Our story
Mao and Co is Wellington’s premier Chinese street food truck and catering service, celebrated for its vibrant, handmade dumplings, artisanal noodle bowls and crispy yum cha snacks.
Established in 2016, our family run venture has been in business for nearly 10 years elevating the capital's food truck scene specialising in restaurant quality Sichuan and Cantonese cuisine.
Attracting the attention of foodies, festival-goers, creatives and social influencers -
Mao and Co is a time-tested favourite and since 2016, we have catered over 200 private events including weddings, birthdays; and corporate events for government, private sector and the arts industry. We have attended over 600 public events around greater Wellington including:
Newtown Festival
Cubadupa Festival
New Years Eve Fireworks on Wellington Harbour
Waitangi festival- Porirua
Martinborough Fairs
Greytown Mid Winter Christmas Festival
Cross Hills Garden County Fair
Kimbolton Homegrown music festival
Ultra Festival
High Tide
Tora Bombora
Camp Low Hum
Juicy
Six 60
Fat Freddy's Drop
L.A B
Stan Walker
Jimmy Barnes
Thanks to all of our customers who have supported us over the years.
Tom Yang, Head Chef
Behind our brightly-coloured dumplings and handmade noodles is head-chef and street food connoisseur, Tom Yang. Shanghai-born, Tom, discovered the mastery of dumpling-making at exclusive dumpling house, Lu Bo Lang, located in Yu Garden. To this day, he returns to Shanghai and to the Sichuan province to visit family, and to reminisce on his first love; the region’s spicy-hot cuisine.
Tom’s culinary skills extend far beyond the dumpling alone. In fact, he’s mastered various forms of French-Argentinian, Modern Australian, and of course, Chinese cuisine. We’re proud to bring the ex-chef of Cyren, Doyles Seafood and Wildfire (Sydney) to an ever-changing, but always fast-paced kitchen, whether that’s inside the Mao And Co food truck, or in your chosen events space.
Look out for Tom working his magic behind the scenes, when you dine with Mao And Co.
Drew Kohing, Maître’d + Sous Chef
Born and raised in Wellington, Drew's culinary journey began in his early childhood, nurtured by the collective wisdom of his mother, grandmother, and aunts. While some youngsters might resent the task of preparing dinner, Drew found immense joy in providing meals for his extended family.
It was no surprise to his relatives, when he pursued a very successful career in fine dining, working alongside Alister Brown at City Bistro (NZ) and Luke Nguyen at Red Lantern (NSW). By the early 90s, he was a respected restaurateur in all of Sydney, Melbourne and London’s gastronomic scene.
Today, Drew brings his repertoire in fine dining and his adoration for classic Cantonese cuisine to our team at Mao And Co. As if his mastery of delicious yum cha dishes, spring rolls, sweet & sour wontons, salt & pepper squid, and of course, Mum’s Prawn Toast, wasn’t enough… he also takes on the role of social butterfly and our most stylish staff member.
MAO’S LATEST UPDATES ↴
We’re proud to host waste-free events.
Using 100% Compostable Packaging.
It’s Mao’s mission to leave a positive paw-print wherever he goes. It’s why every material used to serve your favourite Chinese dishes is 100% compostable. Bowls, cutlery and serviettes included. Mao’s Signature Sauce Range (available on-board the Mao And Co Food Truck) is also packaged in fully-recyclable glass jars!
Choosing Paper Over Plastic.
We use paper bowls, not plastic ones, when serving Sichuan and Cantonese classics at weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, festivals and more. It’s just another way we choose to reduce our overall impact on the environment. Every time you hire Mao’s Chinese Street Food Catering Service for your event, you’re supporting our team’s efforts.
Did you know?
Mao loves supporting local just as much as you do. His famous coloured dumplings wouldn’t be possible without a regular trip to the markets. Mao dyes his dumplings wonderful and eccentric colours, with the help of the fresh vegetables he collects from local suppliers of Wellington. He uses the rest to fill his dumplings with nutrients and flavour!
What Our Customers Are Saying
No one knows Mao & Co better!
