On Friday night Jeff and I got the chance to indulge in some amazing massages and a seriously delicious dinner at the Old Chengdu Club. The Club’s website heralds it as combining “the best tradition of service, hospitality, and friendliness,” radiating the “sentiment of yester-years;” up until Friday we only knew it as the place that denied us entrance when we stumbled upon it back in September while exploring the area around Wenshu Monastery. As a foreigner in Chengdu, rejection is an uncommon feeling, so we were mildly put off by the exclusivity (yet intrigued by what the hell could be so great about the place that they were in a position to reject laowai).
Jeff attended a Cinco de Mayo party there 2 weeks ago hosted by the Singapore Chamber of Commerce, and managed to win some vouchers for knowing the answers to some pretty challenging “Mexican” trivia (like what does “cinco de mayo” mean…). Although we experienced a slightly mortifying moment discovering the massage vouchers didn’t actually cover the entire cost of the massage, I was overall blown away by the service and facilities at the Spa of the club – it was quite possibly the nicest massage experience, ever. This was likely because we each had not one but TWO people massaging us at the same time …. a bizarre sensory experience that felt amazing but kept me from my normal tendency to fall asleep mid-massage because it just felt so counterintuitive to have 4 hands symmetrically massaging your body. It was intense, and a little weird, but overall awesome.
After the massages we headed to the Japanese Restaurant at the club (they also have a Chinese, Korean, and Western resataurant) which we were told served up the best Japanese in town. Our gift certificates were for the “japanese barbeque” for 2 people, so we never looked at a menu or made any decisions regarding what we ate. Sometimes, this method works out in your culinary favor and sometimes this does not. Luckily this dinner was an example of the former – it consisted of about 6 or 7 mini courses ranging from fresh sashimi tuna and salmon on ice to perfectly seared slices of beef to an exquisite miso soup, and a few others in between. The desert was a lovely plate of fresh dragon fruit and watermelon, with a bean curd custard on the side which was fluffy and the perfect palate cleanser. I would particularly commend the restaurant for their fresh ginger (ha, ha) and perfectly head-numbing wasabi, 2 accoutrements I have found completely unsatisfactory at other Japanese restuarants I have visited in Chengdu. My only criticism of the restaurant would be when they brought literal meaning to the phrase “ice cold beer” with several cubes bobbing around in my Asahi. I realize this was only done in attempts to please the bizarre chilled-beverage-loving foreigners, but I mean seriously – why would you ever put ice in a beer. Luckily there was enough delicious food to distract me. We also had the privelage of sharing a cup of sake with the manager of the Club – a very hospitable Austrailian guy who was filling us in on how much the Club has changed the past few months under his management, and how he wants to create an atmosphere that is more accessible and foreigner-friendly. He seems to be accomplishing his goal, as I will whole heartedly recommend a visit to the Old Chengdu Club. There may not be much that’s actually old about it, but it is a fantastic getaway from the chaos of Chengdu – and the “Duet” massage will actually change your life - I’d just suggest a price check in advance 
yumsashimi.
a mighty pretty dessert
