L'altro celebrates seasonal fare prepared by its famous founder from Italy. Donna Mah tucks in to enjoy a master chef's art.

Ravioli with confit duck leg stuffing, baby spinach and Sichuan pepper sauce (left) and red-crab, celery jelly, oyster-leaf salad and rice vinaigrette.

Charming, friendly, and engaging. That's how I would dscribe Philippe Leveille of L'altro on Queen's Road in Central. The lauded chef spoke no English, but through an interpreter, introduced each of the dishes that we sampled during his recent visit to Hong Kong.

L'altro in Hong Kong received a Michelin star a few short months after opening in Central's L Place headed by its chef de cuisine, Antimo Maria Merone. It is also the sister restaurant of two-Michelin-star Miramonti L'altro in Brescia, Italy.

Chef Leveille is known for his aptitude for combining French cooking techniques with traditional Italian fare. Each dish arrived beautifully presented with a brief introduction from the chef. Apparently the dishes on the menu we were enjoying that day had only been confirmed by Leveille a few short hours before we dined at L'altro to ensure that it showcased the best offerings that day.

The amuse-bouche was made with chopped fresh salmon and ricotta cheese with lobster cream sauce. This was a delicate yet slightly rich dish that had us looking forward to enjoying the next course, which was red crab, celery jelly, oyster-leaf salad and rice vinaigrette. The oyster leaves in the flavorsome and light salad reminded me of fresh pea shoots. We were told that the olive oil was from northern rather than southern Italy, which is more common, because the chef felt it went better with the lemons available in Hong Kong.