Once upon a starry night

Golden leaf fried rice.

Another dish, steamed crab claw with minced ginger and rice wine, surprised and delighted us with its subtlety. It is served in a bowl, with a deboned crab claw set in the middle. The presentation harks back to the classic Japanese chawanmushi, steamed egg custard or pudding.

Again, simple and top-quality ingredients make a sophisticated dish at Golden Leaf. The claw was so fresh that in fact it was a little sweet. And the egg white mixed with ginger and rice wine was decent, acting as a perfect dish between courses.

Sweetened fresh almond tea came as a dessert and included egg white, giving an it's-there-to-be-eaten dimension to this milky and sweet drink.

All of this was not cheap, but it was a bargain considering we were in a Michelin star-rated restaurant. A nine-course set menu costs HK$658 ($85) a person or HK$828 including a glass of white wine and a glass of red wine. There is a 10 percent service charge on top of that, which we did not begrudge paying, given the top-class service.

All the waitresses and waiters looked to be middle-aged, with a lot of experience and a great knowledge of food. Our service was attentive but not intrusive.