We were walking down the stairs from the Lei Garden restaurant at the CNT building in Hong Kong’s Wanchai district when an investment banker friend explained: “It’s a bull market here for taxis and restaurants at the moment. It’s hard to find a taxi after dinner unless you have already pre-booked one and, unlike even a year ago, it’s much, much harder to book a table on the day. At some places you now need to book even a week in advance.”

Neither of us could hide our enthusiasm for the dinner we had just enjoyed, even though it had begun somewhat worryingly. My request for Cantonese food had been welcomed by our friends, who had booked the table with typical consideration but they had also gone to the trouble of pre-ordering the food without realising that looking at a menu is, for any restaurant correspondent, almost as exciting as eating the food.