A return to the past produces fresh surprises

A wise master once told me: "Nothing tastes better than the steak you had yesterday." What he means, of course, is that memory plays tricks.

So it was not without trepidation that I visited Unkai at the Hong Kong Sheraton again on a recent trip. This Japanese restaurant had been a favorite when I was working in Hong Kong more than 20 years ago.

At that time, the venerable Sheraton was a shining star at the tip of busy Nathan Road, and it had little competition except for the even more venerable Peninsula across the road.