MasterChef Canada’s Alvin Leung, whose flagship restaurant Bo Innovation was the first to experiment in molecular-style techniques with Chinese ingredients back in 2003, still has a reputation for creating dishes that are completely different. He calls it “X-treme cuisine”, intending to break down the preconceptions of what Chinese food should look and taste like, thus creating new taste sensations.

“I was possibly the first to showcase Chinese ingredients,” says Leung. “So I was one of the first to say, ‘Hey, you do not have to use imported vegetables to make it good’. I did showcase Chinese flavours; I was one of the first ones to use fu yu, ham yu and lap cheong and incorporate [them] into [this style of] cuisine.”

But Leung had quite a rocky start. While some loved his molecular cuisine, he had haters, too – one writer called it the “Chinese El Bulli”.

However, Leung says the criticism made him more determined to perfect his craft, and Bo Innovation started to garner awards; by 2012, it was listed as one of the world’s best restaurants.

Leung celebrates Hong Kong culture and calls his flagship restaurant Bo Innovation “The Hong Kong story”, with the menu and decor focusing on aspects of Hong Kong’s history and events (there is an “Aberdeen corner”, for instance). His signatures over the years have included molecular versions of xiao long bao and Hong Kong egg waffles. One of his recent menu items is a Bruce Lee-inspired dish.

“I took [Lee’s] favourite food, which was oyster sauce and beef, and I made a ‘tofu’ of it. I made it yellow and you’ve got the black line, so you’ve got Game of Death,” says Leung about the dish, which references the iconic yellow and black tracksuit Lee worn in the 1978 movie (the actor died while making of the film).”

“Bo Innovation is there for anyone who comes to Hong Kong and wants to learn about Hong Kong in the shortest amount of time,” continues Leung. “A lot of people who come to my restaurant bring their parents over because it brings back good memories. One overseas diner told me that he was not going to come back to Hong Kong, but after visiting my restaurant he saw that there was more to our city than he originally thought, and he would therefore be back. That made me proud.”

Leung recently extended the Bo experience to a broader demographic with more affordable dishes and a new tasting menu called “Remembering HK”.

Another chef who tells stories with her cuisine is Vicky Lau, who opened Tate Dining Room in 2012. She serves French inspired avant-garde cuisine with an Asian twist.

“I have a passion for creating beautiful things and I would use my dishes to tell a story to my guest,” says Lau, who won Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Best Female Chef 2015. “My current menu is inspired by Pablo Neruda’s beautiful ‘Ode to...’ poems. The intention was to give thanks to different ingredients that nourish us. While I want my guests to appreciate the specific ingredients, I want them to understand my thoughts behind what I present.”

Lau’s inspiration comes from tradition. “I like to study what people used to eat in the past and their culture. For example, the French really enjoy having rich textures and the taste of cheese, where the Chinese like to eat tofu. This becomes one of my signature dishes – brioche with fermented tofu butter.

Known for her “edible stories”, Lau is most proud of her Ode to Chinese Yam. “It was definitely one of my favourites as we rethink the humble root vegetable. Traditionally, Chinese yam is used in congee, soup or stir-fries,” says Lau.

“I particularly enjoy the texture – when cooked properly it is crispy with a starchy bite and also the sliminess is unique. We paired this simple vegetable with caviar and both complemented each other.

“My cuisine has evolved over time, with all the changes going on,” explains Lau. “Sourcing the best ingredients, preferably locally, I will continue to study Chinese food and expand my horizons to challenge myself in creating more modern Chinese dishes.”

Chef and co-founder of Vea Restaurant & Lounge, Vicky Cheng is also known for his unique spin on Chinese ingredients. His contemporary “Chinese x French” gastronomy has won him accolades not just locally but internationally. With his background of French cooking techniques and growing knowledge of Chinese ingredients, Cheng’s menu keeps evolving. “The menu now is completely different from what you tasted a year ago,” he points out.

Vea is renowned for its focus on seasonality and the use of rare Chinese products, where Cheng aims to create harmony between his Chinese roots, French culinary training, and precise plating aesthetics.

Cheng’s favourite signature is roasted sea cucumber. “This was our first signature dish at the restaurant that truly represents Chinese x French, where we take something as indigenous and as Chinese cucumber, changing its texture and pairing with something unusual, like a French seafood sauce,” says Cheng, who has worked under Daniel Boulud in New York.

Like Leung, Cheng likes to use ingredients that evoke nostalgia with local Hong Kong diners, with innovative presentations as a way to create memorable new dishes.

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