Everyone likes to be a member of an exclusive club. But where to start? Lynn Fung looks at what’s on offer.

New Kid on the Block
The Derby Room may have over a decade’s worth of experience, but the Long Room—the fine-dining restaurant at the Cricket Club headed by former Sheraton chef Simon Evans—is the newcomer to watch. Overlooking the pitch, it opened in October and offers a fine-dining experience at a fraction of the expected price. All the accoutrements of a five-star experience, from the amuse-bouche to the cleansing sorbet between courses, are present and accounted for, and you could easily be perched on the top floor of some grand hotel—that is, until you realize that most appetizers are under $100.

The staff is attentive and the menu is carefully focused. Try the cold timbale of lobster and snow crab appetizer. Floating in a pool of bright orange sauce, it’s visually striking, but it was the flavor that knocked us sideways, being some of the freshest seafood we’ve ever tasted. A noteworthy main was the roasted Barbary duck breast. Normally known for its strong game flavor, the musky meat was complemented perfectly by the astringent cabbage. Don’t take our word for it, though, just ask your waiter or friendly maitre’d for their refreshingly honest recommendations. 137 Wong Nai Chung Gap Rd., Wong Nai Chung Gap, 3511-8618.

A Taste of Home
Everyone knows that Hong Kong was built by the hard-scrabble mainland immigrants who arrived at the beginning of the 20th century, but did you know that one of the first things they did was establish native residents’ association clubs where people could feel at home? The Shanghai Fraternity Association is one of the oldest of them all. Officially open only to Shanghainese natives and their guests, the club serves the region’s most authentic food in town.

The kitchen uses as much sugar, salt and oil as they please without a care for local Cantonese tastes. Start with the eel appetizer: deep-fried slivers of eel drizzled with a sweet vinegary reduction. The more adventurous can also try the braised duck tongues. Initial gag reflex aside, these are some truly delectable bits of chewy goodness. While Shanghainese food is oily, this can be easily solved by ordering a bowl of noodles to soak up the grease. A plain bowl of the silkiest noodles in a creamy chicken broth, garnished with vegetables, mushrooms and chicken, always does the trick. Try not to slurp your noodles: the prim and proper Shanghainese will not look kindly upon barbarians in their haven. 1/F, South China Building, 1 Wyndham St., Central, 2523-0595.

First Out of the Gate
Since the Michelin guide does not rate private members clubs, a restaurant that truly deserves a star will be left out of the loop come December: the Derby Room at the Jockey Club. Headed by chef Donovan Cooke, the exclusive eatery offers artistic and intricately constructed dishes made from über-fresh ingredients. Take one of their winter appetizers, the mille-feuille of foie gras and fig jelly are layers of hazelnut mousse and foie gras terrine separated by pieces of coffee-brushed puff pastry, garnished with deliberate drops of goose fat.

Everything is made in-house, from the pastry to the terrine to the little jelly cubes of muscat. We also loved the ballotine of monkfish and foie gras. Wrapped in cabbage and served with ceps, artichokes and salsify, this classic dish is slow-cooked to an internal temperature of only 50-60 degrees, retaining all the juices and flavors that take the dish to another level. Not ready to fork over that small fortune or wait years to join? Well, suck up to those member friends of yours: with reasonable prices such as $258 for a three-course set lunch that includes lobster, scallop and foie gras, it hopefully won’t be too difficult to convince them to dine there on a regular basis. Happy Valley Jockey Club Clubhouse,  Shan Kwong Rd., Happy Valley, 2966-1310.

The Dungeon
As the doorman opens the door of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club and you descend the stairs to Bert’s Jazz Bar, you could be forgiven for thinking this is something out of a Graham Greene novel. Here journalists and fellow winos drone on in various accents, and although it may sound like tantalizing bits of industry gossip at first, you soon realize that they too are only complaining about their jobs.

What is more interesting, however, is the food. It may not seem so at first: the menu reads like a hodgepodge of your usual coffee shop mix of European and pan-Asian dishes, and the sheer number of dishes suggest mediocrity, but that is where you’re wrong. Did you know, for instance, that this is where you can find the best onion soup in town? Or that the Thai red duck curry is exactly what you need after drinks up at the Main Bar? It is also here that you’ll find some of the best hangover pub grub: the lamb chops are consistently tasty, and the colcannon was said by an Irish friend to be the best outside of Dublin. 2 Lower Albert Rd., Central, 2521-1511.

“Customs Paradeisos”
One of the best-kept secrets in town is the Customs and Excise Service Senior Officers’ Mess, or CESSOM for short. Although the name is unwieldy and somewhat reminiscent of the Cold War, the restaurant is cheerful and open to the public. Cheap and boisterous with a tranquil alfresco seating area overlooking the sea, the clubhouse is popular with lunch crowds.

Yummy if somewhat Fear Factor–sounding dishes include strips of jellyfish in soy, sesame and chili paired with small sea snails. A good dim sum choice is the braised beef tripe (stomach) with mandarin peel and fermented black beans. The sauce was sweet and citrusy, and the tripe was surprisingly tender, given its unusual thickness. We also loved the deep-fried chicken cartilage. The dish was so addictive that even after we were full, we still found ourselves reaching for the juicy tidbits until only chunks of chili and garlic were left. 9/F, 2 Rumsey St., Central, 2541-2468.