Divine India owners Rina and Dharmesh Yadav. Photo / David Haxton
Divine India owners Rina and Dharmesh Yadav. Photo / David Haxton
With various tilts of the metal frying pan, Dharmesh Yadav expertly manoeuvres another curry around the surface. The aromas smell divine.
He’s done it countless times but every meal demands precision and concentration to get it just right.
It’s that attention to quality and consistency that has made DivineIndia one of the enduring takeaway places on the Kāpiti Coast.
Located in the Kāpiti Lights business precinct, in the heart of Paraparaumu, this popular Indian takeaway spot has been operated by Dharmesh and his wife Rina for 15 years.
The couple, who have been married for 30 years, came to New Zealand from Mumbai, India, in 2004 to manage two Indian restaurants — one in Rotorua and one in Taupō — for Dharmesh’s sister and her husband who were moving to Australia.
After both businesses were sold, Dharmesh and Rina ventured south where he worked in a fish and chip shop in Lower Hutt.
He then became manager of a new Indian restaurant in Paraparaumu, and then, less than a year later, and with residency secured, there was an opportunity to buy the nearby Curry To Go.
One of the dishes at Divine India. Photo / David Haxton
They bought the business in February 2008 and quickly changed the name to Divine India, changed the recipes, changed the decor and changed the layout.
