The culinary world is one of the most fascinating, and it is largely due to the people involved in it that we have a range of amazing food options today. Although the majority of the chefs we have today are heavily trained, some have come out of left field who are self-taught and dominating the gastronomy world.
One name that has left the world and food fascinators in awe is Alvin Leung, who is known for being a chef who is self-taught chef and his most breakthrough event being his restaurant, Bo Innovation, being awarded with Michelin 3 stars. Known as “The Demon Chef,” his journey is very inspiring, and we will trace his journey from an early age and how he is placed amongst the top chefs in the world.
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Alvin Leung was born on 1st January 1961 in London, England, and was named Alvin Leung King-lon. His parents were of Chinese origin who migrated from Hong Kong to London, and when Alvin was still very young, his family shifted to Scarborough, Toronto, Canada, where he spent most of his childhood days. Nothing in particular about his siblings is available.
By profession, his father was an engineer, but his mother played a huge role in his taking up cooking. As his mother was not efficient in cooking, he often spent time experimenting with cooking, and this sparked his interest in the same. His upbringing was mixed and influenced by Chinese heritage, British, and Canadian, which later reflected in his cooking skills.
For education, again, nothing precise is available, but he did attend the University of Toronto to pursue a degree in Civil Engineering.
Alvin’s switching career from engineering to a world-renowned chef is fascinating. After graduating from the University of Toronto with a degree in Civil Engineering, he worked as an engineer in acoustic and environmental systems for about 2 decades. However, his inclination towards food never left him, and during the late 1990s, he started experimenting heavily in the kitchen and dining in high-end restaurants to understand more about the diverse tastes of food.
In 2003, Alvin purchased a small underground private kitchen in Hong Kong and built a restaurant named “Bo Innovation,” which marked the beginning of his career in the culinary world. He termed his cooking skills “X-Treme Chinese Cuisine,” where he infused molecular gastronomy and traditional Chinese flavours. In 2009, his restaurant won 2 Michelin stars, the very first ever Michelin Guide to Hong Kong and Macau. The restaurant, though, lost 1 star in 2012; by 2014, it won 3 stars, maintaining its reputation as one of the most creative chefs.
In 2012, he expanded his business and opened “Bo London” in Mayfair and earned a Michelin star in merely 10 months of its opening. However, destiny struck and the restaurant was closed in 2014 owning to the water damage. In 2014, he joined MasterChef Canada as one of the 3 judges, and he became a household name in the country. The next year, he collaborated with Eric Chong, the first MasterChef Canada winner, and opened R&D in Toronto, Canada, a modern Asian restaurant. In 2016, he opened “Bo Shanghai,” followed by “The Forbidden Duck” in Singapore in 2018.
In 2024, Alvin again collaborated with Eric Chong and opened aKin in Toronto, a restaurant offering fine dining with storytelling through food. The venture also received a Michelin star in 2025. As of present, Alvin is invested in managing his restaurants and experimenting with new foods.
His first breakthrough moment came when he won 2 Michelin stars in 2009 for his restaurant, Be Innovation. Again, he became a household name and gained huge popularity in Canada when he joined as one of the 3 judges in MasterChef Canada in 2014.
As per the records, he is married and has two kids, but nothing about his wife and kids has been revealed anywhere, and he has kept his private life personal. However, many sources claim that he only has a daughter.
Based on the majority of the sources, Alvin Leung’s net worth is $10 million to $15 million, which he has earned from his chains of restaurants, TV appearances, sponsorships, brand collaborations, and even culinary consultations.
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