Viaduct Harbour,
Cnr Pakenham and Custom Street West,
Viaduct
Auckland,
1010

(09) 357 6889

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3 out of 5 stars

Since opening its doors in 2000, Grand Harbour has been the showpiece of Chinese restaurants in Auckland winning several accolades, including Metro Magazine’s best Chinese restaurant four years running (2002-2006).

The restaurant’s reputation spread quickly for those seeking an authentic Hong Kong-style dining experience. It’s better known for its daily Yum Cha, where more than 70 dishes are wheeled around on trolleys for punters to choose from, but the dinner menu is just as extensive with offerings from shark fin soup or braised abalone to the more traditional sweet and sour or black bean sauce variety.

So when special guests arrived from overseas we decided to head down to the Viaduct, where Grand Harbour is tucked in between the flashy waterfront apartments, on a Sunday evening to sample the award winning food – plus it’s the only one of a few good restaurants open on a Sunday in the city centre.

The Hong Kong trained chefs bring a wealth of knowledge to the kitchen and offer chef’s’ specials which change every three months.

Shortly after we were seated in the large open floor, which feels more like a hotel restaurant than a top end Chinese restaurant, we’d ordered our drinks and meals to share. The venue can seat around 300 and caters for special functions.

Complimentary Chinese tea appeared promptly after the menus were taken to get our taste buds in the mood.

Just behind us were fish tanks displaying large crayfish, crabs and fish. We heard a splash, then a waiter walk past our table to a large Chinese family. After some discussion the waiter walked back towards the tanks. As he went past us he muttered ‘’too big’’ and plopped the blue cod back into the tank. It had survived for another day.

Our meals arrived quickly emitting a range of pleasant aromas. If we weren’t hungry before, we were now and quickly dug into the scallops, lamb, chicken and pork meals. Each dish was as tasty as the one before and provided us with plenty to eat. All the while staff kept the Chinese tea pot full, and once we’d devoured the food and the plates were cleared a dish of fresh fruit appeared.

Despite the lack of music the restaurant was pleasant. The staff were perhaps heavy in numbers for a quiet Sunday evening, but at least they were quick and efficient. Grand Harbour is worth a visit giving diners an opportunity to be adventurous or stick with what they know when it comes to Chinese food.