Grand Century

About Grand Century

Grand Century has been serving Wellington authentic Chinese cuisine from Tory Street in Te Aro since 2003, when the Tai family moved from their first restaurant, New Dynasty on lower Tory Street, into the larger premises they occupy today. The family has been in the restaurant business for many years, and their vision is dishes with an unapologetically authentic taste — bold flavours running from sweet to salty, savoury to spicy.

The heart of the offer is yum cha (饮茶), served every day from 11am to 2:30pm with more than 70 different dishes to choose from: steamed dumplings, rice rolls, buns, chicken feet, pan-fried turnip cake and sweet finishes among them. Evenings bring a dinner menu of Cantonese classics and inspired regional dishes, from Peking Duck and White Cut Chicken to Sichuan Fish. In the kitchen, chefs who trained and perfected their craft in the northern regions of China all the way down to Hong Kong cook with fresh produce sourced from local farmers.

Beyond the dining room, Grand Century caters for special events with a private room and venue hire, welcomes groups larger than 12 by arrangement, and offers online ordering for those who would rather enjoy the food at home.

Grand Century: Yum Cha and Authentic Chinese on Tory Street Since 2003

On Tory Street in Te Aro, Grand Century has been a steady name in Wellington Chinese dining since 2003 — but the family behind it goes back further. The Tai family opened their first restaurant, New Dynasty, on lower Tory Street in the mid 1990s. After many years of growing that business, they moved to the larger premises up the road and opened Grand Century, and they have been serving Wellingtonians from there ever since.

A Family Story with Deep Roots

That continuity shows in the cooking. The Tai family's vision of Chinese cuisine is delivering dishes with an unapologetically authentic taste — bold flavours that run from sweet to salty, savoury to spicy. In the kitchen, chefs who trained and perfected their craft in the northern regions of China all the way down to Hong Kong cook with fresh produce sourced from local farmers. The result is a menu that spans Cantonese classics alongside inspired regional dishes, reflecting what the restaurant calls the heart of Chinese gastronomy.

You can taste that north-to-south range in a single order: the quiet, clean flavours of White Cut Chicken — slow-poached chicken with garlic and spring onion sauce — sitting comfortably beside the punch of Sichuan Fish, deep fried blue cod under a gochujang-based chilli sauce.

Yum Cha, Every Day of the Week

Yum cha (饮茶) is the heart of Grand Century. It runs every day from 11am to 2:30pm, and it is a generous, sprawling affair: over 70 different dishes, which means there is a dish for everyone at the table. Steamed prawn dumplings and pork dim sum lead into silky rice rolls — BBQ pork, prawn, beef or crispy prawn with coriander — while pan-fried turnip cake, spring onion pancakes and deep fried taro dumplings cover the crisp, savoury side. Chicken feet, beef balls and tripe cater to the traditionalists, and buns and pastries round things out: baked BBQ pork buns, egg yolk buns, custard tarts, red bean sesame balls and the ever-popular coconut buns, soft and slightly sweet with a flavourful coconut filling.

First-timers need not worry about ordering strategy — with a list that long, the pleasure is in ranging widely. From sweet and savoury to sour and spicy, the restaurant describes the experience as a road trip through the flavours of China, and the yum cha spread is exactly that.

Dishes People Come Back For

A few plates have become signatures. The Peking Duck is the showpiece: crispy duck skin served with prawn crackers, pickled daikon and carrot, spring onion and cucumber, all wrapped in pancakes at the table's own pace. The Sweet and Spicy Eggplant — deep fried eggplant chips tossed in a house-made sweet and spicy sauce — is the dish that converts the sceptics, while Spicy Prawn Dumplings arrive with a spicy green peppercorn sauce infusion. For a gentler course, the White Cut Chicken is Cantonese cooking at its most restrained and comforting.

Evenings, Events and the Wider Table

The kitchen pauses between services — yum cha ends at 2:30pm — and dinner runs from 5pm to 9:30pm, seven days a week, with the full breadth of the menu on offer. Grand Century is also set up for occasions: there is a private room, venue hire is available, and the team asks groups larger than 12 to get in touch so they can look after the table properly. Reservations can be made through the restaurant's website, and those who would rather eat at home can order online for pickup.

Two decades in, Grand Century remains what it set out to be when the Tai family moved up Tory Street: a big, welcoming room where Wellington comes for yum cha, stays for Peking Duck, and leaves already planning the next order of coconut buns.

Signature items

• Peking Duck
• Yum Cha
• Sichuan Fish
• Sweet and Spicy Eggplant
• White Cut Chicken
• Coconut Buns

Menu

Sweet Endings

• Mango Pudding — Chilled mango pudding.
• Coconut Jelly — Set coconut jelly.
• Sugar Cake — Steamed sugar cake, lightly sweet.
• Steamed Chinese Cake — Soft steamed sponge cake.
• Steamed Sticky Rice Balls — Steamed balls of sticky rice.
• Sticky Rice & Coconut Balls — Sticky rice balls with coconut.

Buns & Pastries

• Baked BBQ Pork Buns — Oven-baked buns filled with BBQ pork.
• Steamed BBQ Pork Buns — Fluffy steamed buns with BBQ pork filling.
• Baked Custard Buns — Baked buns with a custard filling.
• Steamed Custard Buns — Steamed buns filled with custard.
• Steamed Egg Yolk Buns — Steamed buns with an egg yolk filling.
• Coconut Buns — Soft, slightly sweet bread dough filled with a flavourful sweet coconut filling.
• Steamed Red Bean Buns — Steamed buns filled with red bean.
• Baked BBQ Pork Pastries — Flaky baked pastries filled with BBQ pork.
• Crispy Durian Pastries — Crisp pastries with durian.
• Deep Fried Savoury Pastries — Deep fried pastries with a savoury filling.
• Baked Custard Tarts — Classic baked egg custard tarts.
• Red Bean Sesame Balls — Sesame-coated balls with red bean filling.

Fried & Pan-Fried

• Pan Fried Pork Dumplings — Golden pan-fried pork dumplings.
• Pan Fried Turnip Cake — Turnip cake pan-fried until crisp.
• Deep Fried Turnip Cake with XO Sauce — Turnip cake deep fried and tossed with XO sauce.
• Pan Fried Taro Cake — Taro cake with a pan-fried crust.
• Deep Fried Taro Dumpling — Crisp deep fried dumpling of taro.
• Deep Fried Spring Rolls — Crispy deep fried spring rolls.
• Spring Onion Pancakes — Savoury pancakes layered with spring onion.
• Pan Fried Prawn & Garlic Chive Pancakes — Pancakes with prawn and garlic chive.
• Sweet Corn Fritters — Fritters studded with sweet corn.
• Deep Fried Squid — Squid, deep fried until crisp.
• Deep Fried Oysters — Oysters in a deep fried coating.
• Deep Fried Chicken Wings — Chicken wings, deep fried.
• Hot & Spicy Deep Fried Tofu — Deep fried tofu with hot and spicy seasoning.
• Pan Fried Stuffed Eggplant — Eggplant stuffed and pan fried.
• Pan Fried Stuffed Capsicums — Capsicums stuffed and pan fried.

Vegetables & Sides

• Sweet and Spicy Eggplant — Deep fried eggplant chips tossed in house-made sweet and spicy sauce.
• Chinese Vegetables — Greens, Chinese-style.
• Four Seasons Beans — Green beans, dry-fried style.
• Seaweed — Seaweed side dish.
• Potato Salad — Potato salad side.

Rice Rolls & Noodles

• Steamed BBQ Pork Rice Rolls — Silky rice rolls wrapped around BBQ pork.
• Steamed Prawn Rice Rolls — Soft rice rolls filled with prawn.
• Crispy Prawn with Coriander Rice Rolls — Rice rolls with crispy prawn and coriander.
• Steamed Beef Rice Rolls — Rice rolls filled with steamed beef.
• Bean Curl Rolls with Oyster Sauce — Bean curl rolls dressed with oyster sauce.
• Fried Rice Noodles — Stir-fried rice noodles.
• Steamed Sticky Rice — Steamed sticky rice, a yum cha staple.

Roasts & Hearty Mains

• Peking Duck — Crispy duck skin, prawn crackers, pickled daikon and carrot, spring onion and cucumber, pancakes.
• White Cut Chicken — Slow-poached chicken served with garlic and spring onion sauce.
• Boneless Roast Duck — Roast duck, served boneless.
• Roast Pork — Classic Chinese roast pork.
• Sweet & Sour Pork — Pork in a sweet and sour sauce.
• Sichuan Fish — Deep fried blue cod with a gochujang base chilli sauce.
• Steamed Pork Ribs — Pork ribs, steamed with yum cha flavours.
• Steamed Beef Short Ribs — Beef short ribs, steamed.
• Beef Tendons — Slow-cooked beef tendon.
• Beef Omasum — Beef omasum, a traditional yum cha delicacy.
• Beef Honey Tripe — Beef honeycomb tripe, yum cha style.
• Spicy Beef with Ginger & Coriander — Beef stir-fried with ginger and coriander.
• Pork Intestine (豬大腸) — Pork intestine, listed on the yum cha menu.

Steamed Dumplings & Bites

• Steamed Prawn Dumplings — Classic steamed dumplings filled with prawn.
• King Prawn Dumplings — Steamed dumplings packed with king prawn.
• Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumplings — Steamed dumplings of pork and shrimp.
• Steamed Prawn & Chive Dumplings — Prawn and chive in a delicate steamed wrapper.
• Steamed Prawn & Coriander Dumplings — Prawn and coriander steamed dumplings.
• Steamed Spinach & Shrimp Dumplings — Spinach and shrimp dumplings, steamed.
• Steamed Pork & Peanut Dumplings — Steamed dumplings with pork and peanut.
• Steamed Seafood Dumplings — Steamed dumplings filled with mixed seafood.
• Steamed Scallop Dumplings — Steamed dumplings with scallop.
• Shanghai Pork Dumplings — Shanghai-style steamed pork dumplings.
• Steamed Beef with Ginger & Spring Onion Dumplings — Beef dumplings with ginger and spring onion.
• Vegetables Dumplings — Steamed dumplings filled with vegetables.
• Steamed Pork Dim Sum — Steamed pork dim sum, a yum cha classic.
• Steamed Beef Balls — Steamed beef balls with a springy texture.
• Steamed Savoury Chicken Feet — Savoury chicken feet, steamed yum cha style.
• Steamed Stuffed Tofu — Tofu stuffed and steamed.
• Hot & Spicy Duck Feet — Duck feet in a hot and spicy preparation.
• Steamed Chicken Cartilage — Steamed chicken cartilage, a crunchy bite.
• Steamed Orange Beef — Beef with orange peel, steamed.
• Spicy Prawn Dumplings — Prawns with a spicy green peppercorn sauce infusion.

Frequently asked questions

What are Grand Century's opening hours?

Open seven days: lunch from 11am to 2:30pm and dinner from 5pm to 9:30pm. Note there is a break between the two services in the afternoon.

When is yum cha served?

Yum cha runs every day during lunch service, 11am to 2:30pm, with over 70 different dishes to choose from.

Can I make a reservation?

Yes — reservations can be made via the reservations page on the Grand Century website. For groups bigger than 12 or venue hire, send a message through the contact form.

Is there a private room or event catering?

Yes. Grand Century offers a private room and venue hire. Contact the team via the website's contact form to plan special events.

Are there vegetarian options?

Yes. The yum cha menu includes vegetable dumplings, steamed stuffed tofu, pan fried stuffed capsicums, sweet and spicy eggplant, four seasons beans, hot and spicy deep fried tofu, Chinese vegetables and seaweed.

Can I order takeaway or delivery?

Grand Century offers online ordering through its website, so you can enjoy the menu at home.

Where is Grand Century and how do I contact them?

84 Tory Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011. Phone 04 801 8682 or email enquiries@grandcentury.co.nz.

Tips

• {"body":"The kitchen closes between services — yum cha ends at 2:30pm and dinner starts at 5pm — so plan your visit around the split shift.","title":"Mind the afternoon break"}
• {"body":"Yum cha runs 11am to 2:30pm daily with over 70 dishes; arriving earlier in the window gives you more time to work through the trolley selection.","title":"Come early for yum cha"}
• {"body":"Groups bigger than 12, plus venue hire and private room enquiries, go through the contact form on the website.","title":"Book for big groups"}
• {"body":"Grand Century has an online ordering option, handy for a dumpling night at home.","title":"Order ahead"}
• {"body":"Both the yum cha and dinner menus are available as PDFs on the website — worth a look before you go.","title":"Check the menus online"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Private room and venue hire available; groups over 12 by arrangement","dietary":"Vegetarian choices include vegetable dumplings, stuffed tofu and eggplant dishes"}