As you decend the staircase into the main dining room of Zuma, you can see that this is one of those restaurants where the clientele goes perfectly with the décor. Both are polished, elegant and hip, making this Japanese restaurant a favourite for groups of young professionals grabbing a bite before a night out. The large restaurant is done in soothing shades of gold with wooden tables, stone walls and dim lighting. There is also an outdoor patio for alfresco dining while the restaurant offers sushi counters and large open kitchens for a more hands-on dining experience.

Purists and first-time visitors may be a bit taken aback by the modern Japanese cuisine offered in the menu, where even the more traditional sushi nigiri is paired with unusual ingredients, such as akagai with pomelo or uni with black truffle. We start with two cold appetisers: a seabass carpaccio with yuzu, truffle oil and salmon roe. The truffle oil lends depth to the dish while the yuzu gives the fish a tart kick. It is a nice light start to the meal, although the seabass itself is a bit lost amidst all the other ingredients. Our other starter is a warm wagyu sashimi with yuzu ponzu. The portion is large, with up to twenty slices of beef, nicely garnished with a hint of spice that complements the marbling of the beef. For sushi, we opt for the uni with truffle-covered rice and shiso. The little balls of sushi are a decadent bite, but we personally prefer the cleaner flavours of a plain uni gunkan. We also try one of Zuma’s signature dishes, the dynamite spider roll with softshell crab, chilli mayonnaise and cucumber which is perfectly seasoned and does not require any soy sauce at all. From the robata grill, we order the pork belly with yuzu and miso, as well as chicken wings with sea salt and lime. The pork belly is even fattier than expected and the natural sweetness of the pork is wonderful with the salty yuzu miso sauce. The chicken wings, however, steal the show. The chicken is crispy on the outside and dripping juice from the middle, and for once, the restaurant does not serve it with anything more complicated than lime and sea salt. For dessert, go off menu and ask for the warm chocolate cake with hazelnut sauce and vanilla ice cream. It is rare for such a common dessert to impress, yet Zuma lives up to its reputation of having a fine pastry chef with this simple yet well-executed dessert standard.

Zuma has an extensive selection of wine and sake. Prices are on the high side, especially with wines and there are few bottles under HK$400. From the sake selection, the is also a huge range, including Zuma’s own brand of Daiginjo, sparkling sake, freshly brewed sake and vintage sake. The waiters are familiar with the wine and sake list and are more than happy to offer suggestions.

The service is a highlight at Zuma, with friendly staff who are confident with suggestions, recommendations and will also time the dishes expertly so that the meal is nicely staggered, never overcrowding the table with too many dishes at once.

Dinner for two with sake will cost about HK$1,000 per person. This is not inexpensive but given the setting, the quality of the food and the service, nor is it exorbitant.