A Sydney Institution and for good reason. Golden Century has been dishing up absolutely delicious Cantonese food for decades. Frequented by Sydneys top chefs, after knock off, it is a lunch time venue, dinner venue and late night venue. Wonderful for big groups with very generous serving sizes. Seafood always top grade and super fresh.
Rating 4. An institution restaurant in Chinatown. I have somehow never had a chance to come here before. Friend of mine was keen for some authentic Chinese food, so we finally make it here. Better known for their seafood, but we didn’t feel like any & got a few of the more “average” menu items. Salt & pepper tofu, deep fried duck in plum sauce, and braised 2 kind of mushrooms with veggies. The food were all delicious, definitely better then average. Service was prompt & elaborate. Prices though were ridiculously inflated, really not sure the taste alone really justify this. One for special occasions only.
One of the best Chinese Seafood Restaurants in Sydney and they still got it. I've been here for the business meetings, for dates, for hangover cure and more. Duck pancake, crab, lobster and Pipis are fantastic here. So as long as you order these, you'll have a golden food journey. I give this place 4 bears
Golden Century is a popular seafood restaurant in Haymarket. It’s the original restaurant opened by the Golden Century Group. We ordered mud crab and pipis again, can’t get enough of seafood!
Came here on a Friday night and ordered the cod with veggies and the beef black pepper. The prices here are pricey $84 total with two dishes and two bowls of rice. There’s cheaper options around but the flavours here were delicious. The cod was really soft and the sauce was silky and had a mushroom flavour. They also gave complimentary soup and dessert (oranges and Chinese biscuits). I wouldn’t mind coming back again!
I have been going here since 1992 and this place still exist today. It shows how the quality still intact after all these years. These days every time i go to visit Sydney i try to come here and have nice meal. The squid salt and pepper was my favourite.
Still one of the best legendary chinese food restaurant in town. Had the abalone fried rice before, the abalone soup. Had the pippies fried vermicelli and some scallops this time.
came here with big family of 18 people. ordered the braised lobster with ginger and shallot, beef with black pepper, fried pork spare ribs with salt and pepper, and many other dishes. food are all good, except maybe the fried chicken and fried kwetiaw that lack of flavour. ambience probably need some improvement.
Authentic Cantonese seafood restaurant. Their crab is a must try and they are particular good at making all kinds of seafood. The rest of the food is amazing as well except the price is a bit high because of its location and service. Would recommend it if you want nice Chinese seafood near the star
Well, it represents the highest quality of Chinese food in Sydney. Very pricy but well deserved. All the seafood are super fresh swimming inside the water tanks. Pretty funny to watch, I suppose.
The greatest marriage of dishes. The salt and pepper squid and the XO Pippies. I have gone here a hundred times and never been disappointed.
Such a great loyal staff they have and their service is so fast.
I crave the squid and tsing tao daily ;)
Mitha Komala | @mithakomala
+5
Best phi phi with dry vermicelli ! 💕🤗
Curry chicken is super good, shredded beef, whole steamed fish and peking duck!
Great & fast service. Food comes around 15-20 minutes.
This restaurant offers a huge variety of seafood- from lobster, crab, abalone and all kinds of fish. The dishes come to the table really really fast despite it being quite busy. Service is actually quite great which is surprising for a Chinese restaurant. Overall really nice authentic, flavourful food, with huge portions. Did I mention it’s also BYO- even better.
Visited this establishment several times over the years for dinner and in the early hours after a night out. It's great to be able to come here after midnight. I have always found the service to be good and efficient. The food is a bit pricey but it is decent. Extensive menu; my favourite is the crab. Fresh and full of flavours. It's a big place so we never have to wait too long for a table. Always seems crowded even after midnight.
Some of the best seafood I have ever eaten. Lobster and crab were rich and flavourful. Not the cheapest option but amazing for the tastebuds.
Quite pricey but it's what you expect for fresh top quality food. Pipis were cleaned and cooked well (not gritty) with a nice crunchy noodle base and the braised bean curd was soft and silky. However I thought the bean curd dish was slightly more expensive for what it was worth ($32) compared to the pipi dish that was $43 for 1/2 kg (market price) and $9 for the noodle base. Atmosphere of the restaurant could also be improved but service was attentive and better than what you expect from Chinese restaurants.
Sometimes a classic old traditional Chinese restaurant is all you need. This restaurant impressed me with their excellent service and quality of food. At the entrance of the restaurant you will see the tanks with all the fresh seafood and fish, then while you are been seated will receive a full big menu that will confuse you for a second what you want, but in few minutes a nice waiter comes and simplify everything for you. The food is prepared in very traditional way just exquisite. My recommendations are the mussels in xo sauce and fresh fish in ginger sauce on bed of fried noodles. Must be tried once- a good experience.
To some authentic and delicious Chinese food in Chinatown, Sydney. This is one of the most busiest place I've seen in all of Sydney. The place is always full and bustling with people of different ethnicities.
The crabs and prawns are a must try and the meat is cooked to perfection.
Also don't miss out on the pork mince beans.
One of my family’s favourite Chinese restaurant. I know quite a few people feel it’s over rated but we’ve always had fresh seafood here and dishes are also very tasty. XO Pipis on vermicelli is our favourite here and we always order it. They also offer complimentary desserts of fruit and cookies.
The food is really yummy and seafood is fresh.
The Torbreck of Golden century is realllllllly good. The waitress is kindly serve us.
I will visit again.
I love seafood and was told to try the seafood at Golden Century. We ordered the Braised Lobster with Ginger and Shallot & the Salt and Pepper Squid. The lobster was fresh, tender, chunky and comes off its shell easily. Satisfying! Quite pricey but I guess that’s what you pay for such quality. Reservations are recommended especially during weekends.
So, if you get here.... you must have the “sautéed eggplant with sauce”.... this is the best version of eggplant you will ever eat! The food is delicious. The waiters are at best disinterested but you can forgive it all when the food arrives..
This place is legendary for a reason! Open til super late.
Great food, amazingly fresh seafood. Always busy.
Delicious traditional Chinese dishes. Plenty of live seafood in the fish tanks. Fast efficient service
FOOD = 3.5
AMBIENCE = 3.0
SERVICE = 3.0
Good food and great seafood variety. Freshly made and good flavours. Deep fried ice cream is great and the coral trout has great flavours as well.
Very busy restaurant across two levels. Seafood is fresh from the tank and they show you before cooking. The major downside to this restaurant is the service it is inconsistent and took 30 minutes and 4 request to eventually get water. Apart from that the quality of the food was impressive with huge portions. Highlights are the pipins and the schezuan chilli chicken.
A true sydney institution that never gets old as well as having on the latest kitchens open in Sydney great to hit early in the week for dinner or a late night supper
I always know I am in for a treat of meal and an extremely full stomach when I get to go Golden Century. I love seafood and there is nowhere better than Golden Century to have seafood.
The pippies with XO sauce and fried vermicelli at Golden Century is one of my favourite dishes and one of their most renown. The pippies are juicy and plump and you must must must always order the fried vermicelli as it sits beneath the pippies and soaks the thick salty slightly spicy sauce.
I’ve had the crab, king crab and lobster at Golden Century in a ginger shallot sauce with the e-fu noodles at various dinners over the year and the quality is always superb. This dish has never been anywhere close to bad for me and this recent occasion was no exception. The lobster comes right off the shell and the e-fu noodles are so soft and smooth in the thick gingle shallot sauce – I could eat the noodles all day!
Knife Fork N Chopsticks
+3.5
I've come here a couple of times, ranging from around dinner time to the early mornings, and I can say that the food is quite consistent, as well as the level of service.
This particular time I went, I ordered the roast duck, deep fried pigeon, four small live oysters steamed with ginger and shallots, live prawns, a bowl of steamed white rice, and a Coke. I only ordered 200g of the live prawns, upon recommendation of the waiter, who seemed concerned that we wouldn't be able to finish everything.
The deep fried pigeon came first, and it was okay, although nothing like the beautiful, tender, crispy pigeons you get overseas. It was a little dry and hard, but still tasted alright. This was followed by the live prawns, which tasted very fresh, and delicious, without any sauces even, but they do also give you a soy sauce mix to dip it in. The roast duck was something I looked forward to, as I love duck, and it did not disappoint. It was tasty, and so crispy, while the meat remained juicy and tender. The fat was beautifully rendered, and just melted away in my mouth, without feeling too oily or heavy. The steamed oysters were okay, but perhaps just a tiny bit overcooked, as they had started to have a little bit of a hard chewy texture to them.
Service was good, quite attentive and prompt, they would jump in and replace our plates and bowls at intervals when they saw we required it. They also give you complimentary small desserts and some fruit after your meal. I paid about $175 for my meal for two, and while it was delicious and filling, and the seafood was so fresh, there isn't really anything special about any of the food that most other (cheaper) decent Chinese restaurants wouldn't serve too.
TIP: if you do happen to come in the early hours of the morning, they do tend to run out of some (very few) dishes, like the medium and large sized live oysters. But I like these early hours as I find they are much more calm and quiet than the dinner time rushes.
Always have a lovely meal at golden century! One of sydney best Chinese restaurants. You don't go for the service but the seafood and menu are great
As a foodie this is something to die for. Not a usual daily food, which is very costly. Expect to pay more than $350 above. It is the freshest raw seafood you can get which live from the fish tank. If you dare to try the lobster brain. The texture a bit similar to Sea urchin. I give it 4.5star only for the lobster itself not including other dishes.
the best seafood! the only point to improve is the custoemr service, not too feiendly always sounds too busy. but hey the food is incrediable! Still Happy
✔️ Honestly not the biggest fan of Asian food in general, but this place has really nice Chinese food. Ordered a few dishes but the one pictured (pippies) were particularly nice with beautiful flavours. Suited me well as it wasn't too fishy (not a seafood fan). The honey king prawn dish here is MASSIVE and super tasty - definitely my favourite.
❌ Service was awfully slow, considering it was midnight and wasn't that full?!? And also service was not very attentive. Arrived at 11:00pm and didn't get our food until after midnight.
Food 4/5
Presentation: 3/5
Service: 2/5
Location: 3/5
I went here with a group because of the rave reviews. The food was good...I'm spoilt after living in China though. The set menu was $55 each and way too much food. The service was hilariously awkward and staggered. It was a mission to get a glass of wine but got there in the end. I will try other places in China Town.
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Re-reviewed July 2017
Dined at lunchtime on a Sunday. The restaurant was quite empty.
The starter dim sum platter was at least average.
Again we had Peking Duck, pippies and mud crab, both were very consistent.
Most of the table had fried ice cream or mango pudding options, they had no complaints. I thought the complimentary baked biscuits were even better!
Dined May 2017
I usually come here at least once a year. It has been very consistent for a long time. It is becoming more targeted towards rich Chinese diners who will spend hundreds or even thousands per person.
Reservations at peak times generally incur a wait time in the tiny waiting area.
Service is efficient but brusque.
Whilst mainly known for being a seafood (live tank) restaurant, I think this is the best Peking Duck in Sydney, and reasonably priced at under $90 or a half serve is also available. It's also one of the only restaurants left where you can actually choose the 2nd course of your duck.
Live pippies and mud crab tonight was delicious and well executed.
BYO is a steal compared to the wine list at $8 per person (unlimited bottles).
I don't think they've changed their business model, or refurbished much over the years (except targeting Chinese diners), and they haven't had to as it's still as busy as ever.
The Golden Century has many great seafood dishes on there menu, chilli lobster, salt and pepper lobster, lobster in XO sauce, pipis in black bean sauce and mud crab. Its a bit expensive so not great to go if your on a tight budget.
I remember trying to get a table at Golden Century after Midnight back in the day and still had to wait. This place is still a legend and sure enough, the food as good as I recall.
Can't go past the QLD mud crabs in chilli sauce.
Freshest catch on your plate. Open till very late in the night makes it a hot spot to visit for some amazing seafood during odd hours. The place is well packed even though the service is pretty quick. The fish tanks have lavish choices to be made. Visit this place for some freshest dinners.
The best Chinese restaurant in town! Food is very fresh and nice, very tasty and good service. The prawns dishes and barbecue pork are very nice and highly recommended.
A bit pricey but all worth it.
Best chinese in Sydney in regards to seafood.
Service is gotten considerably worse over the years. But you don't here for the service. You come here when you have had a big night out and you need CPR in the form of XO pippies.
One of my favourite places to eat in Sydney.
Protip: get butter crab. FRIED DOUGH STICKS. Dip it in the sauce. Same applied for XO pippies
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We came to Golden Century for a friend's birthday dinner and ordered Crab with vermicelli ($Subject to market price), Sweet and Sour Pork ($26.5), Salt and Pepper Squid ($28.5), Salted Free Range Chicken ($32.5), Combination Bean Curd Hotpot ($36), Fillet Steak Cantonese Style ($33) and Duck with Mushrooms ($38). Chinese food has never been our favourite cuisine however our dining experience at Golden Century has significantly changed our views on Chinese food, to say the least. The dishes were served within 30minutes and they were all fresh and pleasantly presented. The food wasn't too oily and overall extremely delicious. Our favourite dishes included the Salt and Pepper Squid, Crab with Vermicelli and Fillet Steak Chinese Style. Our experience at Golden Century was very enjoyable to say the least, despite the dinner being a bit pricey. Staff were friendly, attentive and accommodating and easily helped to contribute to our wonderful dining experience. We can happily say we'll be returning here soon!
The legendary Golden Century Seafood Restaurant has been the "STAR" of Chinatown for decades. Order your live seafood, select the way you would like them to be cooked, and get ready for the FEAST! Check out the blog for our food hunting video. Dishes we like: XO Pippies with Vermicilli Noodles. Steamed Sea Scallops & Large Pacific Oysters with Soy Sauce & Ginger...
Nice food but could be quite pricey. Definitely should get the xo pipis with Chinese doughnut! Good spot for a late dinner located in Chinatown
Visited for the first time the other night! Service is efficient, don't expect small talk but orders are taken promptly and food comes out super quick. It's a must as there is always a crowd of patrons waiting outside so bookings are highly recommended!
Our waiter was great, constantly checking to see if anything was needed. We had fried rice, honey king prawns, beef rice noodles, shredded beef and satay chicken with mixed entrees to start.
Pricing is higher compared to your local Chinese but flavours and serving sizes were adequate. The only dish that was a let down for us was the beef rice noodles. We will definitely be back to try the seafood! We did see many plates of lobster pass our table and they looked and smelt delicious. At $310 per kg, let's hope it tastes as good as it looks!
Overall, it wasn't an overly amazing experience for us but we'd definitely recommend trying at least once. It's great for groups big or small, and family friendly too!
White tablecloths, impatient old waiters in black & whites, magnificent traditional Cantonese cuisine. Golden Century never fails to impress
If you don't mind being treated as part of a customer production line then great place for good food. Great chilli crab and Peking ducks. Service as I said is bad treating you like if you are on a conveyor belt... Eat and leave pay the price and don't expect personable services
Foodies Guide To Sydney
+4
G O L D E N ☆ C E N T U R Y
The best hang out spot after some heavy drinking and/or partying as they are open till the wee hours of the morning. The food always comes out really fast. Recommend the shredded beef, Honey chicken and the salt and pepper calamari ✌ @foodiesguidetosydney
Baz Juan Pablo Sanchez
+4
Has to be on everyone's to do list when In Sydney. Best had during those late night feeds with a group of friends.
Service can be a little clumsy at times but somehow despite the huge lines and amount of tables being served they always manage to get through it ok
Food for me is best focused on seafood and sticking with what they're good at, other dishes just don't stack up so stick with the seafoods
Sydney's Chinatown institution for Yumcha & Cantonese dinner ....
One of the most prominent sight in Sydney Chinatown area, their front glass walls is decorated with live seafood tanks, outside. That what was attracted us to the restaurant years ago with no recommendation from our Sydney friends.
We've frequented this Cantonese eatery over the years, a few renovations, food is consistent (better), service and yes, pricey but not the most expensive in the vicinity.
Definitely one of the better Cantonese food and we go back when we are in Sydney for yumcha or dinner, just about every-time.
Emma Patricia Katili
+4.5
The service is great especially in the rush hours of yum cha. The food here is also really great. This is always a great place to go for yum cha when you're in sydney
Quintessential. The only way to describe Golden Century. The food here is outstanding and it shows with the diverse crowd that frequent the establishment - Uni students, young professionals, business men, bikies, politicians... people from all walks come here for a feed.
The food was very tasty and presented in a simple and neat manner. The peaking duck is especially tasty and a must have.
The service was prompt and immaculate - I especially enjoy the complementary orange slices and coconut biscuit at the end of the meal... a great touch.
They're open till late so this is the kind of place to go when looking for a feed at 3am!
We love this place. Excellent service and beautiful cantonese food. This was the first Chinese restaurant we have come across that did not have surcharge on Amex card (you know, most of the Chinese restaurants are cash only).
It should have scored 5 mark full rating if the seafood was not so expensive.
Though we will definitely come back again.
Delicious food.
Friendly service.
Best Pippies with XO sauce ever. Love getting it with the noodles underneath, love the crunchy bits! Just Yum.
Perfect pre theatre dining option. Dinner with family and friends. Made a reservation online, can’t believe I’ve actually never been here before. The most iconic chinese restaurant in Sydney. Very popular and buzzing inside.
An institution of Sydney, I was told on a number of occasions so decided to check it out. Probably should have gone with a group to try more dishes as we only got old school lobster noodles. Tasty and excellent service, but a tad more expensive than I had anticipated. Nevertheless, was tasty enough that I can't wait to go back...probably with a larger group to try more dishes and ease the burn in the wallet...
DO: The crab (butter or any version), pipi xo sauce and the roast duck. So so good.
DON'T: Know what to order? Then just stick to the live seafood or roasts.
TIP: Place is an institution and pretty expensive. Try and go late and you might spot other well known chefs.
Deeelicious! Went as a work group during a national conference. It is the whole white tablecloth, massive round table, rotators in the middle- but the food makes up for what it lacks in class. Garlic prawns were juicey and fresh, the stir fried mushrooms were divine. The selection is vast and the fish tanks in the windows are very interesting.
I always have a great meal at Golden Century whether it's in the middle of the night or at regular dinner hours. I love the crispy tofu especially. So tasty and crunchy.
one of a few late night eateries in the CBD ... service was fast and efficient ... tried the abalone and chicken congee ... loved it except that they could've removed the bones in the chicken ... chicken was tender and succulent though
Princess Greedy Guts
+4.5
If you want good quality Cantonese food & the freshest, biggest variety of seafood or a late night meal then this is the place. It has consistently offered good food, quality produce & efficient service every time I have visited. After having had so many dishes here, my favourites are always the seafood. Crab with ginger & shallots served on egg noodles soaking up all the delicious sauce, lobster cooked in various ways, giant oysters, the best XO pipis, delicious claypot dishes, pork belly & soups. Its all good. No wonder its a chefs hangout after their shifts!
Great service, very attentive and on the ball.
The venue itself is clean but in need of a revamp.
The food was deliciously fresh though, I had the salt & pepper lobster 10/10
Another must have dish here would be the duck skin pancakes!! They were Devine.
The clams in XO sauce.. The clams were average, I found the sauce made the dish.
All in all though, I highly recommend this restaurant, can't beat the freshness of the seafood.
An institution. If you are lucky enough to be served by the indomitable Erick Lee you are in for a treat. The XO sauce pippies on fried vermicelli is the stuff of legend, a side of fried bread to mop up the liquid gold will have you more satisfied than a qlder on origin night. Do yourself a favour and indulge in a late night ceremony at the incomparable cench.
Revisited Golden Century as i have the numbers this time to order loads! Chinese food is best shared when you have more people! Tried the crab and corn soup today and it was delish! We also ordered the seafood tofu( could be better) as well as a steamed fish. Food was fresh and quality is consistent. Thumbs up!
I would highly recommend ordering something out of the live tanks. My girl friends & I ordered half a kilo of pipis steamed with spring onion & ginger... THE BEST THING WE HAVE EATEN THIS YEAR! They were super plump & just delicious & meaty. I'd give it more than a rating of 5 if I could!
MY FAVOURITE EXPERIENCE OF 2021.
I loved the staff's hospitality, they were charming & provided very entertaining service.
I went with my work family for a lovely celebration 🍾 ☺
Sensational fresh seafood options. 🦈🐟🌊
Killer lobster! 🦞
There were far too many dishes to count that I had that night, all well of great variety of proteins & vegetarian options.
I long for their food!
Thank you for your gracious service. 🙏
Loved it. Service was good and the quality of the food is excellent. You can really tell the freshness in the fresh produce and seafood/meat. Seafood is picked right out of the tank for you to see and they really know how to cook it. An excellent sellection of wine in their cellar too. International and a lot of Australian too. I can understand the hype and why Sydney's chefs come here after service.
Golden Century has been a popular Sydney Chinese restaurant for many years amongst locals and travellers. It is two levels and huge inside, with lots of tables perfect for large groups. There are even a few private rooms that can fit around 30+ guests. There is an escalator to the second level, which is where you can find the bathrooms. The food is delicious and comes out really quick and the service staff are pretty friendly.
Well known for their live seafood. We struggled to find a spot at year end due to the large crowds. Attentive staff. Food is always delicious. A real
institution lasting for so many years and serving amazing Catonese food. Just on a bit pricey side ;-)
Good traditional Cantonese food. Efficient service. Amazing XO pippies with noodles and steamed fish. We went on a Wednesday night during the lunar new year period. It wasn't too busy. Shame about the YuSheng price was so high $118 for a small. Overall a good experience. $350 for four with five dishes and a bottle of wine.
Kimberley Kells (Made Like Mum's)
+5
A Sydney Institution and for good reason. Golden Century has been dishing up absolutely delicious Cantonese food for decades. Frequented by Sydneys top chefs, after knock off, it is a lunch time venue, dinner venue and late night venue. Wonderful for big groups with very generous serving sizes. Seafood always top grade and super fresh.
One of the best Chinese Seafood Restaurants in Sydney and they still got it. I've been here for the business meetings, for dates, for hangover cure and more. Duck pancake, crab, lobster and Pipis are fantastic here. So as long as you order these, you'll have a golden food journey.
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