Hong Kong ‘demon chef’ Alvin Leung on food art, life and death, heaven and hell, and his new menu The Masterpieces
- Alvin Leung has spent his culinary career rewriting the rules. Now the self-taught chef is combining art and food in his latest menu, titled The Masterpieces
- He talks about losing a Michelin star, making his restaurant Bo Innovation, now in Central, more accessible, and his new venture, Celebrity Demon
Three minutes. That’s how long it took for Alvin Leung to mourn and then move on from the loss of Bo Innovation’s third Michelin star two years ago.
The seismic change was published in the first guide to launch in Hong Kong following the period of social unrest, during which time the restaurant faced an unprecedented challenge.
“I still don’t have hard feelings about it, but was I happy about losing a star?” he adds. “Of course, no one is happy about losing a star. But did I deserve to lose it? Yes, of course, because [Michelin] took it. It’s their rules. It’s not a human right.”
Water off a duck’s back. It’s what runs through my head as I try to keep up with Leung’s bluntly candid, staccato-paced conversation that veers and repeats as he collects and scatters his thoughts.
The 61-year-old self-proclaimed “demon chef” has built a brand on controversy and contradictions, almost custom designed to ridicule and challenge the common narrative often associated with chefs of his ilk.
