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Yongfoo Elite hands over keys to ivory tower
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-07 10:41

Tom Cruise could have left his bodyguards behind when he dropped by to admire the Qing Dynasty relics and 1930s Shanghai opium bed in the garden of private-members' club Yongfoo Elite (YFE) a few years back.

"They're making the other guests uncomfortable," the club's restaurant manager told the world's most bankable movie star, who expressed concern about autograph hunters.

Yongfoo Elite hands over keys to ivory tower

"But sir, everyone here is famous," replied the manager. "No one will bother you."

It is this rarified air of respect - for the past and for its guests - that has drawn Chinese and foreign CEOs, politicians, sportsmen and celebrities to the club since it opened in 2004, when Wallpaper magazine named it Second Best Club of the Year.

However, things have since changed. Despite the firmament of stars that light up the premises, like Jackie Chan, who pitched up last Friday, tennis ace Rafael Nadal, who took a break from the Shanghai Masters here last month, and Basic Instinct star Sharon Stone, who left red lipstick marks in the guest book, YFE is now open to the public.

In a bid to introduce more people to his 30-million-yuan ($4 million) treasure trove of Chinese and world culture, owner Wang Xingzheng is now giving Joe Public access to the ivory tower.

The main difference from being a private member is that there are minimum table charges, you have to pay a 15 percent service charge, certain VIP rooms are off-limits - and they can refuse you entry if they don't like the look of you. Usually, members are invited to join by the boss.

Wang, a former fashion designer who sold his garment business to build the club, was born four years after China's liberation in 1949. But he chronicles much more of China's past within his secret garden.

Yongfoo Elite hands over keys to ivory tower

"We've learned a lot from the West, but I wanted people to come here and learn about China's past, so I chose to present these antiques in a fashionable way to catch people's attention," he said.

"Unlike today's mass-produced goods, these (Qing Dynasty) wooden doors and carvings took months or years to make, but they last for centuries. You can't find this kind of craftwork today."

Even Ethan Hunt, the super spy played by Cruise in his Mission Impossible franchise, would have winced at Wang's Herculean task.

He spent two decades amassing over 1,000 antiques, including old Tibetan wall-paintings, ancient political plaques, roof carvings from Zhejiang Province, mirrors from Victorian England and authentic Chairman Mao memorabilia to build this inner-city time machine that adheres to the principals of feng shui. The rectangular goldfish ponds, VIP rooms with blue wallpaper and velvet drapes also reflect his penchant for fashion.

In contrast, the dusty cigar bar opposite the opulent two-storey restaurant is more nostalgic, hankering after bygone times.

The latter offers unique dishes created by Wang and Executive Chef Ding Yongqiang, a student of the man credited with creating Shanghai cuisine, Li Borong.

"We have the most traditional Shanghai food here, and dishes that you cannot find anywhere else," said Wang, refusing to divulge his secret soy-sauce recipe.

Recommended treats include the Seasonal Green Salad (avocados, Thai pomelo, arrow-root, roman lettice; 80 yuan), Braised Supreme Shark's Fin with Hairy Crab Roe (380 yuan) and Marinated Meat Combination in Shanghai Sauce (220 yuan and 480 yuan serving portions).

There are also three set menus ranging from 488 to 1,588 yuan per person, not including a 15-percent service charge. These are proving a big hit with traditional and mixed wedding parties, which the club also hosts (call for details).

Open: 11:30 am - 12 am; afternoon tea from 2:30 pm - 5 pm (minimum charge of 128 yuan per person)

200 Yongfu Road, near Fuxing Road W.

永福路200号,近复兴西路

Tel: 5466-2727

Matt Hodges