The phrase of the moment among Hong Kong's Beautiful Ones is 'Going to China' - that is, China Lan Kwai Fong, the new Allan Zeman restaurant that turned a scuzzy nightclub into a stylish space for the SAR's best-heeled. Well, here is more fuel for the hype-fest that has been raging since Mr Zeman's California Group team took a walk down Hollywood Road last year snapping up antiques for the new restaurant: China Lan Kwai Fong is fabulous. Various elements contribute to the feel-good factor. The place just looks so good. And not only because the tables are packed with a see-and-be-seen crowd. There is an attention to detail that makes even spelling mistakes on the menu seem part of the plot. The food, as part of the whole experience, is certainly good enough. The menu can perhaps be faulted for skipping around the regions of China, jack of all cuisines and master of none. There could be a number of reasons for this, including a desire to serve dishes that taste good, rather than dishes that conform to tradition. To be honest, on this particular night it did not look like there were too many diners who would know - or care - about the difference between Sichuan and shark's fin, as long as it tasted good and was vaguely familiar. The best dish we ordered was undoubtedly the last - the sweetened egg yolk in pastry ($65) - offered as part of the dessert menu. These stylised mooncakes are a total winner, and reason enough to look forward to the next visit. The filling is more custard than hard-boiled egg, and the pastry is semi-light and flaky. The rest of the meal had its moments, but the hot and sour soup ($65 per bowl) was not among them. The soup treads a middle path between hot and sour, which makes it neither hot nor sour enough, and the tomato flavour is too strong. The cinnamon long-tailed anchovy ($55) is not to be missed - in very small portions. This dish is rich. And oily. Mixing cinnamon and anchovies is an interesting idea - if only we can taste the cinnamon. Even if they are delicious, it is not a good idea to keep snacking on the anchovies: they are too strong and interfere with the tastes of other dishes on the table. One of these was the 'Mandarine' fish fillet in sweet and sour sauce ($195), which was deeply scored in a diagonal pattern and fried with the lightest batter. The fish was superb: slightly crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. The sweet and sour sauce was everything sweet and sour sauce needs to be for maximum appeal from Lan Kwai Fong to Liverpool. One of the more intriguing dishes on the menu was the pan-fried crispy noodles served with vinegar and sugar ($80). On their own, the noodles are too salty. Their appeal improves immeasurably when dipped in the separate bowls. Much less interesting was the braised minced pork with eggplant and bean curd ($95). But why would anyone rave about the ordinary in a place like this? And therein lies the crucial question for long-term survival: with Benissimo just around the corner, is there space for two of these extraordinary high-style, high-priced Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong? The answer is yes, just as there has been for every other kind of restaurant. These two did not invent the concept of upmarket Chinese dining. All they did was pick some decidedly good-looking staff, kit them out in designer gear, teach them all sorts of posh five-star hotel manoeuvres, lay on upmarket wine lists, and design menus accessible to a broader audience. For this they should be thanked. And they are, for the moment at least. It is near impossible to get a reservation at China on short notice. And long may it last because in this economic climate, an evening here is the culinary equivalent of a week at the beach. That is a lot of value for a $610 dinner for two. China Lan Kwai Fong, 17-22 Lan Kwai Fong, Central Tel: 2536-0968 Open: Monday-Saturday noon-2.30pm, 7pm-11pm (Friday and Saturday until 11.30pm), Sunday noon-3pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm