Okra heads south

High-flying Beijing chef Max Levy tests the waters in Hong Kong with a proven approach, Mike Peters reports.

There is cod sperm on the plate in front of me, and I'm trying to look delighted.

Delight has been easy to come by this night: I'm in Hong Kong for the soft opening of Okra HK, the much-anticipated new outpost of Beijing-based chef Max Levy. Our opening nibbles of fresh mackerel reflect Levy's famous pickiness about seafood, a legacy of his early training in top sushi kitchens in Japan and New York. A beautiful platter with raw sweet shrimps and several cuts of bluefin tuna complete the picture of the best market offerings of the day.