Located on the sixth floor of Langham Place in Mongkok, Ming Court is an oasis of class and modern Chinese luxury. The Cantonese restaurant itself is made up of two distinct areas: a smaller dining area consisting of concentric tiers of small tables and a larger dining area with a large banquet hall and a series of luxurious private rooms. The two areas are divided by a medium-sized, modern wine cellar encased in glass. The design elements, Chinese antiques, lots of marble and dark woodwork, manage to convey a sophisticated tycoon-chic without being gaudy or excessive.

The food at Ming Court is excellent. Chefs serve up classic Cantonese dishes faithfully and flawlessly. Ming Court is less a place you go to experience culinary innovation: rather, it is a destination for diners looking for the epitome of the venerable Cantonese cooking tradition. Dishes are luxuriant and sophisticated and embody the dedication to fresh ingredients, subtle flavours and precise preparation that Cantonese fine dining is famous for. The cold starter, chilled drunken pigeon (HK$138) is a perfect version of the dish, tender meat with a heavy flavour of wine that is complimentary to the gaminess of the bird but not overpowering. The mains are also spot-on. Ming Court’s signature stir-fried sliced giant garoupa stuffed with shrimp paste (HK$368) is a unique and delicious dish. Although incredibly rich, the fish is fried perfectly: firm, meaty and really shows off the best features of the fish. The barbecued pork in honey sauce (HK$168) is expertly done, unctuous and sweet with soft rich fat and bouncy meat. The crispy boneless chicken, accompanied with fried Yunnan ham and sweetened walnut (HK$268 for a half, HK$518 for a whole) was without a doubt the high point of the meal. The components of the dish are each superlative and taken together they make for an unbelievable, and unbelievably rich experience of flavour and texture. In fact, if it were not for the inclusion of a plethora of shark’s fin dishes, Ming Court would have come quite close to reaching a perfect score.

They take their wine very seriously at Ming Court. The sommelier is expert, the glass-encased cellar is at the centre of the restaurant and the wine list itself takes the form of an interactive iPad app that sorts the wine by grape, type and region.

The service at Ming Court is exemplary. Well-trained staff-guide you through the extensive menu and dishes arrive and are taken away as if by magic. Ming Court represents a rare triumph in Hong Kong service.

A dinner for two (with about six dishes plus wine) will come to about HK$1,400. Ming Court is expensive but as a special occasion Cantonese dining experience, it is hard to beat.