Mix a little London beat, Manhattan skyline and Miami spice and you come up with Hong Kong hip. At least that is the aim of Stix, one of the biggest and, if the plan swings into action, buzziest eating, drinking and dancing venues in town. Open for a couple of weeks, its owners are aiming at something on a par with Mezzo in London's Soho, a sort of cavernous Conran-style eaterie that will be all things to all comers. The plan is that eager diners will pack the Branco Pahor-designed basement venue in search of urban chic and, hoping to find it in one of the bold, crescent-shaped suede booths skirting the smooth wooden dance floor, will drink until they take their seat in the sanctuary of cool. At the sweeping bar, Tom Cruise-wannabes will entertain them with a just-perfected cocktail juggling act (they have been practising in Victoria Park) before wining, dining and watching the evening's entertainment, Dance Force, a five-piece band from the United States. Thus far, the guests (a mix of bemused tourists and locals) are not quite sure what to make of this undoubtedly attractive venue - its cement tables inlaid with steel, glass floors, moving-image art wall, sumptuous suede banquets, black industrial ceiling and low lighting are as super-cool and sophisticated as anything you would find in New York - and seem as confused as the food. Canadian Bryan Chan was previously sous chef at Roy's At New China Max and, before that, senior chef at The Peninsula's Felix, where he took on board a thing or two about East-meets-West cuisine. The food here is precisely that. While it may be fashionable to move away from fusion fare, there is nothing wrong with it per se. Taking the influence of one kitchen culture and adopting and adapting it to another can be beneficial all round; knowing when to stop is the art. Mr Chan, in his bid to be all things to all palates, appears to have failed to learn that lesson; the kitchen's philosophy seems to be - pile on everything and there will be something for everyone. Instead of holding hard his hand when he is tempted to add yet another salsa or sauce, he goes the whole hog and empties his larder on to the plate. Maybe it is because the main menu (there is another finger menu at the sleek bar) is on the short size: six starters, three dishes that come in appetiser or main course size, and nine mains. Crisp poppers with black beans and tomato salsa ($58) sound like tasty bite-size snacks that will burst in the mouth releasing a tangy bean mix to be hit with a pinch of fiery salsa. Instead, the five little sealed pancakes (albeit crispy) contain a bland, green vegetable puree and are topped with a salsa that has too little punch. Only when I had eaten three of the poppers was the pureed mound of black bean revealed hiding beneath, as if someone had accidentally piled the poppers on to the wrong plate. Serve three black bean-filled poppers with a dash of robust salsa on the side and most diners will be happy. The baby octopus ($62) with parmesan wafer is more successful. The little octopus are served with red, green and yellow bell peppers, onions and mushrooms in a hearty gravy that my companion mopped up with the warm naan bread served in place of the usual bread basket; the wafer swirl is rich, crisp and cheesy. His pizza, tandoori chicken with tomatoes, mushrooms, bean sprouts and mozzarella cheese ($78), was served on a marble slab, which he admired, and came up thin and crispy crusted with plentiful spicy chicken and vegetables - one occasion when it is fine to throw everything on. The barbecued salmon fillet, served with hot horseradish and new world pesto ($162) was, to my disappointment, left to flounder under so many different toppings that by the time I had reached it, I could not taste a fishy flavour at all; nor could I fathom what the 'new world pesto' was. We shared the Stix Dessert Sampler ($98). It seems churlish to criticise excess, but seldom have I seen so much sugar and chocolate on one plate. Rather than a teasing taste or two of each dessert, the sampler offers a full serving of each, including black and white chocolate Stix with caramel and pina colada ice-cream; but so rich is the plateful we were beaten after a few mouthfuls. Drink is relatively reasonably priced, we shared a bottle of Chilean cabernet sauvignon for $320, a couple of happy hour beers for $40 and a couple of Stix' special cocktails for around $60 each. Stix is not being sold as a club - it is 'a restaurant and bar with entertainment' - but one cannot help think it should be. At 9pm, the band (a better cover band than you will find in most venues) appears and diners are encouraged to bop as Dance Force's sassy singer wanders among tables inviting participation. There is no doubt Stix is an exceptional and unusual addition to Hong Kong's night scene but before it makes its mark, it will have to decide in which direction it is best to move. Stix, Corner Gloucester Road/Great George Street, 310 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay. Tel 2839-3397. Open Monday to Thursday 5pm-1am; Fri 5pm-2am; Sat 6pm-3am