Cons: some of the food was far too salty, including the braised prime rib of beef with house gravy (HK$98), which was also marred by stringy meat, and fried Chinese lettuce with shrimp paste in casserole (HK$138). The deep-fried marinated chicken with shrimp paste (HK$200 for half) was flavourful just on the surface; the shrimp paste hadn't penetrated into the meat. A nicely presented roast suckling pig (HK$300 for a quarter) had delicately crisp skin, but again, all the flavour was on the outside.

Recommended dishes: the highlights came at the beginning and the end of the meal. An appetiser of century eggs (HK$65) had properly gooey yolks, but it was the pickled ginger that really stood out - the thick slices did an excellent job of cleansing the palate. Braised chicken feet in abalone sauce (HK$65) were the best chicken feet I've tasted. They were cooked to a perfect texture, so the skin and small amount of meat were tender, but not so soft that they fell off the bones. The rich, slightly sticky, perfectly seasoned sauce was so good we spooned it up out of our bowls. Stewed inaniwa udon with hairy crab meat and roe was a bargain at HK$98 a bowl. The noodles came with a plentiful amount of the expensive roe and meat. Almond cream with egg white (HK$42) was smooth and delicate.

What else? Sun Tung Lok has existed at various locations throughout Hong Kong since 1969. It's been at the Miramar Shopping Centre since last year, when it received three stars in the Michelin guide.