The Drawing Room represents JIA Boutique Hotel’s reincarnation of the highly-praised Opia and as such, the bar is set suitably high. Warm earth colours of brown and cream with mirrored pillars are flanked on one wall by heavy bronze drapes, giving the intimate dining room a softer touch than one might expect. Carefully selected pieces of art such as a chain-mail tunic by Hong Kong artist Man Fung-Yi suit the ambiance perfectly. The restaurant also features two secluded private rooms and a separate bar area to the immediate right of the entrance, which is separated from the main hotel by a side door. Ladies are best advised to bring a shawl as the restaurant is not merely chilly in spots, but downright draughty.

Dining at The Drawing Room is strictly an evening affair, and the menu features a choice of four-course or five-course tasting menus with items easily exchanged between the two according to personal taste. All the basics are covered: beef, pasta, poultry, pork and seafood, although vegetarians may want to call ahead, as there is not much to suit them on the existing menus. The scallop with foie gras and pork belly is an enticing starter, all laid out in a row. However, it is worth noting with deconstructed dishes, each individual element is highlighted, leaving their strengths (and flaws) that much more obvious. In this case, while the scallop is large and well-cooked and the pork belly moist with a crisp skin, the foie gras is noticeably less successful with a grainy texture. The soup course is delicious with a light yet deeply flavourful scampi cappucino, which retains the essence of a lobster bisque with none of the added heft. We also enjoyed our pasta course: the burrata ravioli with duck ragout is wonderfully silky and goes surprisingly well with the rich duck sauce layered lightly on top. The signature linguine with Canary Island red prawn is simply divine: a perfectly cooked prawn allows you to mix the exquisite prawn head juices into the pasta at your own leisure. For our mains, the suckling pig is a high-quality cut of pork cooked to perfection and retains its moisture, though the skin could have been crispier. Another main comes deconstructed: a wagyu beef trio of ox tongue, tenderloin and short rib. With the sauce a little on the sparse side, the short rib is noticeably over-reduced and sticky. The tenderloin is better, with a robustly grilled flavour. However, the star of the show is undoubtedly the ox tongue, which is delightfully moist and falls apart effortlessly in the mouth. If there is room at the end, opt for the tart with paper-thin slices of apple layered elegantly on top, perfectly accompanied by an old-fashioned vanilla ice cream a la mode.

The wine list is extensive and across a wide range of budgets, featuring a glorious selection from all over Italy and the new world. The wine by the glass selection is particularly deserving of praise, while the sommelier is highly-trained and his selections were spot on to match the meal.

The wait staff are pleasant and breathlessly knowledgeable about the provenance of the ingredients. Sealed pashminas in a variety of colours are available upon request for those feeling the nip of the aircon. However, the narrow dining room can feel quite busy with all the wait staff moving around quickly.

The four-course menu is priced at HK$720 while the five-course option is HK$890. A five-course meal for two with wine will come to about HK$2,500. Considering this is without doubt one of the very best fine dining restaurants in Causeway Bay, it is excellent value for money.