Ancestral

In late May, Ancestral emerged in all its sinister elegance. Wellington’s grandest Chinese restaurant to date, it is aptly located at the heart of Courtenay Place, the capital’s erstwhile Chinatown.

Allistar Cox, designer of Matterhorn, has brought his characteristic style to this multi-million-dollar extravaganza – restaurant, garden bar, whisky bar, private dining room and takeaway outlet – using satin-finished dark wood to good effect with hard, thinly padded Chinese-style banquettes.

If the opium poppy logo, gold leaf letterhead, doormen and heavy curtains partly screening out the dark interior all convey the impression of a triad-owned outpost from 1930s Shanghai, then this is fully intended. Out the back in the garden bar, old brick walls also exude the ambience of the era. Concrete benches are warmed as a countermeasure to the crisp Wellington air and there’s fabulous yakitori chicken being grilled over glowing charcoal. The skewers are all very simple and straightforward, with steak, chicken balls and various vego options, but to experience the palpable flavour difference that live charcoal brings to grilled food, it’s hard to go past the unadorned chicken thigh.

The obvious drinks partner is sake, from an accessible list that includes a sparkling peach option.

Inside, there’s a bar offering around 60 obscure whiskies plus 25 cocktails. The restaurant is connected to the garden bar via an indoor-outdoor row of garden plants, shielded behind glass.

Ancestral is owned by a Chinese business trio long resident in New Zealand, who wanted a posh Chinese restaurant where they could take their own business associates. The concept was for an exclusive dining option appealing to the corporate sector; a group that has traditionally been a little sniffy about the Kiwi-Cantonese greasy spoons along Courtenay Place. The suits are indeed coming, so the idea appears to be working.

Chef Ming Poon presents traditional Cantonese and Sichuan dishes with both respect for tradition (as in restoring the Sichuan peppercorns to gong bao chicken) and innovation, as with the Zen-like smear of honeyed Dijon mustard with the delightfully crisp Cantonese pork belly.

The plate of Cloudy Bay surf clams with XO sauce and pork is rather like eating a giant cockle or tuatua, with
a similarly delicious flavour.

The wok-fried crayfish tail is nicely theatrical, arriving still sizzling over hot rocks which shoot forth a plume of steam as a Cantonese butter and shallot sauce is poured over it.

Sommelier Stephen Wong’s wine matches are impeccable – among the many treasures are reasonably priced vigneron Champagnes, and a gorgeously fruity Spanish albarino by the glass.

It’s something of a shock to emerge from Ancestral’s lavish rooms and find yourself once again on Courtenay Place; 1930s Shanghai turns out to be rather an enjoyable place to spend an evening.

31-33 Courtenay Place, City, Wellington, ph: 04-801 8867, ancestral.co.nz

Tues-Fri 11am to late,
Mon & Sat 3pm to late
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