Golden Century
What does one say about Golden Century? It’s a hospitality dynasty that never closes, housing more live seafood than Sydney aquarium. An institution for the ages.
Walking down George Street on our way to Golden Century, a crew of 10 with an appetite of an army, excited for the meal ahead. As I walked up the stairs and through the glass door time machine, warping you back to 1980s white table cloth dining scene, looking around at the endless fish tanks housing the most premium of seafood.
Being shuffled in the lift and escorted to level three, where we were greeted with a large round table situated in a private dining area. Almost pulling my bicep as I picked up the menu, I turn the first page which displayed the most loved dishes from some of the world’s most decorated chefs, including local hero Dan Hong and momofuku creater David Chang.
First round of wine poured, the food soon followed. Chicken and corn soup started flooding the table, followed by a title wave of pippies laying on a bed of crispy noodles. Fried rice, salt and pepper pork ribs, fried bread, scallops with XO sauce and salmon sashimi was all delivered and instantly attacked.
To understand what Chinese food is all about, this was the best example. A lazy Susan overflowing with food, being rotated by the hungry patrons around the table, playing a game of wheel a fortune, spinning for the greatest prize on the board, in this instance the beloved pippies.
As the wheel kept spinning, and wine pouring, conversation was loud, with everyone’s chopsticks attacking the large plates of deliciousness which laid in front of us. Before we knew it the food had vanished, only leaving some empty shells and coatings of residual fat glistening on the plate.
As we all laid back with our bellies sky high, wiping away any evidenced off my face from the feast, we were offered cheese to finish the meal. Although finishing with cheese in a chinese restaurant is odd, its cheese! We also had some red wine left, so it would have been criminal not to accept. Although a strange combination, it was a perfect way to end the meal, accompanying the rich and juicy shiraz. This experience being another example as to why this restaurant has lasted the devil of time, not following traditional sequence of service one might expect.
This venue is like no other you will experience in Sydney, it’s a venue that has served powerful politicians, actors, athletes, world famous chefs and drunk patrons keen for a midnight xo pippies fix on the way home from their day of joyous activities. There is no fancy plating, it’s just delicious fresh produce, cooked in a piping hot wok and served steaming and full of umami.
It’s an institution that has lasted the devil of time in what is a cut throat industry, through its persistence to keep the fundamentals of delicious fresh food and friendly professional service, offering some of the finest Chinese food the city has to offer. A true icon on the Sydney restaurant scene.
