The OVO empire has been expanding in Hong Kong, as they spread their aesthetic and lifestyle concept with their latest restaurant and furniture store opening. The OVO group's latest foray into the restaurant scene, OVOlogue, is located at the hippest venue in Hong Kong at the moment, the heritage ex-pawn shop building in Wan Chai.

OVOlogue is an east-meets-west dining and gallery space, a restaurant that stays true to its founder's design roots. Drawing inspiration from the traditional Chinese "sze ho yuen" (the living compounds of Beijing built around a courtyard), the OVOlogue interior is a blend of historical Chinese designs reinterpreted through the eye of the contemporary artist. Situated in the historical 120-year-old building, the restaurant interior successfully incorporates the old with the new, original architectural features with modern art.

Diners are seated underneath a high ceiling, and art filled walls. Earthy hues dominate here, wooden tables, brick-like walls, including the original green shutters of the historical building. The overall effect, intended by the creators, is that of a relaxing home environment. And what about the food, it is easy to forget that this is a restaurant and not only about design.

For those who are highly skeptical of design-orientated restaurants that tend to offer up inventive but mediocre food, then your belief may be challenged by this new Chinese eatery. Food at OVOlogue is good overall, and not just a feast for the eyes. For those coming for a traditional dim sum lunch, you will be presented with traditional dim sum dishes, and many with a twist.

To start off, the tea selection can be expanded on but what OVOlogue does offers up include choices such as a Taiwan Ginseng Oolong Tea, Taiwan Sijichun Winter Tea, a Fujian Jasmine Scented Green Tea, and a Yunnan Lychee Black Tea. Each comes in an old style teapot with a calligraphy label indicating your tea choice, a nice simple but eye-catching detail.

Dim sum dishes range from the traditional staples, the classic shrimp dumpling and shaomai with scallop and minced pork, to more innovative creations, such as their signature extra long shrimp and peach spring roll. This loooong spring roll, a mixture of Thousand Island dressing and fruits, might be a bit too innovative for many, so I would suggest ordering instead the sesame coated prawn toast, which comes up freshly fried and delicious. And to up the ante, premium dim sum includes delicacy filled types, shaomai with abalone and minced pork, goldfish dumpling with lobster, crab roe and vegetables, and the phoenix dumpling with shrimp, vegetarian shark's fin, dried scallop and vegetables.

Dim sum can also be ordered at night, with a dim sum platter available on the evening menu, which serves up a blend of regional Chinese dishes and contemporary Chinese cuisine. Forget about the traditional shark's fin soup, expect something like vegetarian shark's fin and urchin soup with gold foil, or pumpkin cream soup with bamboo fungus and vegetarian shark's fin.

Shanghai and Sichuan cuisine dominates the menu, as with the dim sum, it comes with a modern twist aimed at the contemporary palate. The braised pork belly, usually done in a sweet soy sauce, is made at OVOlogue with fresh lychee and soy sauce for that extra fragrant sweet flavor. The glutinous dumplings with pork stuffing in hot and spicy sauce are chewy rice parcels of pork and glutinous rice soaked in Chao Shou marked oil. A Chiu Chow representation on the OVOlogue menu includes a rice in prime soup with flatfish and minced pork, which makes for a nice soothing end to the meal, before the onslaught of desserts.

Desserts at OVOlogue are a feast for both the eyes and the stomach. The beautiful rose jelly with honey and American ginseng is picture-worthy and for those who can get past the cute design of the rabbit glutinous rice balls and bite right through the head, you will be rewarded with a very deliciously chewy rendition of this traditional Chinese petit four.

Staff at OVOlogue are eager to please and make an effort to allow for a pleasant dining experience, although small details may still need a bit more ironing out as OVOlogue is still in its early days.

Definitely a restaurant of choice for a Sunday lunch, away from the usual chaotic dim sum experiences common in Hong Kong, OVOlogue offers up style and substance. After a satisfying meal, you can feed your soul with a stroll through the adjoining OS furniture store for a different aesthetic journey.

(HK Edition 08/06/2008 page4)