Hei

Hei offers a casual yet refined dining experience with a focus on traditional, authentic Chinese flavours. Head chef and founder Michael Chan uses quality local produce and doesn’t take shortcuts. You won’t find any sauces out of the bottle here. The menu includes familiar dishes like Peking duck, baos, tom yum, and Sichuan chicken. Each has a contemporary touch that brings a freshness to these old favourites. 

Wellington’s tight-knit hospitality community supported and influenced Hei’s creation. In a classic tale of Cuba Street collaboration, the cocktail menu was designed with help from Hei’s neighbour, whisky bar Dee’s Place. “Wellingtonians support each other,” says Michael. “The people are really nice. I love Wellington. I came here in 1987 and I’ve stayed here.” 

The restaurant is light-filled and spacious. Timber, tiles, and exposed brick interplay. An open kitchen sits at the head of the space. The blue flames of the gas hobs, the deep woks, and the steel range hood offer a nod to the bustle and energy of Michael’s other well-established Wellington restaurant, KC Café on Courtenay Place. Hei is decidedly different though, and Michael is eager to emphasise the point. The food here is more measured. Some of the dishes have been in Michael’s head for years. Dishes he could never make at KC Café because they require time and a delicacy that doesn’t suit the speed of a Hong Kong-style café. 

Hei comes from the Cantonese word for happiness. “You can say double happiness,” Michael says with a grin. “Heihei. My daughter tells me heihei is also chicken in Māori. I like that.” Hei time (happy hour) runs every day from 5 to 6, and an affordable lunch menu means you can keep coming back again and again.