My friend, R, the travel geek was in town for a few days and as is the usual case when we meet, we ate a lot. He flew off this morning and I feel a little sad that I have one less foodie friend to hang out with. Last night, we went to Bo Innovation and were impressed by Demon Chef Alvin Leung’s (that’s how he brands himself) creations that made use of scientific knowledge to bring out the best in the fusion of ingredients from various types of cuisines.


Our booking was made for 7.30pm but found that we were only the second table to be seated. As the night progressed, more people came and the inside seating area was filled by about 9pm – and this was a Monday night. The restaurant does only one seating per night so best to make reservations.


The chef’s table seats only six people. If you want those spots, definitely make reservations.


I love the table setting. There are two menus for the night – the tasting menu (six courses for HKD680+) and the chef’s menu (13 courses) that costs double the price. Our pockets weren’t THAT deep so we went for the former. For wine, we chose a Cabernet from Napa Valley.


Raw oyster with snow pea shoots, ginger snow and some sauce that was both slightly sweet and citrus at the same time. Sorry, can’t quite remember what it was. Think it was kumquat or something. Forgot to take notes. I loved the play of flavours in the mouth.


The second appetiser was this squid ink noodles topped with raw sea urchin and dried shrimp flakes. To eat it, you have to mix everything up first and then pick it up with a pair of chopsticks. That was the eating style as recommended by the waitress anyway. Each dish was explained to us in detail by the wait staff who served it. I loved the mix of Italian (the squid ink noodles), Japanese (raw sea urchin) and Chinese (the dried shrimp flakes) cuisines in this dish.


Seared scallop carpaccio with snow peas and honey miso sauce and a few pieces of guoba (锅巴) to add a crunchy texture. 锅巴 is a type of rice cracker that’s commonly used in Sichuan cuisine.


The coolest dish on the menu had to be this molecular xiaolongbao (小笼包). And no, this is no egg yolk. This post-modern interpretation of the traditional dumpling has the xiaolongbao broth wrapped in a skinned made from gelatined broth and topped with a strip of red vinegar. It slids into your mouth and the broth squirts out with the slightest bite. Absolutely delightful and smart!


The last appetiser was this smoked trout topped with a vinegared bak choy and ginger jelly. The order in which to eat it is to have the smoked trout first, followed by the bak choy and then the ginger jelly. I loved the smokey flavour of the trout and the sourish bak choy followed by the tangy ginger jelly were wonderful palate cleansers. Those black specks are black bean powder.


My main course was a piece of smoked pomfret with a piece of foie gras topped with apple foam. The apple foam was a delightful pairing with the rich flavours coming from the smokey fish and the oh-so-sinful-but-pleasurable foie gras. My friend went for the wagyu beef (Grade M9+) that sat on top of some steamed rice rolls (肠粉) and laced with black truffle oil – another smart take on a traditional street food found on the streets of Hong Kong. For the wagyu beef as a main, you’d have to pay an extra HKD350 for a 4oz piece and HKD550 for an 8oz piece. That piece of beef was tender, juicy and robust in flavour. Enough said. It’s wagyu – nothing else needs to be said.


Flyfish roe fried rice. One of the best fried rice I’ve ever had. The tiny flyfish roe gave the rice a crunchy texture and a beautiful orange sunset colour. It almost looks like Indian bryani rice!


The dessert was banana slow poached in Chinese wine served atop silky smooth chocolate ganache. The humble banana has never tasted so good. I’m beginning to think this Chinese wine paired with chocolate combination is my favourite food duo du jour.


To prepare your senses for the next course, a small bowl of petals is brought out and liquid nitrogen is poured over it. You’re supposed to inhale the sweet floral smells and enjoy the visuals. I call this stage ‘smelling the roses’ cos life should be about that and eating and enjoying one’s food should be a part of it.


The petit-fours were these sweet little morsels served in a cute little cage (they were stacked on top of one another and there was a cover). These petit-fours all had hawthorn (山楂) used in them. Bite into that sesame ball and a rush of hawthorn juice bursts into your mouth. I’m not a fan of macaroons because I usually find them too sweet. But this rose-pink one was so lovely in colour and tasted great with its light hawthorn flavour. The slightly pink cube is a hawthorn-flavoured marshmallow that melts in your mouth and the last nougat-tasting morsel had hazelnuts and hawthorn in it.
After finishing our petit-fours, we thought we had come to the end of our meal. We were stuffed really and I don’t know how I would manage the chef’s menu had I gone for it. But as luck would have it, my friend, R, bumped into a friend at the restaurant. His friend and his friend’s date had gone for the chef’s menu. The date couldn’t stomach the main she ordered and his friend sent it over to us instead. So we had an extra course. Wahahaha.


Our bonus round: Wild pigeon with red rice topped with longan (龙眼) sauce. The pigeon didn’t taste too gamey and was cooked to perfection. The longan sauce was also a great accompaniment to the rice and pigeon.
Similar to a night out at the theatre, Leung was like the director who put together this wonderful sensory experience with the help of his staff who were a fantastic cast. Service from the wait staff was impeccable and there’s even a staff member waiting to hand you a hot towel when you step out of the washroom!
The restaurant deserves its two stars awarded by the Michelin guide, and even though it’ll burn a huge hole in your pocket, it’s worth every penny.
Bo Innovation
Shop 13, 2/F J Residence
60 Johnston Road
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
MTR station: Wan Chai (Exit A3)
Tel: +852 2850 8371