Need to fill your stomach a bit? Sum Yi Tai’s Signature XO Carrot Cake ($14) will do the job. It’s definitely on the spicy side, but that only makes you want to inhale the entire plate.
Housemade carrot cake stir-fried with beansprouts, spring onions and egg with Sum Yi Tai’s signature XO sauce and house chilli paste, you get a heaping portion of wok-heigoodness. The bits of egg are slightly crisp at the edges and alongside the crunch of the beansprouts, these two elements add excellent textural contrast against the soft chunks of carrot cake.
Sum Yi Tai spans across three floors with a bar, Mona Lounge, on the second level. If you’re tired of beers, this is the place to be for some Cantonese inspired cocktails. The top floor is probably where most people would like to be, however. An open-air rooftop bar definitely sets the mood, and the more contemporary music playing here might appeal better to the younger crowd. All in all, there’s nothing groundbreaking in terms of the food here. These are all tried and tested dishes, but that’s exactly what makes Sum Yi Tai stand out. With almost everywhere else serving french fries, buffalo wings and other Western bar bites, a bar serving sharing portions of Chinese dishes that most of us are familiar with is a breath of freshair. At the end of the night, I felt as though I had a proper dinner at a bar, instead of merely having finger food to accompany my drinks.
- Opening hours, address and menu: See here