Executive chef Miki Imagawa of Yu Lei paints a canvas on every plate, harmoniously embellishing colors and textures with fresh flowers. Rebecca Lo samples some Chinese favorites with Japanese twists in Hong Kong.

If we truly eat with our eyes, then Japanese chefs have an advantage: Many are artists when it comes to presentation.

Yu Lei's executive chef Miki Imagawa.

Chef's signature appetizer platter (top) and crispy sweet and sour pork (above) are two representative dishes of Yu Lei restaurant in Hong Kong.

Executive chef Miki Imagawa of Yu Lei is a stellar example of the culinary artisans from Japan. After less than a year at the helm of the Chinese restaurant in Hung Hom, he had already garnered a Michelin star. I was curious to see how he managed such a feat, as I understood he had worked exclusively in Japan until relocating to Hong Kong to open Yu Lei.