted for the kiwi sweet tooth. Service and atmosphere great, Pitty not open on Sundays.
Everytime we go it's great! Fantastic value, fantastic food, great service. Totally recommend Sema's
I have been multiple times to this restaurant & it is really good. Value for money but also great food & service as well. Highly recommended but make sure you book first during peak times as everyone seems to be catching on to how good they are recently.....
my favourite Thai restaurant- great food and atmosphere. fantastic to have a nice casual reataurant in my local area.
Everything is beautifully cooked! Very authentic dishes you couldn’t find elsewhere too. My missus ‘go to’ for Thai dinner night now.
Great place, best Thai I've had since returning from Thailand few weeks ago.
Super friendly hard working staff
When you order, rice/noodles is separate part of your order as an option.
Will definitely be going back soon.
Good food, nice friendly staff, love authentic thai taste and real Thai spicy 🔥 nice!
Charissa Wilcoxon-Newton
+4
Nice little local Thai restaurant that was within walking distance of our motel. Staff were friendly, and our takeaway order took about 20 minutes. The place was fairly busy for a Sunday night, so it must be popular with the locals. We ordered the scallops special and a chicken noodle dish. Both were delicious.
Food was super tasty! Enjoyed the tom yum noodles and green curry. Only wish portions were larger especially since prices were abit steep. All in all was a pleasant experience and the service was excellent. Thank you!
Great place to go, good food. Unless there are larger groups, then it can be very noisy. Pick your day
![5]( "Recensione")
11th Dec 2020:
This Thai 🇹🇭 restaurant never fail to impress me. The food is always tasty and flavoursome. It is quite he authentic Thai food as you can get in Christchurch.
I ordered a mix entree platter (consists of one Thai fish cake, one chicken satay, one spring roll and one money bag) and for the main course is simmer bacon hog noodle soup... Delicious and yummy 😋
Would I go back? Yes, of course I will 😊
P/s: It was 4 stars for the last 4 years from me but as of today, I have bumped up another star ⭐ from 4 to 5 stars ⭐. Well done 👍 and I hope they keep up the good work.
Disclaimer: Please note that this review is entirely based on my personal experience at the time of the visit
(11th Dec 2020 incl previous years). You might have a different experience than me and also, the food may or may not
suit your taste.
25th Nov 2016:
One of the best Thai restaurants around. I like the duck noodle soup... Very delicious and tasty...
Good atmosphere and friendly staff. However parking will be an issue as there's limited parks around.
Would I go back? Definitely.
4th September 2017:
I had lunch at this Thai restaurant today. I had this dish called "red noodle", dry version 🍜. Comes with seafood like battered fish, fish balls and cuttlefish slices with diced cabbage. The red soup is spicy and nice.
Reasonably priced, NZD $12.50.
They also serve Chang and Singha beers 🍺🍻
Would I go back? Definitely yes
7th October 2017:
Chicken Tom Yum Kha (soup), Talay Pad Prik Sod (seafood) and Sweet & Sour Chicken.
The meals were delicious and flavoursome 😋. I wish the soup and seafood are a bit more spicy to give more "kick" in my tongue and mouth 😰.
Would I go back? Definitely yes
24th Nov 2017:
I had Fish Air Sac Soup for the first time today and it was marvellous. It looks like hot and sour soup but it is not spicy. The texture is smooth and flavoursome.
It came separately with a small bowl of Vermicelli and you can either eat it separately or add it into the soup. I suggest you put it into the soup as it will be tastier! 😋
Would I go back? Of course 😁
Delicious food, appropriate portion sizes, good for larger groups and friendly staff that was very accommodation. Highly recommend.
Authentic Thai cuisine well established in the St Albans community. Requires prior booking in the weekend due to popular demand. Staff are welcoming and polite. Entreé of chicken satay is second to none. We ordered fried fish fillets with 3 flavoured sauce (Pla Tod 3 rod), Stir-fried beef with cream cheese (not so traditional but has its Stroganoff fusion) & deep-fried tofu salad (yum tao hoo tod). Great to see those Thai names written out in English pronunciation so people don't just order translated dishes like Green curry, Yellow curry etc. Sticky rice with mango (Kao Neuy Ma Muang) is a must for dessert.
Best Thai food I have ever tasted. Ordered the Massaman Lamb Curry. Divine, with a bottle of red.7 Service outstanding. The family who run it have been doing so for 22 years. Obviously a very popular place to dine. Thank you!!
Tasty food! Great service. Will be back to try as many meals as I can.
Excellent food and service . Will definitely be back.
Nice food, love the fish dishes & duck curry
Good customer car park. Wonderful Thai food.
Always a nice meal and good presentation.
The menu is really good, with clear photos and descriptions so you know what to expect. Pleasant staff.
Beautiful lunch with so many good options. Flat noodles were super tasty 😋
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