Nonggengji announced its Melbourne launch through its official Chinese RedNote account. Its first Australian restaurant will be located at the newly opened SKY SQR Shopping Centre in Box Hill, one of Melbourne’s most established Chinese dining and retail precincts.
Founded in Shenzhen in 2017 by Feng Guohua, a Chinese culinary master from Hunan, Nonggengji has built its identity around the ingredients, techniques and flavours of Xiang cuisine (湘菜), or Hunan cuisine. Originating from Mao Zedong’s home province, Hunan cuisine is known for its bold, savoury and chilli-driven flavours, with fresh and preserved chillies, smoked and cured meats, and high-heat stir-frying among its defining characteristics.
Positioning itself around taking authentic Hunan cuisine “from China to the world”, Nonggengji operates more than 100 directly managed restaurants and has expanded into markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Canada and Hong Kong. Its overseas expansion began in 2023, with the company targeting 50 international stores by the end of 2026 and identifying Japan, the UK and Spain among future markets.
At the centre of its restaurant proposition is fresh, made-to-order cooking. Dishes are prepared rapidly over high heat in small woks, drawing on the flavours and aromas associated with traditional Hunan kitchens. Fresh stir-frying, ingredient quality and a full-service dining experience have become key points of differentiation as the brand expands offshore.
In China, Nonggengji has also diversified its model, developing more than 200 smaller delivery-focused outlets alongside its restaurant network and expanding into semi-prepared and packaged foods.
Meanwhile, Chinese ready-to-eat braised-food chain Ziyan Chicken (紫燕百味鸡) is expanding its Australian footprint with a lighter-format model. Rooted in Sichuan-style braised food, its menu also draws on Hunan and other regional flavours, spanning braised meats, cold dishes and preserved specialties, alongside value-oriented combo meals for takeaway and delivery.
The chain has opened across Melbourne, including Box Hill, the CBD, Clayton, Ringwood, Point Cook, The Glen and Knox, with selected stores also available on Uber Eats.
Ziyan Food reported overseas revenue of RMB15.04 million (approximately A$3.15 million) in 2025, up 121.71 per cent year-on-year, and operates a dedicated overseas division covering market research, cross-border supply chains and local operations.
Xiang, or Hunan, cuisine is emerging as a visible part of China’s official push to take regional food brands global. In July 2026, Hunan established the Xiang Cuisine Overseas Expansion Centre (湘菜出海中心) to support businesses with cross-border logistics, compliance, branding and marketing. Nearly 2,000 Hunan restaurants operate overseas, alongside growing exports of chilli products, preserved foods and seasonings.
The initiative reflects a broader shift from simply exporting food products to building Chinese food brands and supply chains overseas, supported by localised sourcing and operations. Beyond Hunan cuisine, as previously reported by Launch Story, Xijiade, one of China’s best-known handmade dumpling chains, is also advancing plans to enter the Australian market.
(Image source: official Rednote accounts of Nonggengji and Ziyan )