Auckland restaurant Satya South Indian to offer free meals on Christmas to those doing it tough

Swamy Akuthota and his wife Padmaja will again be offering free meals on Christmas Day at their Great North Rd Satya restaurant along with son Sammy. Photo / Supplied

Despite 2022 being a tough year, Auckland’s favourite Satya Indian restaurant will be opening its doors on Christmas Day for the 12th year running and providing free meals to those who have struggled this year.

Satya restaurant on Great North Rd in Auckland will be welcoming all, including the homeless, those doing it tough, and regular customers who make donations.

“This year has been pretty tough for us as well but we are still opening up our doors at 17 Great North Road for our free Christmas lunch service.

"There are no strings attached. We don't charge anything," says Samrudh Akuthota, whose parents opened their first Satya restaurant in Hobson St next door to the City Mission where they sometimes set up makeshift stands to cook for the poor.

They’ve previously hosted their free Christmas meals at a number of their restaurants, but due to financial pressures that have come from lengthy lockdowns and Covid-19 restrictions in 2021, they will be running their free lunch from Great North Road only.

However, Samrudh confirmed Sandringham’s Satya and Chai Lounge will be open but trading normally.

He advised those who are keen to not head to Karangahape Road’s Satya as it will be closed.

“This year has been pretty tough for us as well but we are still opening up our doors for lunch.”

The free Christmas meals will run between 12pm and 2pm. To make it even better, it is unlimited meaning you can enjoy as much as you can.

Satya Restaurant. Photo / Rebecca Zephyr Thomas

So what's on the menu?

This year, Christmas-goers will be treated to:

• Bone-in chicken masala curry • Fish curry south Indian • Yellow dhal curry • Basmati rice • Paratha bread • Pickles and chutneys

Looking after the community and people around you is a philosophy passed down through the generations of the Akuthota family, who moved to New Zealand in 1996.

Sammy Akuthota. Photo / Rebecca Zephyr Thomas / NZME

In an act of goodwill during the 2011 recession, Swamy Akuthota and his wife Padmaja offered free meals on Christmas Day, which has become an annual event for up to 1800 people.

Samrudh said the atmosphere in the restaurants is different on Christmas Day and people love it. Homeless people are "insanely gracious".

"People who have a tough year and feel shy, we would love to have them along," he said.

Satya is renowned as one of the best restaurants in Auckland, with the establishment making it into Cuisine’s Top 100 restaurants for 2018.