Mr Ah Go was an 1800's Chinese market gardener on Tasman Street, Mount Cook, just up the road from our restaurant today.

Through Ah's gardens ran a stream, providing access to water - an integral part of his livelihood to grow crops. In 1890, under pressure to source land for Western settlers, local council proposed seizing Ah's land for residential development, culverting the stream to provide more space. Instead, Ah proposed to divert the stream and move his gardening to one-side of the land where the stream would run allowing Western settlers to occupy the other half, with the two then to be living side-by-side. Council disagreed, forcing Ah from his gardens for a mere £3compensation. Within two years, Ah's gardens and the now culverted stream were built upon and solely occupied by Western settlers.

It is not known what then happened to Mr Go and his family. 

Mr Go's is a nod to Ah himself, but moreover all he wanted – Western settlers and Chinese market gardeners thriving side by side. Mr Go's takes its name from the store, not the man. We're neither a Chinese restaurant nor a western one at that - we're a harmonious in-between. 

This is Mr Go's - this is not Mr Go.