After a string of closures swept away restaurant heavyweights Marigold, Golden Century, BBQ King and Zilver, Sydney’s Chinatown and its surrounds faced serious questions over its continued dining clout.

Shaken but not stirred, there is finally some good news in the area, with the Golden Century site to be reborn.

A liquor licence transfer has been lodged for Golden Century’s former Sussex Street premises, with a new restaurant, Royal Palace Seafood Restaurant, opening at the site.

“It has nothing to do with Golden Century, nothing to do with us,” Golden
Century scion Billy Wong says.

Rumours on the eat streets of Chinatown abound. One popular theory is a restaurant operator from China is headed into the landmark space where Golden Century long ruled.

Last August, property group Anson bought the building for a reported $50 million. Good Food reached out to Anson for comment on its new tenant, with the restaurant expected to open mid-year.

While Royal Palace Seafood Restaurant will inherit a luxe wine room Golden Century built in 2019 as part of celebrations for its 30th anniversary, it is also moving into a historic part of Chinatown in competition with the newer Darling Square precinct built where the Entertainment Centre previously stood.

While the City of Sydney has earmarked $5 million to upgrade Chinatown’s Dixon Street, the bustling Darling Square has attracted a posse of operators, including the Golden Century restaurant spin-off, XOPP.

“In hindsight, we’re glad we made the move,” Billy Wong says.