The Eight, Haymarket - A revisit post covid

The Eight is located on top of Market City in the middle of Chinatown. Since the pandemic, one of the other major competing Yum Cha houses Marigold has closed down. So I was unsure about the impact on the Eight given we still have high covid numbers and Marigold has closed down.

 It’s been some time since I’ve been to the Eight due to the pandemic. To be honest, I have not been out much to date.

I had yum cha with my friend Mel at the Eight, which used to be one of our usual haunts. We agree to meet early at 10:30am and already, the place is very busy on this particular Saturday.

The venue is almost full and there's a small queue that starts to form. Earlier on, there seems to be more trolleys of food come up out so we make the most of this and start picking some dishes. 

Yum Cha at the Eight for me, typically involves ordering a number of staple dishes including the Prawn Dumplings or Har Gow. The Har Gow dumplings are as good as I remember them with a hint of chilli sauce and a sip of tea afterwards.

As Melle and I are curious, we decide to try a few new dishes that we have not had before. The first is this eggplant dish which has a a fish / tofu flavour that is mixed in with a sweet soy dressing. We enjoy the dish and are delighted we try something different.

We also order this Tofu dish which has been sliced in half and partnered with a fish patty. I actually really like this flavour combination with a mild hint of chilli from the sliced chilli. I am personally a tofu fan though so I know it's not for everyone. 

Melle and I continue to enjoy our other regular yum cha staples including the garlic chive and prawn dumplings and we finish off our experience with some mango pancakes. Mango season has well and truly passed so naturally the pieces in the mango pancake are not as fruitful as they would be in the summer months.

 Summary: Overall, The Eight has retained it's overall experience post covid - with delicious food and nice atmosphere. No doubt, many Marigold patrons would now be looking for other yum cha eateries to check out. I would recommend all the dishes I tried today. 

Price: Our bill was approx $75. The prices have come up a little like many venues across Sydney

Location: Level 3, Market City, Hay St, Hay Market

Opening Hours: 

Monday to Friday 10am to 3:30pm; 5pm to 11pm

Weekends 9am to 3:30pm; 5pm to 11pm