It is also worth making a mental note that a truly splendid barbecue is served on the rooftop on weekends. Fresh seafood, chicken, steaks, top-of-the-range beef, seasonable vegetables and genuinely delicious sauces are all on offer from the establishment’s excellent chefs. There is also a chic rooftop bar generously stocked with fine wines and champagnes, with an in-house mixologist on hand to concoct those signature cocktails or perhaps some more tailored creations.
Of course, it is the food at the Greater China Club that is the real reason to pay a visit. Thankfully, it does deliver some of the finest Cantonese cuisine in the city.
My meal began with a quartet of appetisers that came specially recommended by the chef. These included cold abalone with pomelo, fresh Chinese yams marinated in preserved plum sauce, cold silky fowl electrified with spicy Sichuan flavours and a serving of cold sea blubber – perhaps in a bid to chill the palate after the previous dish.
While it was certainly a mix of flavours, it was also well-balanced, with many of the dishes clearly complementing one another. The abalone was sweet and made the perfect accompaniment to the tanginess of the pomelo. Overall, it was a winning combination of appetisers, inevitably prompting thoughts as to just what the chef had lined up for subsequent courses.
We didn’t have long to wait to find out. The lead here was taken by roast goose served with plum sauce – a dish that really has to be tried. Traditional Chinese dishes are always a winner and it is often intriguing to see just how individual restaurants interpret such cuisine.
Just how did the Greater China Club fare then? Crispy roasted goose skin? Check. Mouth-watering fat that trickles from beneath the crispy skin of the bird? Check. Succulent, tender meat that leaves you wanting more? Check. Quite an impressive result.
Next up was the minced spotted garoupa soup with shredded assorted fungus. Another must-have – its ingredients are beautifully fresh and they really complement each other perfectly.
A more surprising combination was the wok-fried prawn balls served with aubergine and salad dressing. I was initially sceptical as to the wisdom of the pairing but I should have had more faith. Something of a revelation, the dressing merely acted as a delightful counterpoint to the freshness and crunchiness of the prawns.
It was then onto the crunchy pork ribs, another Hong Kong favourite and with good reason. While irresistibly crunchy the meat was also delightfully tender. Something of a coup on the preparation front.
The last element of the main was a rice soup with seafood. While it may lack the headline-grabbing allure of the other dishes, you won’t be disappointed. The first spoonful is more than enough to entice you in, with the soup fresh and alive with a myriad of flavours. At times, it is hard to identify each individual taste sensation, with an array of flavours competing for your attention.
Overall, its appeal lies in the fact that every dish not only tastes superb, but that every dish also tastes superb in a wholly different way. The true sign of its chef’s skill, though, is that all these disparate taste sensations are all ultimately blended into a truly satisfying whole, replete with subtle contrasts and knowing enhancements.
Go on, go ahead and treat yourself.
Greater China Club
Address: Unit A, 10/F, D2 Place, 9 Cheung Yee Place, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon
Reservation: 2743 8055
Food: 9.5/10
Drinks: 9/10
Ambience: 9/10