The China Club, Hong Kong

I'm starting to think that when it comes to vegetarian, Chinese is Chinese is Chinese.

I went to the China Club in HK for a work event this week and we were lucky to have a private room thanks to my Senior Client Partner and his modest little membership card. Upon climbing the stairs to our private lime green dining room, my boss brazenly decided to take me on a tour of the club, showing me the library and the outdoor rooftop bar overlooking the park and harbour. He'd been there for a wedding recently so decided to lead me into each room, closed door or not. . . We interrupted the Deacons drinks and I felt every head turn towards us as I pretended to umm and ahh at the room and nod in thanks, not-so-secretly feeling bashful about making myself at home in these charming private corridors.

I was wearing very high heels, and evidently I was spending too much time looking down at my footing on the rickety wooden floor boards for my boss' liking - "Look up at the art Alex! And walk slower! Don't you see the art?" Well yes I did - bold oil paintings, modern Chinese artists, and plenty of traditional influence with a funky flair of colour and bold, sometimes grotesque artwork. It's the art and colour and exclusiveness that people come to the China club for!

I hear that the private rooms were previously the living quarters of the Bank of China executives, seconded from Beijing and prohibited from spending time in the democratic Hong Kong outdoors. The rooms have been converted into private dining and each has a distinctive Sir Tang vibe - colour, chinoisery, and lots of art. The fittings are original and creek with character, looking ill-fitting but sturdy. The place is uneven and vibrant.

We started with champagne and then sat down for our 8 course. I was the only vegetarian, and having booked ahead, I was well taken care of with my own menu!

I had a procession of tofu, rice, soup, mushrooms, deep fried things, some asparagus and more varieties of mushrooms. Now I feel terrible - each was very nice and I appreciated the special effort put in by the chefs for me - but fried rice is fried rice. It leaves me wondering - unless you're eating meat, are you able to see the variety of quality and really differentiate Chinese from Chinese?

The experience was great - mostly due to the novelty of the club and the impactful decor. I'm sorry to say that the food was very pleasant in a standard kind of way. Can anyone tell me how to assess Chinese food?

My overall feeling is that the China club is worth it for wow factor - novelty and a king of faux-snooty members-only access, and definitely go when you feel like Chinese, but don't expect the culinary sensation of a lifetime - just a great, fun evening! (Disclaimer: fun evening conditional upon the company you keep)

Address: 13-15/F Old Bank of China Building, Bank Street, Central, Hong Kong
Phone: 2521-8888.

Amber, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Wow, it's taken me a really long time to write this entry.

Truth be told, I got a bit sick of eating. That's not to detract from the amazing evening we had at Amber - actually it's the most opulent (read: expensive) meal I've ever had, and completely deserves it's spot amongst the best 100 restaurants in the world, and it's two sparklers. . . but after the 30th birthday of a lifetime (or the one and only of my lifetime if you want to be witty) I just couldn't do it anymore. . . for a while. . .  'food' being 'it'.

Now I'm getting back in the saddle, and the recollection of Amber is something very special.

I booked Amber because I was so surprised and pleased to find a vegetarian menu published online, alongside their regular menu. No questions necessary. I called to book, being careful to confirm the exact wording of the chocolate birthday greetings I wanted to reserve (Dear Myself!) and then looked forward to it for a week or so (in the meanwhile, eating A LOT of other birthday food and buying a new birthday top for the occasion).  

Arriving at Amber is like walking into a secret space. It's dimly lit, aptly decorated in Amber tones and rich woods, and was delicately adorned with yellow orchards while we were there. The space is welcoming yet private and the waitstaff glide around effortlessly like dancers on ice.

We ordered champagne to start, and were immediately romanced by the Somalier, who my Husband told me has quite a reputation preceding him. He was discreet yet obviously excited about his trade, and his love for his stock was contagious - almost a shame to take those bottles from his collection! Before the night was over we took his recommendation more than once - my first ever Austrian Pinot was one happy result!. 

We started our eating adventure with a procession of palate cleansers and lolly-pops that were fun and tasty, and in between each morsel we were offered as much homemade bread as we liked. I have a feeling the bread basket would have been bottomless, but I put an end to it in anticipation of other flavours to come.

We each started with a variety of heirloom tomatoes and a fresh beetroot salad before moving on - I had the risotto and my Husband had the white asparagus. I didn't get the chance to try the asparagus - due to the fact that I wasn't offered any by said Husband who seemed to be enjoying them to himself, however my risotto was exceptional. It was buttery and round without being too rich or heavy, and it had fresh parsley, onions and wild mushrooms spread throughout. I've not had risotto so light like this before - it was truly something different. Likewise I didn't share any of my prized risotto, instead enjoying it all to myself, which is a statement in my family.

Following dinner we saw some more complementary mouthfuls sent our way from the kitchen to cleanse our tasting senses, and then we moved on. . . cheese and desert!

Cheese was a real event. The waiter wheeled a black lacquered cabinet over to our table, and then before we knew what was happening - whack, whack, whack! - he unfolded the top of the cabinet in such a way that let us know he meant business. He then went on to explain each of the cheeses available... when I asked 'How many can I choose?' he said 'As many as you like. And don't worry... I'll be generous'. His remark was so charming, genuine and cheeky - such a lovely gesture, despite the fact that I hardly needed generous portions of food by that point! He was pleased to see we didn't go past the Stilton. The black cheese cabinet was packed up and moved back into the shadows with such stealth that I'm left imagining how it actually was removed - I was too busy ogling my cheese family to notice.

For desert we had some lovely things. Honestly I don't remember this part. I do remember I was feeling euphoric, and we were drinking sticky wine by that point. Oh, and also I was wishing myself a heart-felt happy birthday again, knowing that it was getting to the end of the day and soon it wouldn't be my Birthday anymore. Amber is of course the kind of place where the waiters won't pull out their private instruments from the back staff room and sing you an impromptu happy birthday song, and the other patrons won't clap the beat and then call out 'Hooray!' when your Mum says 'Hip Hip!'. No - they're busy speaking French, talking Finance, or celebrating wedding anniversaries. But despite the lack of singing, with Husband and Mum and Dad around me providing plenty of grown-up Birthdays Cheers, I was feeling happy, if not admittedly a bit Birthday weary. Being 30 now I seem to fade quickly. Perhaps it was the fact that we were on to our 4th bottle - I should stop thinking like an old person. 

We left feeling wonderful. Mum was kissing unborn babies and I was ready to happily fall into bed. The service had been exceptional - to the point where beyond the cheese and the fantastic wine man, there is nothing to mention because it was all so smooth and below the radar, but with quirks of appropriate personality shining through. The plates are their own with an interesting off-center pattern, and the booth we were offered felt so private while still being connected to the other experiences of the restaurant around us. It was a magic place to celebrate getting old (older).

Sometimes I don't really know what a review will say until it's been said on the page. I wish I had more to say about the food - what more can I say but that it is vegetarian and so wonderful. The vegetarian menu changes monthly, so no doubt you can have your own experience and not need to compare notes with mine. Am I too easily pleased? Is it a bad thing that I enjoy every special place I eat my vegetables in? Well I don't think so - I hope not! What a pleasure to have these treats in life. Of course there are more important things, and perhaps it's reckless to spend this money on food, but I enjoy the frivolity and spectacle of the eating experience - we all need to eat and I happen to choose to eat vegetables exclusively. I'm so glad places like Amber have the doors open to me! You might say: "Why shouldn't they!" and yes, well I agree, but also I'm just blessed to enjoy these special meals with special people, so we'll leave the philosophical debate about vegetarian dining equality for another day.

Address: 15 Queen's Road, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, The Landmark, Central, Hong Kong  
Phone: +852 2132 0066
Web:  http://www.amberhongkong.com/