Pauline D. Loh joins Hong Kong's foodie crowd and explores a cuisine in which its most representative dishes have taken on a style best described as cosmopolitan.

Zuma towers above its neighbors at the Landmark, that time-tested bastion of designer brands in the business heart of Hong Kong. As night falls and the mall stores see their last customers off, Zuma is quietly preparing for another evening of epicurean surprises.

Zuma's signature dishes, sashimi platter and Rhubabu cocktail.

In its stylish enclave on the fifth floor, staff wait for the first guests as they descend the lighted stairway from the sixth floor, an orchestrated access that allows customers a top view of the sushi counters and kitchens ― a visual appetizer of things to come.

As we sit and browse the menu, edamame beans come in a white bowl, together with a twin container for the pods. The beans are very tender and flakes of sea salt add sharp shots of flavor.

Bedazzled by choices, we decide on the tasting menu and accept the recommendation of a signature cocktail, a deliciously pink concoction in a martini glass.

Rhubabu is the first eyebrow raiser of the evening.

Rhubarb-infused vodka and Japanese sake are combined in a cocktail peppered with passion fruit pulp ― proof that some East-West marriages actually work. It's a really easy drink that will color your cheeks, but the tart tang helps whip up an appetite.