Club Vietnam at the FCC

I came across a restaurant called Club Vietnam at the FCC while searching the internet for good Vietnamese food in Shanghai. Having been to the FCC in Siem Reap a few months ago, I thought this might be an affiliation. I only found out much later that FCC meant "Foreign Culture Club", the brainchild of a Hong Kong restaurateur. But this didn't stop me from giving Club Vietnam a try, after reading about the fine reviews from local publications.

Club Vietnam is located in an enclave of old Shanghainese houses off Julu Road. The FCC building itself houses several F&B establishments, one of which was Club Vietnam. The other, a private dining restaurant called Manchuria, was on the other side of the building together with the Wine Cellar. Club Vietnam is a white affair, white marble tables paired with white chairs and plain white walls. Not much in terms of decor, but at least it offers a modern minimalist albeit slightly boring dining environment. The menu was rather extensive, and I took a while to settle on the appetizer sampler, and the deep fried snapper with tamarind sauce. I also ordered a glass of their house sangria.

The first course arrived, and I was presented with a spread of three classic Vietnamese appetizers - grilled Vietnamese prawn cakes with homemade dipping sauce, skewered prawns and garlic, and fried spring rolls. I loved all three appetizers, they were very authentic.

My snapper arrived on a large plate smothered in tamarind sauce. The flavor was unbelievably good, so good, that I had to order a bowl of white rice to accompany it.  It actually reminded me of a similar dish I had in Chiang Mai.

Overall, the meal was excellent, and ranks up there with some of the better ones I've eaten in recent years. I never thought I'd find good Vietnamese food in Shanghai, but I guess if there's a market for excellent and authentic Thai cuisine like Simply Thai, then I guess there's a niche for a restaurant like Club Vietnam to thrive.