There's something funny nestled between the restaurants on Soho's Elgin Street. In the basement of number 34 is the TakeOut Comedy Club, Asia's first full-time comedy venue. Every weekend this intimate underground space plays host to the city's best stand-up comedians, as well as the occasional international star.

In the week, host, manager and native New Yorker Jami Gong teaches stand-up classes. We caught up Jami to learn about TakeOut and see what it takes to be funny.

Tell us a bit about the club?

It's been open for three years but I did two years of research here before that. I knew there must be people who want to laugh, but I wondered why no one is getting regular people to perform. There must be talent out there waiting to be discovered so I decided if you build it, they will come.

As well as bringing American comedians, my main focus is getting regular people to perform and discovering local comedians. I'm starting a whole local comedy scene from scratch.

What's the reception to comedy here in Hong Kong?

It's great! We're often the reason people come to Soho, for dinner and a show. Since we don't serve liquor or food it's a great compliment to the area. On a sold-out night there's 150 people here; before and after the show they patron Soho.

You host Cantonese and English language stand-up - what's the biggest difference?

The English has a lot more sarcasm and the Chinese a lot more puns and pantomimes. Local Hong Kong comedians do long shows with long stories.

You watch the expat crowds and they're laughing out loud but the Chinese laugh on the inside and cover their mouths. They're not used to laughing out loud next to strangers so they're a bit embarrassed.
Chinese comedians say a punch line but the Chinese audiences don't laugh out loud, so to avoid an awkward silence they carry on talking.

Laughing out loud increases blood circulation so we want the Chinese crowd to do that. It's great to see that slowly changing over time.

What's been your biggest achievement?

It's just giving the gift of laughter to Hong Kong. Not only discovering local talent but what gives me the most happiness is when I'm watching the crowd and seeing people laughing for an hour and a half who haven't experienced this or haven't experienced it in a long time. And as laughter is the best medicine so I see it as prolonging their life.

When did you start taking comedy seriously?

I performed for the first time in ‘89 but I started seriously in 1999. I quit my day job in 2003 in New York City and moved out here to fully dedicated my life to this.

Now we have so many comedians I do less comedy, but if you ask me what I do, I'm a stand up comedian who happens to run a comedy club.

How do you feel about the local comedians who perform at the club?

I'm so proud of them. This is the hardest job in the world but it's also the greatest. It takes time, it takes a lot of energy and it takes a lot of stage time to progress.

I used to host a lot of shows and nurture them but now they are more experienced I just sit back. They've got so much better, from someone with no experience and who never even thought they'd be doing stand-up until now they can't stop talking about it. You see all of them glow, become a happier person and more creative. I love seeing someone who's so shy and introverted becoming someone who just can't stop writing because they want to go on every night and get that rush and the applause. It's a feeling like no other.

What do people get out of it?

Your creativity goes up, communication skills go up, confidence, charisma, timing, body language, everything. That's why I do stand up comedy classes for corporate training. Your public speaking skills go way up and you just become such a happier person because you see the world so differently.

Do the corporate lessons differ from the regular comedy class?

Not really, so many people want to improve their public speaking and interpersonal relationship skills and stand up comedy is perfect for that.

Did you ever learn the hard way?

Oh yes. Comedy is so hard is because you will fail. I tell people straight out, it doesn't happen overnight. You need to be patient, you need to be cultivable and you need to take criticism well.
Before I took lessons I was very arrogant and cocky and in 1992 when I went on stage and blanked. I froze, nothing came out my mouth and I couldn't do it again until 1999. Because of that one night, I couldn't go back on for seven years.

In 1999 I came to Hong Kong, my grandmother's health deteriorated and I vowed to her I'd get back into it, took more classes and pushed myself.

What's the key thing you teach?

You have nothing to lose and lots to gain. If this is what you want to do you have to do it now or you're never going to. But it takes a lot of work- you have to be fearless and you have to be shameless. No guts, no glory.

How has comedy changed you?

It's my calling! I'm blessed, I've found something I can do for the rest of my life. It's changed me in that I'm giving something back. There are three things that unite the world, sports, music and comedy. Who doesn't want to laugh? I'm motivated to do this for the rest of my life.

Tell us a joke.

I've always wanted to be white so I can see what it's like to date Asian women!