Star appearance

Philippe Leveille is known for combining French cooking techniques with traditional Italian fare. [Photo by Donna Mah / China Daily]

Charming, friendly, and engaging. That's how I would describe Philippe Leveille of L'altro on Queen's Road in Central. The lauded chef spoke no English, but through an interpreter, introduced each of the dishes that we sampled during his recent visit to Hong Kong.

L'altro in Hong Kong received a Michelin star a few short months after opening in Central's L Place headed by its chef de cuisine, Antimo Maria Merone. It is also the sister restaurant of two-Michelin-star Miramonti L'altro in Brescia, Italy.

Chef Leveille is known for his aptitude for combining French cooking techniques with traditional Italian fare. Each dish arrived beautifully presented with a brief introduction from the chef. Apparently the dishes on the menu we were enjoying that day had only been confirmed by Leveille a few short hours before we dined at L'altro to ensure that it showcased the best offerings that day.

The amuse-bouche was made with chopped fresh salmon and ricotta cheese with lobster cream sauce. This was a delicate yet slightly rich dish that had us looking forward to enjoying the next course, which was red crab, celery jelly, oyster-leaf salad and rice vinaigrette. The oyster leaves in the flavorsome and light salad reminded me of fresh pea shoots. We were told that the olive oil was from northern rather than southern Italy, which is more common, because the chef felt it went better with the lemons available in Hong Kong.

The mains started to arrive next with a pasta dish first - ravioli with confit duck leg stuffing, baby spinach, and Sichuan pepper sauce. Each fresh pasta pocket was topped with a slice of Tasmanian black truffle. The fresh pasta was cooked well and not too soft as fresh pasta can sometimes be. The line-caught sea bream, venere rice, and vegetables brunoise with tomato-basil cream was one of my favorite dishes. The fish skin was fried to crispy perfection and the white flesh of the fish cooked until just done. The deep purple rice and vegetables added additional textures including a bit of chewiness and the soft crunch of fresh vegetables. The next dish was a red meat dish that I must admit to craving on the day we dined, so it tasted especially good to me. The wagyu beef, potato puree, red-wine sauce and seasonal vegetables were nothing like the traditional meat and potatoes served from my childhood. Tender, cooked to medium-rare, and full of beef flavor, this dish took meat and potatoes to an entirely new level.

Dessert turned out to be a signature dish that originates from a recipe Leveille's mother-in-law handed down to him. Gelato Miramonti is made with only a few ingredients - milk, cream, eggs, vanilla, sugar, lemon and lemon zest - and is served tableside with cooked strawberries in syrup. A mountain of gelato arrived next to our table and was immediately scooped into martini glasses, each served with a spoonful of the cooked strawberries on top. It was heavenly. I thought it couldn't get any better until we were told that the winter version of the dessert would be served with a rich warm 75-percent chocolate sauce. A cool weather visit will need to be arranged as soon as the mercury drops!