Overview
One of Sydney's most cherished Chinese restaurants, Golden Century, is set to permanently close its doors. According to a notice posted by ASIC on Thursday, August 19, the restaurant went into administration earlier this month. The CBD mainstay closed its doors on Saturday, June 26 due to NSW's current stay-at-home orders and according to its website, it was set to reopen at the end of August.
Run by Eric and Linda Wong, Golden Century has been an institution for after-hours feeds in Sydney for decades. Most notably known for its late-night banquets and XO pippies, the restaurant has proudly served Sydneysiders since the 1980s and has grown a cult-like following throughout the city.
Parker Blain
In 2019, Golden Century opened XOPP — a new restaurant in Darling Square dedicated to its signature pippies in XO sauce, and added a 1500-bottle wine bar to its original Haymarket location. The restaurant has since endured multiple lockdowns and reduced foot traffic in Sydney's CBD due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
While the future of the Golden Century group is unconfirmed, tributes for the restaurant have already begun rolling in online. Dan Hong (Ms. G's, Mr. Wong and El Loco) posted a series of heartfelt Instagram stories writing to thank the venue and saying that, "My kids have grown up [at Golden Century]". The new Sydney advisory group Committee for Sydney said it was "shocking to see iconic Chinatown restaurant Golden Century go into administration. No question, the longer this goes on, the more significant reshaping of our city's local economies we're going to see."