Club caters to all tastes

If you did not know where Club Le Jardin was, you would never find it. No advertising and only a barely visible sign painted on the side of the wall. But the crowds of trendy, yuppie, largely expat 30-somethings have their own built-in radar, foolproof for zeroing in on places like this all over the world.

Like homing pigeons, they have been roosting on the tented outdoor terrace and in the cosy bar area since the day it opened six years ago. The feeling is warm, friendly, easy - like a neighbourhood club should be.

Mobile phones are turned off, cigarettes lit up, lively conversations in full swing. We are talking really casual here - the kind of comfort that allows the two women at the next table to type away on their laptops while sipping beers; the kind of laid-back attitude that permitted lunchtime crowds to munch on the contents of their own Styrofoam takeaways.

It may be down an unpretentious alley just steps away from Lan Kwai Fong, but the feeling of intimate privacy is amazing. Maybe because it is at the end of the little street and then up a flight of stairs - away from the annoying roar of passing traffic and the hubbub of the hectic neighbourhood. Potted palms and thickets of bamboo help to provide additional atmosphere.

And the staff. It seems that waitresses must possess either a tiny nose ring or a small visible tattoo. Previous waitressing experience is probably not a strict requirement, but an enthusiastic willingness-to-please is, and half a dozen young things flit around the tables, bringing new meaning to the term 'service with a smile'.

Happy hour at Le Jardin starts at noon and goes merrily on until 8pm - not two for the prize of one either, but half-priced drinks, so you need not feel obliged to be a two-fisted imbiber. Until recently those who did not bring their own lunchboxes ordered food from the restaurant next door and bought their drinks from the understanding establishment.

Judging by the reception to the newly implemented dining arrangement, those days may be gone forever. Peckish patrons now get a choice of authentic (and unusually affordable) Vietnamese and Thai cuisine from the Saigon Pho menu - courtesy of long-time private caterer, chef Duyen (pronounced U-en) Dang.

Ms Duyen, who was born in Saigon, is currently in the kitchen cooking up her popular specialties for lunch and offering a selection of yummy nibbles at dinner. All of her preparations are homemade, fresh and delicious, and bought in the market that morning.

There are substantial, amply stuffed prawn rolls, wrapped in a translucent, tissue-thin rice paper ($35).

The light and crispy deep-fried won ton were surprisingly devoid of grease as were the crunchy spring rolls, filled with a flavourful mixture of pork, crabmeat and mushrooms (both at $45). Everything tasted terrific and was a treat for the eyes, presented in individual bamboo steamer baskets, attractively lined with leaves and flowers.

The thick-with-beef or chicken noodle soups ($35 each) are satisfying and tasty, sparked with fresh Vietnamese and Thai herbs.

Before Le Jardin, Ms Duyen plied her beautifully presented Vietnamese dishes exclusively to a loyal following of Hong Kong's private party-givers. Now a wider audience will have a chance to appreciate her cooking.

During the week, the young office workers start to turn up at around 6pm, still toting their attache cases, the women in their smart suits, the men in shirt and tie, jacket over the arm. They slip into slatted green chairs, order their cold beers or glasses of wine, wave hello to friends and visibly begin to unwind.

If you are in the neighbourhood and fancy a drink or one of their mean margaritas, and would not mind a bite of some real Vietnamese cooking, then make your way up Wing Wah Lane.

Keep going, past the clutch of local noodle shops, sidestepping the tables out on the pavement and avoiding the assortment of local cats until you find the steps leading to Le Jardin.

Once you discover how relaxed you can feel in this unpretentious, low-key, friendly spot, and how little you need spend to have an enjoyable time, you are likely to become a regular, too.

Club Le Jardin 10 Wing Wah Lane, 1/F, Flat M. Tel: 2526-2717. Hours: Monday-Thursday noon-2am, Friday noon-4am, Saturday 4pm-4am, lunch Monday-Friday noon-2.30pm, snacks 6.30-9.30pm