Lung King Heenn, the famous Chinese restaurant at the Four Seasons Hong Kong, is decorated in a modern style, playing with a variety of textures such as wooden floors, glass partitions, upholstered walls and metallic ceilings, while the other side of the restaurant is the simply unadorned view of the Victoria Harbour seen through wall-to-ceiling windows. Although undoubtedly high-end, the ambiance of the restaurant is more informal and friendlier than one might expect. However, as Lung King Heen is a popular spot for celebratory occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries, the restaurant can get loud.

The modern touches of Lung King Heen goes beyond the decor and onto the menu, which plays with a blend of East meets West, resulting in unusual dishes such as a steamed duck liver with abalone sauce or an amuse bouche of Korean kimchi. We start the meal with an appetiser of crispy eel and a bowl of winter melon soup. Those expecting the Shanghainese-style battered and deep-fried eel will be surprised as this is a plate of large chunks of actual fatty fish, with only the skin crisped. This is covered in honey and pomelo, and needs a dollop of Lung King Heen’s signature XO sauce, as it is a tad sweet on its own. The winter melon soup is a strongly flavoured consommé, with the addition of the luxurious Japanese matsutake mushrooms. We move onto a Peking duck that must be ordered at least six hours in advance. The duck is wonderful: as the waiter expertly carves it up into slices of skin or slices of skin plus meat (as preferred), you can actually hear the skin crackling. The pieces of duck are thicker than at other restaurants, ensuring that each pancake packet is a substantial and hearty experience. For the second course of the duck, diners can choose between minced duck served in lettuce wraps or a duck fried rice. We opt for the rice, which is not too oily thanks to the amount of crispy spring onion sprinkled liberally throughout. Finally, round out your meal with a simple bowl of seasonal vegetables cooked in superior broth and sprinkled with Yunnan ham.

The wine list at Lung King Heen is an impressive tome, but both the general staff and the sommelier in particular will be able to help navigate it. Wines by the glass include two whites, a Chenin Blanc and a Riesling, both of which go extremely well with most Cantonese dishes.

Attentive and impeccable for the most part, it must be said that the wait between dishes can be surprisingly long for a restaurant of this calibre.

A meal for two with wine, excluding delicacies such as bird’s nest, abalone or other live seafood, will come to about HK$1,700 for two. While this is expensive for Chinese food, it is not exorbitant given the quality of the surroundings, service and food.