“Membership has its privileges”
- American Express Slogan from the 80′s
Kee Club is a unique member’s only establishment which offers dinning and clubhouse rooms. With roots from the venerable Hong Kong Yung Kee restaurant and club, with the same moniker, the Kee Club Shanghai first opened its doors in 2001.
The club is located in the heart of Shanghai on the famed shopping Hua Hai Middle Road is hidden behind the bustling traffic. The palatial building, a reminder of the old western architectural influences, features the Dunhill Flagship store in Shanghai on the first floor. The main dining rooms and clubrooms are on the 3rd floor. On the 4th floor there are two exclusive rooms, for private meetings or dining events, exudes a manly appear with the dark colors. The Vacheron Constantin and Alfred Dunhill themed these two private rooms, which are part of the Richemont group, with the additional luxury brands – Jaegar Le Coutre, Cartier, and Piaget, the Kee Club. Heck, I like these rooms and perhaps would want it be my man cave at home.
The Kee Club’s modest dining rooms, which seats about 25 people, features a western menu, with the speciality of steaks. Tonight I went after the Wagyu Fillet A5 Marbling (180g) with a side of the Chestnut Cream Soup with Sauteed Chicken. Miss T choose the Australian Rib-Eye (220g) accompanied with a (larger side) of Spinach Risotto with Poached Free Range Egg and Winter Truffles from the Province of Tibet.
As soon as we were diving in the table breads, we were treated to a chef’s appetizer of fish mousse in mini cone with a smoked salmon wrapped bread stick. These little treats lubricated our palates for what was ahead.
The risotto and the soup soon arrived. The presentation of the contrasting white poached egg with the spinach green risotto had a nice visual appeal. The slightly al dente risotto matched the creaminess of the egg for a yummy mouth feel. The soup arrived with the chestnut, mushroom, and chicken sans the broth, which was to be poured in front – for extra effect. I enjoyed the savoriness of the chicken with the subdued flavors of the broth and mushrooms. I believe in the US, this type of soup would have been more thicker, while this Shanghai version is nicely done without being too heavy.
Finally our steaks arrived – with the rib-eye and the wagyu, which were both medium rare. One nice aspect of the steaks were the choice of accompaniments, of the choices of the cracked peppers, curry-salt powder, sea salts, mustards, horseradish, and chili peppers. I choose the sea salt and the slightly spicy mustard. The rib-eye boasted a nice flavor with the appealing leanness. I liked my wagyu for the exact opposite reason. The even marbling meant that I had a little fat (or juiciness) with eat bite. The accompaniments gave a different flavor profile that played in your mouth differently. Soon, Miss Y realized that she choose poorly and should have gotten the wagyu.
Though we were both stuffed, Miss T insisted that we should get the Chocolate Gateaux Black Forest, with Cherries and Valrhona Chocolate. Though I wasn’t sure of what Gateaux and Valrhona was, it was nonetheless tasty. The rich chocolate in the cake with the contrasting cherries were a nice combination.
After our meal we had a drink on in the clubroom. This old school (or old boys) room features nice leather bound couches and chairs. You could enjoy a nice cigar with a 18 year old single malt scotch. There’s even a nice little outdoor balcony facing the court yard.
The court yard is one of great things about the club. Ideal for events, like weddings, parties, and showcases, you don’t really find nice grassy pristine court yards in the middle of Shanghai. Right below this court yard is a covered parking lot. The club has about 30 or so parking spaces for members and guests, which is great – since the busy Hua Hai Road doesn’t have any street parking.
Membership at Kee Club does have its perks with the nice dining room and clubroom with ample parking. But I enjoy the impeccable service in dining rooms which offer makes you feel right at home.
What to Order: Wagyu Steak, the Chestnut Soup, Risotto, and Chocolate Cake
What not to Order: Rib-Eye
Rating
3 Pigs
Price Range 3 $/¥/NT
Links
Smart Shanghai
Luxo.com
City Weekend
The Drool Team
NY Times
Contemporan
Kee Club Shanghai
淮海中路796号4楼， 近瑞金二路, 近茂名路
4/F, Twin Villas, 796 Huaihai Zhong Lu near Ruijin Er Lu or Mao Ming Lu Shanghai, China
www.keeclub.com/
+86 21 3395 0888
Popularity: 25% [?]
i was just there last night! only for drinks though. after seeing ur review i think i will try the food next time.
sugared & spiced recently posted..Taipei Smith & Hsu
I like the bar. Its chill place just for drinks. Nothing crazy
The Thirsty Pig recently posted..The Deep Fried Pork Chop at Delicious Kitchen- Hong Kong
I’ve tried winter truffles from Tibet when I visited Zhongdian a few months back for a short vacation and they are just fantastic. Truffle harvesters there relate that due to the high altitude, it’s much more difficult to collect and transport these superb mushrooms, which makes them quite special.
Delish! Now that’s what I call an eclectic dish. Did you know that truffles are such a big hit in the Middle East, too? I know I’ve tried them somewhere in Israel but I forgot what they’re called.