The Boss - Star Guandong Cuisine

For the first time, I downloaded the EZTABLE app on my iphone to book a table for two at The Boss. App was easy to navigate and make a reservation. Day before the actual booking, one of the staff members called me up to remind me and confirm my reservation.

The Boss, awarded one Michelin star, offers a pleasant dining experience with a modest and relaxed decor complemented by attentive service. Situated in the basement floor along Queen’s Road Central, ceilings are expectedly lower than usual restaurants. Unlike other local Chinese restaurants though, tables are spaced generously apart, enabling you to enjoy a quiet and lengthy dinner conversation with your guests without overhearing the chatter from other customers (or risk them eavesdropping onto yours).

The Boss emphasizes Guangdong staples with top-notch ingredients and no MSG. To test the caliber of the food, my friend and myself ordered three dishes to share: an appetizer, a main, and a vegetable. The entrée I chose was the eggplant with Japanese sesame sauce ($58), recommended by one of the waiters as one of the more popularly selected dishes among diners. This dish was mediocre both in taste and presentation. The eggplant was well done but I suspect the sauce came straight from the bottle, enhanced marginally by the addition of some chili oil and sesame seeds.

For the main, I chose their signature dish, the crab with vermicelli and home made sauce in casserole ($538). Arriving piping hot from the kitchen, this dish delivers on taste. Upon opening the casserole, we could immediately smell the titillating mixture of the basil leaf mixed with the peppercorns and garlic. Eating a crab in a ladylike manner has always been a challenge but The Boss mitigates this cumbersome feat. The waitress serving us attentively extracted the claws from the vermicelli onto a separate plate, then took it back to the kitchen so that upon returning, the newly and visibly cracked crevices made it much more easier for us to gnaw onto the tasty and succulent meat. If one were to order this dish, be sure to mix the vermicelli well, tossing it from the bottom up as all the flavour is saturated at the bottom: the basil leaf, white peppercorns, garlic, minced pork are all nestled underneath the crustacean to give the entire dish an aromatic and satisfying edge.

The vegetables arrived last. I ordered the seasonal vegetable with bean curd sheet in home-made fish soup ($138). The fish broth was delicately flavoursome and not overpowering. Tofu skin was fresh and vegetables remained crisp and cooked to perfection. After the crab, however, we were both too satiated to finish this dish. It was, nonetheless, a perfect and ‘lighter’ complement to the crab.

Overall, my first dining at The Boss was an enjoyable and comfortable experience. Service was attentive but not intrusive. Plates were changed regularly with minimal interruption to our conversation. Pacing of the food was timed well. We did not feel rushed nor were there any long instances where we had to wait impatiently for the next dish to arrive. The dining room exudes an air of modernist sleekness, with monochromatic grey hues and subtle patterns dotting the interior. Total bill amounted to $874, which is expected for a higher-end sort of Chinese restaurant in Central.

If you are looking for a quiet Guangdong restaurant situated in Central with good quality food and not too dim lighting, look no further than The Boss. And yes, please order the signature crab dish, you will not be disappointed.

The Boss 波士廳

Address: Basement, Peter Building, 58-62 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong

Opening Hour: Mon - Sat 11:30 - 23:00, Sunday and public holidays 11:00 - 23:00