A dinner costing over NT$10,000 — the amuse-bouche at a Michelin three-star restaurant is “Hong Kong air”

▲ The exterior of “Bo Innovation,” featuring a photo of Chef Leung Chung Ching.

Reported and photographed by You Tzu-ju / Hong Kong

Hong Kong Michelin three-star restaurant“Bo Innovation”is a must-try for foodies visiting the city. A dish name might seem to hint at its contents, but what arrives at the table is often entirely different. The restaurant reinvents traditional ingredients and recombines them visually and in flavor.Take one of its amuse-bouches, “Hong Kong Air,” for example — a spoonful of foam, which, when eaten, bursts with the flavors of preserved egg, sourness, and ginger. It's surprising to realize that the taste of Hong Kong is actually the sum of its seasoning ingredients.


▲ “Hong Kong Air,” where a spoonful is all foam.

“Bo Innovation” is hugely famous — it earned its first Michelin star in 2009, a second in 2010, and the top-tier third star in 2014. It has also been named one of the world’s 101 must-eat restaurants by foreign media. The name “Bo Innovation” comes from Chef Leung Chung Ching himself. Born in the UK to Hong Kong parents and raised there, Leung studied acoustic engineering and never formally trained as a chef. He is entirely self-taught, which means his cooking is free from constraints and driven purely by creativity. A dinner priced at HK$2,380 (around NT$9,520) per person includes a full 17-course meal, showcasing just how unique it is.

What is a Michelin restaurant?
Before diving into the experience of “Bo Innovation,” it helps to understand why Michelin stars are such a prestigious honor. Originally, the Michelin Guide was a free travel and dining guide published by the tire company for motorists, before evolving into a paid restaurant guide. It began sending anonymous inspectors to evaluate restaurants, increasing its credibility. Starting in 1926, the guide introduced its now-famous star rating system.

One star (Very good Cooking):A restaurant worth stopping at if you’re in the area. The food is of excellent quality.
Two stars (Excellent Cooking):Exceptional cuisine, worth making a detour for, though not necessarily cheap.
Three stars (exceptional cuisine, worth the journey):Culinary excellence at its peak, worth traveling for. The ambiance and service staff training are also of a high standard.

▲ Traditional Hong Kong snack “egg waffle” replaces the usual bread basket.

“Bo Innovation” has every reason to be bold. Starting with its amuse-bouche, the traditional Hong Kong snack “egg waffle” replaces the typical bread, made with scallions and ham mixed into the batter, then baked to a crispy texture to start the dining experience. This leads into a series of surprising flavor transitions, beginning with the “Hong Kong Air.”

“Caviar” dishes are meant to be eaten by hand, with fresh caviar and gold leaf atop quail eggs; “Oyster” features beef tongue flavored with green onion and Sichuan pepper sauce, paired with hair moss (which sounds like “prosperity”) and Australian oysters, delivering a sweet, tender, and savory bite. “Baby Food” comes in baby food packaging filled with spicy crab and fried buns — a bold flavor definitely not meant for babies.

 
▲ Top left: “Oyster” features beef tongue with green onion and Sichuan pepper sauce, with an oyster underneath. Top right: “Caviar” and quail egg.
%The “Baby Food” features spicy crab.


%The “Oyster” course includes beef tongue flavored with green onion and Sichuan pepper.