Restaurant

Bo Innovation

Alvin Leung is pretty much the international shorthand for Hong Kong when it comes to restaurant chefs, and with this Wan Chai restaurant his point of view is clear—this is a venue that is very much a love letter to the +852. It’s perfectly aimed at tourists with deep pockets who harbour a desire to understand the city’s culinary identity, but also to locals who will certainly take pleasure in the nudge-nudge-wink-wink nature
 of the dishes. While Leung rose 
to fame for his take on molecular gastronomy (or “X-treme Chinese Cuisine”, so goes his tagline), you won’t find too many remnants of the Ferran Adrià effect here, apart from the iconic “XLB”—a spherified broth tickled with ginger as a take on the famed pork soup dumpling. Instead, they have gone full throttle on nostalgic paraphernalia—the degustation opens up with a series of amuses bouches set on a classic airplane chessboard, its primary colours igniting a wave of childhood memories. The references come in thick and fast, so be warned that the menu may seem convoluted to those without much local context to draw from. Still, a feast here is unlike anything else—combined with its sassy wine service pushing esoteric bottles, this is a fun restaurant for the ages.