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The part of Wan Chai around Queen's Road East, Johnston Road and Ship Street is going through a revival reminiscent of New York's meatpacking district earlier this decade. The combination is similar – in the Big Apple, chic eateries such as Pastis, Buddhakan and Highline clustered around Ninth Avenue, while old walk-ups were transformed into stylish yuppie apartments. In Wan Chai, the arrival of expensive boutique apartments like Zenith and J Residence paved the way but the real defining moment came with the opening of several cool restaurants – The Pawn, Bo Innovation, and Le Fouchon wine bar.

Now there is OVOlogue. The OVO group, perhaps best known for its minimalist Asian furniture emporium on Queen's Road, is making its first foray into F&B. Taking over the entire ground floor of Wo Cheong Pawn shop, the historic building where The Pawn is also housed, OVOlogue is directly connected to the group’s newest furnishing outlet next door.

As one would expect, OVOlogue rates high on décor and ambience. Retaining the original green shutters, a discreet glass door leads to a spacious, high-ceiling dining room, with a muted palette of slate grey accented with warm wooden furniture. The sparsely placed tables are perfect for quiet conversations, while the attention to detail is immaculate (adorable ceramic cups, chic utensils and stylishly dressed wait staff always signify a good beginning).

The Cuisine of OVO is contemporary Chinese, more in line with Hutong than Heng Fa Lau. It also has a split personality – you can get Cantonese dim sum in the afternoon but the main courses are Sichuan and Shanghainese (Jiangnan region).

We started off with a fragrant Fujian jasmine tea ($15) which had a delicate aroma and light, polished taste. Tempted by the waiter, we ordered two fresh soya milks ($32). They had a creamy texture with perfect semi-sweetness, and were worth the expensive price. The dim sum menu is also extensive, but everything seems to have a twist. Besides the traditional har gow (shrimp dumplings, $42), xiao long bao ($38) and stir fried flour rolls with XO sauce ($38), there are an array of new concoctions, such as extra long spring roll with shrimp and peach ($42), and emperor dumping with shrimp, fish roe and caviar ($38 for one piece).

 The risk with reinventing the classic lies in fixing something that ain't broke. And dim sum and novelty don't work. Every one of the xiao long bao, steamed in tin foil cups instead of lettuce, broke upon lifting, while the expensive crab roe topping did nothing to salvage the glutinous, soggy skin. The spring roll appeared impressive, fried to a perfect golden brown and long – more than eight inches – but the combination of small shrimps, shreds of chives, chunks of peaches and the drizzling of a sauce that tasted like Thousand Island dressing ruined a quintessential Cantonese delicacy. The flour rolls in XO sauce fared better, slightly spicy and served with sliced red pepper and bean sprouts. The waiter presented the emperor dumpling with pride – served in its own wicker basket. The shrimp filling was juicy, but at $38 a single piece, it's hard to indulge with inhibition.

Our meal began to change course when the main fares arrived. The Sliced Chicken in Sesame Sauce $98 was done to perfection. The creamy base, slightly sweet and mixed with tender slices of boneless chicken, makes for a great summer dish, as the dish is served chilled. The Sweet and Sour garoupa ($118) was flaky and coated with just the right amount of flour, while another delectable and simple dish was the stir fried asparagus $78.

Dessert again was brilliantly presented. The milk tarts with bird's nest are a luxe version of a Hong Kong classic, but I'd forgo the expensive topping of bird's nest any day of the week for a fluffy, flaky crust in place of the crumbling cookie shell.

In sum, food aside, the one thing truly outstanding about OVOlogue is their service. Wait staff are cheerful, attentive, and they anticipate customers' need. They refill the water often, change your plates at the right moment and even discreetly remind you to eat certain dishes while they are hot. Overall, OVOlogue needs to fine tune their dim sum, or, in the meantime, skip it and order from the other half of the menu for an otherwise great experience. Leslie Chan

OVOlogue

OVOlogue details

Address: 66 Johnston Rd

Area: Wan Chai

Telephone: 2527 6088

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