Sum Made is a relatively new player when it comes to delivering delicious Chinese food, but it is already recognised as a place to go for exceptional Cantonese cuisine.
Located on Auckland’s North Shore, Sum Made is built on two levels with its own lift. The restaurant serves yum cha by day and delectable Cantonese favourites like roast meats, double boiled soups and Peking duck.
But a main draw of this restaurant is the seafood menu which redefines fresh, with seafood like lobster, geoduck, abalone, diamond clams, fish and king crabs coming to the table straight from its live seafood tanks.
We had the freshest crayfish (rock lobster) cooked in two styles - the classic braised with yee mien and stir fried with chilli and garlic. The geoduck was served natural, sashimi style, with the natural sweetness of the seafood shining through.
The large blue cod was steamed, its flesh soft and luscious, and my personal favourite has to be the steamed diamond clams - simply flavoured with garlic, chilli and topped with glass vermicelli.
To have a balanced meal, we ordered the choy sum which was so aromatic as it was stir fried with pork lard oil and topped with crispy lard. The home made silken tofu topped with shredded dried scallops offered a rich flavour that had depth and umami.
For those who prefer to dine away from the crowd, Sum Made has six private dining suites — one with a table that sits 24 people and a private karaoke corner complete with sofa seats.
Canton-born Cameron Zhong, whose family owns the restaurant, says they are on a quest to revolutionise Chinese dining in New Zealand.
Eight chefs have been headhunted from top restaurants across the Guangdong region to help in the direction that Zhong is taking for his restaurant.
“I feel what New Zealand is missing are true Cantonese dishes and dining experiences that you get in Guangzhou or Hong Kong,” Zhong said.
“What we aim to do at Sum Made is to bring not just top quality Cantonese cuisine, but also the whole experience of what it’s like dining in that part of the world.” Zhong said the Cantonese placed high importance to freshness in their food, which is why the restaurant is focussed on their live seafood offerings.
One of the special dishes in Sum Made’s elaborate Cantonese menu is a dish called “Hidden Dragon in the Snow”, where a live crayfish from the tank is cooked in two parts; the meat from the tail served with milk from Daliang and the body deep fried with garlic, salt and pepper.
Another signature dish is the “secret recipe” black barbecue pork, where pork belly is cooked using a special roasting method.
It has been hectic since Sum Made opened its doors slightly under a year ago, but Zhong said it was making steady progress in expanding its menu offerings and diners can look forward to more exciting culinary adventures ahead.
Sum Made 心美 11 Davies Drive, Albany, Auckland 0632 Phone: 09 626 6866 Business Hours: Sat and Sun 10am-3pm, 5.30pm-10pm, Mon to Fri 10.30am-3pm, 5.30pm-10pm
