Hei Restaurant

About Hei Restaurant

Hei sits at 126A Cuba Street in Te Aro, right in the thick of Wellington's most eclectic dining strip. It's a modern Asian restaurant that takes familiar regional dishes — Sichuan, Cantonese, Southeast Asian — and gives them a contemporary, fusion-leaning twist, positioning itself as an easy entry point for Kiwis wanting to explore Asian cuisine without a rigid, single-country menu.

The kitchen runs a large shared-plates "To Share" menu spanning wok-tossed classics (Kung Pao Tofu, Yuxiang Beef, Mala Chicken), slow-cooked showpieces (12-hour Galbi Beef Short Ribs, a full Peking Duck with pancakes), and lighter steamed and fried dumplings and won tons. A dedicated Baos section, salads built around fresh Asian herbs and fruit, a small dessert list, and rice/side dishes round out the food offering.

Drinks get equal attention, with a full cocktail list built around Asian ingredients (yuzu, matcha, lychee, Shaoxing, sesame), a New Zealand-leaning wine list by the glass and bottle, tap and bottled beers, and a mocktail and coffee selection for anyone not drinking.

Hei can cater to dietary requirements and is wheelchair accessible, and it opens for both lunch and dinner service Monday to Saturday.

Hei: Modern Asian Flavours on Wellington's Cuba Street

A gateway to Asian flavours on Cuba Street

Halfway along one of Wellington's liveliest strips, Hei has set itself up as a place to explore Asian cuisine through a modern, fusion-minded lens. The team describes it as building a bridge for Kiwis into the rich diversity of Asian cooking, taking traditional dishes and reworking them with contemporary technique and presentation rather than sticking rigidly to one country's menu.

That shows up clearly in the food. Sichuan heat turns up in the Mala Chicken and its peppercorn crunch, and in the Yuxiang Beef's spicy-tangy stir fry. Cantonese technique anchors the Char Siu and the whole Peking Duck, carved to order with pancakes, cucumber, spring onion and hoisin. Elsewhere the kitchen leans Southeast Asian, with an Assam Fish built on a sour, spicy tamarind base, and a Prawn Salad dressed in Thai flavours with fresh herbs and peanuts.

What Hei is known for

The "To Share" menu is the heart of the experience — a long list of small and mid-size plates designed for grazing across a table rather than one dish per person. The 12-hour Galbi Beef Short Ribs and the similarly slow-cooked pork belly in the Signature Bao both point to a kitchen that leans on long cook times to build flavour before finishing dishes on the grill or in the wok.

Dumplings get real attention too, with pork, beef and vegan pan-fried versions alongside steamed Silken Vegetable Dumplings and deep-fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings. The bao list runs from the pork belly Signature Bao through to a market-fish Fresh Catch bao and a fully vegan option built on a pumpkin bun, so there's a version for most tastes and dietary needs.

Signature dishes and drinks

The Peking Duck stands out as the menu's most theatrical dish, while the Signature Bao and Galbi Beef Short Ribs are the plates built around Hei's slow-cooking approach. For something spicier, King Prawns in a creamy, sour lemongrass sauce and the XO Eggplant with shrimp and pork mince both showcase the kitchen's layered sauce work.

The drinks list is just as considered. Cocktails draw on the same pantry as the kitchen — yuzu, matcha, lychee, Shaoxing wine, sesame — in drinks like the house Hei Lychee Martini, the savoury Martini Sounds Good, and the coffee-forward Annam Coffee. A New Zealand-focused wine list covers bubbles, orange and rosé, whites and reds by the glass and bottle, and there's a full mocktail, kombucha and coffee range for anyone skipping alcohol.

Dietary needs, accessibility and the experience

Hei can cater to dietary requirements, with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options clearly marked throughout the menu using a V, Veg or GF tag, and several other dishes available in a vegan or gluten-free version on request. The venue is wheelchair accessible, making it a straightforward option for groups with mixed accessibility needs.

Service runs lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday, with the space closed on Sundays. Note that a 15% surcharge applies on public holidays. Whether it's a shared plates dinner with cocktails or a quicker lunch off the same kitchen, Hei's pitch is modern Asian food built for exploring rather than sticking to one familiar dish.

Signature items

• Signature Bao
• Peking Duck
• Galbi Beef Short Ribs
• King Prawns
• Hei Lychee Martini
• XO Eggplant

Menu

Baos

• Signature Bao — 12 hours slow cooked pork belly with sesame mayo, hoisin ketchup, pickles and salad
• Heihei — Fried chicken with black vinegar glaze, pickles, mayo and salad
• Fresh Catch — Fresh fried market fish, crispy seaweed, pickles, sesame mayo, tartare sauce and salad
• Vegan — Eggplant & tofu, pickles with vegan mayo and salad on a pumpkin bao

Sides

• Jasmine Rice
• Scallion Pancake (V) — Served with a cashew & golden syrup hummus
• Asian Greens (V*)
• Mala Fries (V) — With ponzu mayo
• Fried Mantou (Buns) — Served with balsamic vinegar & chilli oil

Salads

• Prawn Salad (GF*) — Seasonal fruit, fresh Asian herbs, sambal, red onions, tomato, bean sprouts, peanuts and Thai dressing
• Duck Salad (V*) — Seasonal fruit, fennel, spring onion, coriander, radish pickles, bean sprouts, garnished with golden wonton crisps with a plum sauce dressing
• Grilled Pork and Mango (GF) — Grilled pork neck, mango, apple, fresh Asian herbs, red onion, cherry tomatoes, radish pickles, bean sprouts, served with krupuk

To Share

• Caramelised Eggplant (V) — Fried eggplant in a caramelised glaze
• Golden Glazed Pork (GF) — Sweet and sour pork, with seasonal fruits, cucumber ribbons, and dehydrated jackfruit
• Squid — Crispy fried, served with tartare sauce
• Cauli Crunch (Veg) — Golden fried cauliflower topped with furikake, with ponzu mayo
• Cumin Lamb (GF) — Wok-tossed crispy lamb ribs with a spicy cumin rub & radish pickle
• Prawn Bites — Crispy prawn balls, chili oil velouté, and fresh bird's eye chili
• Assam Fish (GF) — Market fish with eggplants, okra, in a sour & spicy Southeast Asian tamarind sauce
• Shanghai Noodles (V*) — Stir fried noodles, bok choy, char siu, & duck in a soy & oyster sauce
• Sichuan Spicy Won Tons — Pork & prawn wontons in hot chilli oil, black vinegar, spring onions and garlic soy sauce
• Galbi Beef Short Ribs — 12 hour slow cooked beef short ribs, finished on the grill
• Peking Duck — With Chinese pancakes, fresh cucumber, red onions, spring onions and Peking hoisin
• Dumplings — Pork, beef or vegan, pan fried
• XO Eggplant — Chargrilled eggplant, shrimp, pork mince in XO sauce
• Foo's Chargrilled Chicken (GF) — Chargrilled boneless free-range chicken thighs, cucumber, and Thai dipping sauce
• King Prawns (GF) — With cherry tomatoes, in a creamy, spicy & sour lemongrass sauce, served with crispy vermicelli
• Typhoon Pork Ribs (GF) — Pork ribs stir fried with garlic, chili & black beans
• Umami Greens (GF/V) — Stir-fried eggplant, green beans in a sesame fermented bean curd sauce
• Silken Vegetable Dumplings (V) — Steamed, with a zucchini, carrots, corn & pumpkin filling, served with house made chili oil & black vinegar
• Kung Pao Tofu (GF/V) — Wok-tossed tofu, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onion, and peanuts
• Mala Chicken (GF) — Fried chicken with Sichuan peppercorn, peanuts and dried chilli
• Yuxiang Beef — Stir-fried sirloin, onion, celery, zucchini, mushroom with spicy & tangy Yuxiang sauce
• Glutinous Rice Dumplings (V) — Deep fried with tofu, mushrooms & vegetables
• Orange Chicken (GF) — Boneless fried free-range chicken, garlic, dried chili
• Char Siu — Cantonese style char-grilled pork with five spice sweet & salty soy beans

Cocktails

• Hei Lychee Martini — Gin, Manzanilla, Lychee, Peyschauds
• Martini Sounds Good — Gin, Noilly Prat, Olive Brine, MSG, Shaoxing, Scallion
• Stormy Trader — 5 Spice Gosling's, ginger, lime, honey, soda
• Suanye Sipper — Vodka, coconut, apricot
• Global Colada — Cynar, Chinola Passionfruit, lime, curry leaf, coconut milk
• Smacked Eastside — Peddler's Gin, coriander, cucumber, sesame
• Pink Lantern — Nakano Ume Spirit, coconut water, hibiscus, soda
• Smoking Dragon — Mezcal, Tequila, lime, dragonfruit, chilli
• Tiki-Toki — Toki Whisky, lime, pineapple, walnut, sour plum
• Martini-Cha — Jasmine vodka, Yuzu Umeshu, Sparkling wine
• Annam Coffee — Cognac, espresso, sweetened condensed milk, sesame
• Thank You Very Matcha — Pisco, Passionfruit, Matcha, Egg white

Mocktails

• Lychee Fizz — Lychee, Yuzu, Mandarin, Soda
• Soy Milk Coffee — Espresso, Soy Milk, Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Spicy Dragonfruit Margarita — Coconut, Dragonfruit, Lime, Chilli

Wine - Red

• TED by Mount Edward Pinot Noir, Central Otago 2022
• Zonin Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Gambellara, Italy 2024
• Frankland Estate Shiraz, Western Australia 2022
• Decibel Giunta Malbec Nouveau, Hawke's Bay (served chilled)

Wine - White

• Seresin Chardonnay, Marlborough 2023
• Urlar Pinot Gris, Gladstone 2024
• Decibel Giunta Albarino, Hawke's Bay 2024
• Mount Edward Gruner Veltliner, Central Otago 2018
• Bryterlater "Svelte" Riesling, North Canterbury 2025

A Sweet Finish

• Coconut & Caramel (V) — Coconut vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, and caramelised toasted walnuts
• White Chocolate Panna Cotta — With fresh berries, berry compote & almond crumble
• Coconut Mousse — With passionfruit pulp & pineapple compote

Beer - Draught

• Sapporo Lager 5%, 425ml
• Thatcher's Cider 4.8%, 425ml

Wine - Bubbles

• Huia Blanc de Blanc, Marlborough 2019
• Vallformosa Classic Brut Cava, NV

Wine - Rose & Orange

• Bryterlater "Brambles" Orange Pinot Gris, Central Otago
• Fromm Rose, Marlborough 2022

Beer - Bottled (330ml)

• Gisborne Gold Lager 3.8%
• Gisborne Green Pilsner 4.8%
• Kirin Ichiban Lager 5%
• Parrotdog Birdseye Hazy IPA 5.8%
• Parrotdog Greyhound Low Carb Hazy IPA 4.3%
• Garage Project Cereal Milk Nitro Stout 4.7%
• Garage Project Fugazi Hoppy Session Ale 2.2%
• Kirin Hyoketsu, Peach Vodka Soda 6%
• Tiny 0% Hazy IPA
• 0% Lager

Non-Alcoholic & Coffee

• Antipodes Sparkling Mineral Water 500ml
• Antipodes Sparkling Mineral Water 1L
• Juices — Orange, apple, or pineapple
• Sodas — Coke, lemonade, or ginger beer
• Karma Drinks Kombucha, Ginger Lemon
• Karma Drinks Kombucha, Mango & Passionfruit
• Tea
• Long Black
• Americano
• Short Black
• Flat White/Latte/Cappuccino
• Mochaccino
• Hot Chocolate
• Matcha (hot or iced) — Agave or sweetened condensed milk; soy/oat milk extra $1

Frequently asked questions

What cuisine does Hei serve?

Modern Asian fusion, drawing on Sichuan, Cantonese and Southeast Asian cooking styles with a contemporary twist.

Where is Hei located?

126A Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington.

What are Hei's opening hours?

Monday to Saturday, lunch 11.30am–2.30pm and dinner from 5:00pm. Closed Sundays.

Does Hei cater for dietary requirements?

Yes, the menu is marked for vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, and the restaurant can cater to dietary requirements.

Is Hei wheelchair accessible?

Yes, Hei is wheelchair accessible.

Is there a surcharge on public holidays?

Yes, a 15% surcharge applies on public holidays.

Can I book a table at Hei?

Yes, bookings can be made through the Book page on Hei's website.

Tips

• {"body":"The To Share menu is built for grazing across a table — order a spread of small plates, a bao or two, and a couple of mains rather than one dish each.","title":"Come hungry and share"}
• {"body":"Dishes are marked V, Veg or GF, and some are available vegan or gluten-free on request — worth flagging when you book.","title":"Check the allergen key"}
• {"body":"A 15% surcharge applies on public holidays, so factor that into the bill if dining on one.","title":"Mind the public holiday surcharge"}
• {"body":"The cocktail list uses Asian ingredients like yuzu, matcha and Shaoxing wine — the Hei Lychee Martini is the house signature.","title":"Try the house cocktails"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options marked on the menu; can cater to dietary requirements","accessibility":"Wheelchair accessible"}