Shanghai Fraternity Association is accessible for those who are members of the club only. If you are not a member, you can become a member by purchasing membership. Shanghai Fraternity Association has remained to be one of my favorite restaurants in Hong Kong, particularly for its high caliber food. Many of the dishes here are common Shanghainese dishes that have a delicately unique take on them.
If I recall correctly, my favorite dishes here include the smoked egg and the candied eels. The egg yolk bursts with flavor and is just overall an amazing sensation – gooey, salty, and smokey. Diced ham jelly was not salty, which is expected. Not my favorite, but still a good rendition. The shrimps were a nice palette cleanser, while being a traditional dish – nothing too special.
The vegetarian goose is a standout here, crispy on the edges and very layered. It is browned, exuding extra flavor. The candied eels are crunchy and crispy, had the right amount of sauce and was overall a well done dish. I can still taste the dish as I review the photo – it is pretty much like candy, as the chef must have intended initially.
Shark’s fin base is creamy, thick, and flavorful. California has a ban on Shark’s fin soup, and because of this, we decided to try shark’s fin many times in Hong Kong. This city is the mecca for shark’s fin, which is no surprise at all. Between all of the restaurants, Shark’s fin is prepared drastically differently, with different soup bases, resulting in different salinities and consistencies.
Between the xiao long baos and the zhen jian baos, I liked both; while the XLBs had more flavor in the pork and better doneness of meat, the ZJBs had cruncher buns, well prepared, though lacked the finesse that the XLBs had in terms of meat.

Other dishes that we ordered but are not pictured, include a noodle soup, pulled noodles (which had a lot of flavor), drunken ham, and salty ham. I wish I could have more of those pulled noodles! Firm texture overall.
To conclude, there was a rice pancake. Such a satisfying meal and so memorable. The service is attentive and the place is spacious, filled with a handful of private rooms. Shanghai Fraternity Association is recommended for those who work or live in Central and like to eat good Shanghainese. For more economic options, Crystal Jade proves to be a more safe option for more traditional flavors.