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Creative dishes to please locals and expats alike
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A CONTEMPORARY Chinese restaurant housed in the Residential Building of the newly opened The Middle House Shanghai is undoubtedly the must-try spot among the many new food and beverage openings.
Native Shanghainese chef Tony Ye has a talent for updating Chinese culinary traditions into a contemporary dining experience, and the result is a series of imaginative dishes that would surprise both locals and expats.
Think small bites that are big on flavor and satisfaction, suitable for sharing even for two — that is a rare case for Chinese dining.
Unlike many grand Chinese restaurants, Sui Tang Li has an intimate, cozy environment perfect for modern-day diners. You don’t feel serious when eating Chinese food but rather chilled and unpretentious while enjoying the gourmet creations. However, the interior design interprets traditional Chinese elements with a simplistic modern take, featuring a screen wall inlaid with green glazed tiles, paired with an amber-colored glass show kitchen.
Ye has honed his skills in kitchens from Shanghai to Singapore. Before joining Sui Tang Li, he was sous chef at Michelin-starred Shanghai restaurant Yong Yi Ting, after a stint as sous chef at the fine dining restaurant Jin Sha at Four Seasons Hangzhou.
However, at Sui Tang Li, his skills and understanding has been upgraded to another level, with a more global perspective. He aims to delight guests with curated Chinese cuisine true to its origins yet with modern twists, including both new creations and his signature artisan dim sum — he started out as a dim sum chef.
During my last visit for lunch, I was impressed by its dim sum offerings that are beyond our usual expectations. Steamed items including pumpkin porcini dumpling, quail egg siu ma to baked and fried items such as lotus root and cheese turnip puff, pan-fried foie gras chicken dumpling — each creative and sophisticated and all perfectly executed.
Other must-orders include crunchy hazelnut foie gras with Iberian ham shallot oil cake, a creative dish incorporating a popular Shanghai street snack with traditional Western ingredient; jasmine tea smoked pomfret, where the smokiness of the fish is balanced by the aroma of tea leaves; and chicken steamed with abalone, mushroom and dried Scallop, a refined and luxury version of the famous “Beggar’s Chicken” — slow-cooked spring chicken stuffed with select ingredients and wrapped in fragrant lotus leaves.
Don’t leave Sui Tang Li without trying their cocktails that pay homage to the ancient Chinese theory of “The Five Elements.” The cocktail program features five element-themed categories of artisan drinks and signatures include Tofu Colada, Shi Ku Men Sour, or the Shao Xing Yellow wine-based Naughty Ball.
The only problem of dining at Sui Tang Li is that all the dishes seem so delicious and it takes several visits to try a bit of everything.
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