The first course, a lush soup of cumin-roasted mushrooms, red lentils and cilantro, set the stage for the entire meal of creative, richly flavoured cooking, with a subtle use of spice.

BBC: Would you eat in a stranger's home?

Shark fin, of course, is the namesake ingredient of shark fin soup, a popular delicacy in China since the Ming Dynasty and now eaten in Chinese restaurants around the world.

FORBES: Hawaii Turns Up The Heat On Chinese Delicacy: Bans Shark Fin

The first course, marked "La Saison, " was Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Sage Croutons made with Boulud's current favorite vegetable now available at the produce markets.

CNN: Word of mouth

At a spring festival gathering in February, the Hong Kong Pui Ching Alumni Association ordered a 10-course meal but opted to replace the shark's fin soup with a chicken, fish belly and abalone soup.

BBC: Hong Kong shark fin trade declines