Sultry Hong Kong-style restaurant and bar Sum Yi Tai (meaning “third wife” in Cantonese) catapults back onto our radar with Mona Lounge, a back-room cocktail lounge and the second of three concepts in the Boon Tat Street shophouse. Located on the second floor, the intimate space drips with the same decadent 1980s Hong Kong glamor that runs throughout the entire shophouse. The appeal doesn’t end there—locked and accessible only to guests with a unique lock code, the lounge comes with the thrilling exclusivity of a New York speakeasy. Just ask for Mona at the Sum Yi Tai door.
Once in, you’ve got at your fingertips a modernized, Asian cocktail menu, conceptualized by head bartender Byron Tan and group chief bartender Sam Wong. Sip the cognac-based Mona’s Tea ($22) that comes with oolong PX sherry and Fernet Branca; or the nostalgic Songstress ($22)—a twist on the Old Fashioned, based on Chinese herbal remedies and mixed with pi pa gao. There’s also That First Bouquet ($22), made with Encanto pisco, thyme-infused Aperol, hibiscus syrup and other fruity wonders, and Dangerous Romance ($22) that combines the best of a Bloody Mary and margarita. To pad out the oriental tipples, munch on classic Cantonese bar bites like prawn wanton tossed in chili ($15) and crispy pork chips in shrimp paste ($12).
