Foodie Issue 72: July 2015 by Foodie Group Limited

issue 72 | july 2015 www.afoodieworld.com

The Pioneer of Nose-to-Tail Cookery Fergus Henderson shares with us his love for cooking with the whole beast

The Future of Food The rising sustainability movement in Hong Kong

A Sustainable Way Forward

CEO Lily Ng CTO Derek Kean Editor-in-Chief Celia Hu Digital Editor Keshia Hannam Creative Director Helen Griffiths Designer Robert Li Foodie Club & Events Manager Hannah Chung Head of Sales & Marketing Joseph Kwok Client Engagement Manager Kathryn Riley

Summer is in full swing, and as we bask in Hong Kong’s lush greenery, it’s important to be reminded of how fragile and precious all this natural beauty is. This month, we salute our Mother Earth with a main feature on sustainability. In sharing with you, our readers, on some of the environmental threats facing our fragile ecosystems, and highlighting ways we can help preserve what nature has bestowed on us, we hope to encourage and motivate conservation efforts with simple lifestyle changes. There’s a green movement rising in Hong Kong, and in celebration of this, we’ve put together a handy guide on our local farms. We also sat down with one of the pioneers of the nose-to-tail movement, Chef Fergus Henderson, to talk about the ethos behind his cooking. July is all about summer sizzle, and what better way to celebrate the heat than with tantalizing Korean flavours by our friend Mina Park, of Sook Kitchen. And finally, I take a tour through movie town Los Angeles in the Food Nomad to showcase eateries worthy of appearing on the Big Screen.

Developer Dale Foo Photographer Sophie Jin Stylist Jo Lorenz

Published by Foodie Group, 16/F, Chao’s Building, 143–145 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, HK www.afoodieworld.com

Recipes Celia Hu Editor-in-Chief editor@afoodieworld.com

Foodie Panel

Food-loving folks who’ve helped us this month:

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Mina Park Lawyer by day, chef by night, Mina shares with us her favourite Korean recipes from Sook p. 40

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Foodie is published monthly, 12 times a year. The contents of the magazine are fully protected by copyright and nothing may be reprinted without permission. The publisher and editors accept no responsibility in respect to any products, goods or services that may be advertised or referred to in this issue or for any errors, omissions or mistakes in any such advertisements or references. Foodie and the Foodie magazine logo are trademarks of Foodie Group Limited. All rights reserved.

Fergus Henderson The revolutionary nose-totail chef visits our Fragrant Harbour to showcase his craft p. 28

All American Spuds We take a tour through the world of potatoes with the United States Potato Board

Spud, tater, tuber, and root vegetable - these are all names for this good old veg, but how much do we really know about this staple meal time favourite?

Russet Potatoes

White Potatoes

Red Potatoes

One of the most popular

With its slightly creamy texture

These ruby beauties have a waxy,

varieties, and the potato behind

and thin, delicate skin, these are

moist and smooth texture. They

McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s golden fries, these

the perfect potatoes for salads

are subtly sweet, and stay firm

large russet-brown ovals have a

as well as velvety mash, thanks

whether in a stew or roasted over

dry, floury texture with a light,

to its sweet and delicate flavour.

flames. They are ideal for adding

fluffy interior. From baked potato,

They hold their shape extremely

a dash of colour to any stew or

to fries, to fluffy mash, this is

well and are ideal for boiling or

hearty salad.

the ideal potato for all these

grilling.

indulgences.

Yellow Potatoes

Blue & Purple Potatoes

Fingerlings

These potatoes come in a range of

These oval to long potatoes come

Red, orange, purple and white

shapes, and have a rich, buttery

in a variety of deep purple, blue

exteriors and interiors are all

flavour with a velvety, moist

and lavender hues, and have a

possibilities with these finger-

and slightly waxy texture. Their

high starch content and floury

shaped oblong potatoes. Waxy

creamy texture means you can

texture. Their vibrant colours,

and firm, with buttery and earthy

use less or no butter for lighter,

in addition to their mild nutty

flavours, these little tubers are

healthier dishes. These creamy

flavour, make them ideal for

best either pan-fried or roasted

spuds taste great whether baked,

jazzing up salads.

to enhance their robust taste.

roasted or mashed.

www.potatoesusa-hongkong.com www.facebook.com/uspbhk

C onte nt s 18 FOOD WAR

We dipped into jars of almond butter to taste test which creamy spread make us go nuts

29 NOSE-TO-TAIL COOKERY Renowned Chef Fergus Henderson sits down with us to discuss the ethos behind his cooking

36 THE FOOD NOMAD Celia Hu samples the glitzy cuisine of Los Angeles

Cover story 24 THE FUTURE OF FOOD

40 MORE THAN KIMCHI Mina Park of Sook shares with us her favourite Korean recipes

48 CHINEASY

The green movement is growing in Hong Kong as we take a look at how we can help conserve our planet with small lifestyle changes, and where the best local organic grocers are

Did you know...

Kelly Yau shows us a simple way to cook up Taiwanese Braised Pork (Lu Rou Fan)

“Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred” — Proverbs 15:17

facebook.com/foodiehk // july 2015

Foodie Quote of the Month

That before tea became the national drink of England, the go-to beverage was beer? Due to congested living quarters and unsanitary water sources, Londoners saw beer as a safer (and healthier) option to water. Can you imagine guzzling a pint with your breakfast?

for starters

This month’s hottest news bites

SUMMER COCKTAILS AND NIBBLES AT CASA LISBOA

GUILT-FREE SNACKING, M&S STYLE

What’s better than summery cocktails? Well...how about summery cocktails with snack pairings? Get your dose of Portuguese flavours this summer at Casa Lisboa, with their line-up of temptresses ranging from Ruby Port (a classic Portuguese port), Licor Beirao (a herbal liquor), and Muscatel (a sweet fortified wine). Each cocktail is shaken with an intoxicating bouquet of Portuguese flavours, such as Piri-Piri infused tequila, and comes paired with nibbles the likes of spiced chicken skewers and sweet crab on crispy toast.

It’s (gulp) bikini season again! But that doesn’t mean it’s time to curb all the indulgences. After all, it’s all about balancing enjoyment with moderation. Our reliable go-to, Mark & Spencers, have made snacking almost guilt-free with their new range of portion controlled treats, to help us curb our snack attacks to a measly 150 calories a pop, with some, such as the sweet popcorn and Moroccan spiced chickpeas, weighing in at just 77 calories per bag. Now, afternoon snack hour, anyone?

SAVOURY FLAVOUR PAIRINGS AT LA MAISON DU CHOCOLAT Sometimes, opposites bring out the best in each other. This summer, La Maison du Chocolat gives savoury and sweet flavours a playful spin with their Garden Greens Savoury Chocolate Collection, featuring five unique combinations covered in chocolate – red pepper, hazelnut porcini, balsamic spring onion, olives praline and Guérande salt. After devouring the entire box of delicate chocolates, our vote is on the buttery, nutty porcini and the dark ganache dotted with Guérande salt. The 15 piece gift box goes for $250, and is available at every Hong Kong La Maison boutique. 04

SOME LIKE IT NOOD

DRINK YOUR WAY TO ZEN

Sizzling beach days are in full swing, and Nood Food has just unveiled a new line of summer juices to keep health-conscious revellers hydrated and rejuvenated during Hong Kong’s notoriously hot summers. The four new flavours include concoctions such as a pineapple, kale and cucumber blend called Sweet Dream, a zingy carrot ginger and pineapple mix called Tropical Twist, a very coconuty Coco Kiss and a dash of vanilla and coconut pulp in Coco Mylk.

Just in time for summer detox, Nature’s Bounty’s ZEN ZYME is distilled from 69 kinds of natural plant ingredients harvested from a traditional, organic farm perched 1,500 metres above sea level in Taiwan. The low temperature fermentation process enables the extraction of vital enzymes to promote gastrointestinal health and liver detoxification. Each little vial is packed with probiotics and is the product of a two year fermentation process! Now, that makes us appreciate every drop.

PERFUMED LUXURY WITH TWININGS

twitter.com/foodiehk // july 2015

One of the oldest tea merchants in England, with over three centuries of experience and the prestigious title as the exclusive tea purveyor to the British Royal Family, Twinings now brings to Hong Kong their prized Large-Leaf Discovery Collection. The intoxicating range of 11 blends include tantalizing flavours such as the iconic London Strand Earl Grey, based on the original recipe Twinings created centuries ago for the prime minister of England, to the enchanting Rose Garden, to Exotic Mango and Ginger. This affordable cup of luxury can be found in supermarkets across Hong Kong and Macau, and is priced at $89 for 15 silk pyramid bags.

the best of the bloggers

Q. Where do you get your groceries? Stephanie Ko www.stephs852diary.com

Ale Wilkinson www.thedimsumdiaries.com My closest supermarket is Fusion on Robinson Road, but I despise it, as it’s poorly stocked and overpriced, but if I can’t be bothered to trek to a better one, that’s where I go. If I have the time, I think the Fusion in Coda Plaza is a lot better. Seriously though, why can’t there just be a Sainsbury’s in Hong Kong?!

When I shop for groceries, usually Oliver’s (which is right by my office) will do the trick. I also order from Green Little Frog, which delivers weekly organic fruit and vegetable bags depending on what is fresh and available at the time. For frozen meats and seafood, my family has been going to Woo Hing Hong in Causeway Bay for many years; we love their cuts of steak, chicken meat and black cod.

Sharon Maloney www.jasmine-ginger.com

I shop locally in my wet market, where most of the veggies are sourced from local farms in the New Territories or Lantau or on Cheung Chau itself. For more obscure veggies like Brussel sprouts and basic organic meat, Fusion in Sheung Wan is really upping its game. For special items, like Iberico ham or Indian pulses, there are fantastic little businesses like Spicebox Organics and Pata Negra House, offering some real gems.

Michelle Ng www.chopstixfix.wordpress.com Where I live is surrounded by supermarkets. I have a very well-stocked Taste nearby which I normally frequent and there’s also an excellent wet market in the area which has everything you could possibly want, including some great blooms to buy for your house- no need to traipse to the Flower Market!

FEATURED FOODIE Every month we highlight one of our most prolific and viral content contributors from our afoodieworld community. This month, the blogger on everyone’s screens is Spot The Food, who loves to, uh, spot food. With a grand Instagram following and their very own blog, Spot The Food has taken us from Tosca at The RitzCarlton to Pinot in Stanley and back. Here is an excerpt from their experience at Little Bao for brunch: “The mini egg shell, which is also my favourite from the new brunch menu, resembled ordinary eggs benedict with coddled yolk, creamy hollandaise foam, crumbled croutons and bacon bits. The batter fried chicken has a similar style of Korean fried chicken but with a kick of red fermented bean curd. The extra big and fluffy breakfast bao is appealingly prepared with a sunny side up egg and a house-made patty on tomato sauce. To end indulgently, don’t forget to grab a maple bacon ice cream sandwich the breakfast of champions!” Want to see her drool-worthy photos? Read the whole article on http://www.afoodieworld.com/users/spotthefood 06

the social foodie

Tempting Foodie-grams and funny food tweets we giggled over this month Mooink Burger @ Butchers Club

@kristenaiken

Just replaced my water filter after the proper 3 months. I think this means I’m a grownup now. @afoodieworld @JimGaffigan

I’m not a competitive eater unless someone orders French fries “for the table.”

Interesting Fact: Turkey bacon is the source of 70% of all the disappointment in our lives.

@AlanFullerton

Taro Puff @Duddells

@ConanOBrien

If you like it then you should have put a ring on it UNLESS IT’S THE COFFEE TABLE THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE USED A COASTER

@afoodieworld

Instagram was created for macaroons.

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@TristramPerry

foodie club

Foodie Table at Ore-no Kappou By Ginza Okamoto Ore-no Kappou by Ginza Okamoto, the new Japanese restaurant in California Tower, boasts high quality food at affordable prices. Always scouting for the newest restaurants in town, we booked a table for our Foodie First Bites event last month. Ore-no Kappou accommodated with a top-notch seafood, Wagyu beef and sake pairing menu. We tasted our way through four courses, starting with an amuse-bouche of blanched okra with a sweet miso sauce before moving on to the jet-fresh selection of fresh sashimi. As sous chef Donovan explained to us, their fish is delivered fresh daily from Japan and the quality of each slice showed in every bite. The grilled lobster course, covered in a thick yolklike layer of uni sauce, oozed umami richness. The finale arrived in the form of a beautiful Wagyu beef grilled on a Mt. Fuji stone. The flavourful meat was cooked perfectly and dazzled in its simplicity. With a generous sprinkling of fried garlic on top, it sizzled with tempting aromas and was quickly devoured by the group. Every course was carefully paired with sake, served, interestingly, in wine glasses. We were particularly impressed with the robust selection of sake that came paired with the beef, which enhanced the sweetness of the Wagyu with every sip. It was certainly a thoughtfully planned menu that left our Foodies with a great sample of what the restaurant offers. With their reasonably priced menu and high quality food, we see Ore-no Kappou developing into a reliable favourite with the Foodie team.

Ore-no Kappou by Ginza Okamoto, 6/F California Tower, 32 D’Aguilar Street, Central, 2328 3302 08

foodie club

Rooftop Party with Natural Food and Beverage There aren’t many places in the midst of Hong Kong’s concrete jungle where you’d find a newly built three-storey detached house with a great rooftop. It’s even rarer to find a rooftop stocked with a large selection of excellent wine and wine experts at the ready to conduct a tasting. We fell in love with Natural Food & Beverage’s HQ earlier this year and were blown away with their organic wines and spirits. These guys pride themselves on sourcing wines from premium French wineries, handpicked for their organic farming methods. We must admit we were sceptical at first, seeing as so many products are labelled with the buzzword organic without any real merit to them. To help us understand and taste the difference in their wines, Jean-Loup and the Natural team invited us up to their rooftop last month for a tasting of wine, Armagnac and a few nibbles, all sourced from France. It was a blind tasting and we were given two brands each of rosé, white and red to sample from. Immediately we could taste that some wines were sweeter than others, some were darker and richer in colour and some had a lot more depth. What we found to be non-organic were the sweeter varieties and the Natural team explained the disconcerting fact that most non-organic wines have sugar added to the final product. The wines they source all comply with the principles of organic or biodynamic farming, which means the grapes have no chemical herbicides and are manually harvested in order to prevent over-handling. For a white wine, we recommend their fruity and light Chateau La Coste, perfect for a hot evening. For a red with deep rounded flavour, we recommend the Chateau Vieux Taillefer.

Natural Food and Beverage, 8 Wa In Fong East, Sheung Wan, 2548 8210

www.afoodieworld.com // july 2015

As for their Armagnac, we blind tasted their V.O.S.P. with a Cognac and found a smoother mouth feel with a strong woody note. By the end of the evening, we were all biodynamic wines and Armagnac converts, and of course, the great view on the cosy balcony helped. Word on the street is that you can pop by the Natural Food & Beverage office anytime, buy a bottle of wine and enjoy it on their rooftop. It’s useful to know if you’re ever looking for good quality wine and a space to sip it.

New Nibbles

For marketing opportunities contact our account executive: kathrynriley@afoodieworld.com 10

tried & tasted

NEW – Scan & Bookmark with iPick! Scan the QR codes and click “Bookmark” to save the winning restaurants to your iPick wish list. Don’t have iPick – Hong Kong’s hot new food social app? Just scan the QR code twice. *Note: iPick is currently available for iOS and Android in HK and select app stores. Contact infohk@ipick.com for any issues.

New! Meen & Rice The Pulse, 28 Beach Road, Level 1, Repulse Bay, 2566 8886 淺水灣海灘道28 號The Pulse L1 樓113 號舖

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The food: Our tasting started with the congee with handmade meatballs ($60), which managed to convert even a non-congee eater to the staple, followed by barbequed pork with rice ($88) and stir fried rice noodles with beef ($88). We devoured all without hesitation and found them

Barbeque pork from Meen & Rice

www.afoodieworld.com // july 2015

What? The newest addition from the group who brought us Chachawan, Duddell’s, Ham & Sherry and Aberdeen Street Social, the new venue is all about comforting, home-grown Cantonese food in the heart of Repulse Bay. Despite the restaurant being based on the hipsterisation of Dai Pai Dong favourites, the food is outstanding, and is easily relatable for visitors arriving in Hong Kong for the first time. Down to earth, reassuring Chinese favourites line the menu, from stir fried rice noodles with beef ($88), supreme roast goose (whole $488) and pork offal ($72), to handmade meatballs in congee ($60), house-made noodle rolls (cheung fan) ($38) and simmering chicken clay pot (whole $368).

incredibly tasty. Some of us had grown up with the dishes and loved them for their homely feel, while others who are newer to the cuisine felt entirely content eating great portions of the rice, noodles, meat and vegetables. For the often wary Western stomach, it can take some time to get comfortable eating ‘street’ food. Meen and Rice is a gentle way for many to get accustomed. The beef noodles deserve special mention, with tender beef hidden amongst the crunchy

tried & tasted

bean sprouts and fresh, bouncy rice noodles, all smothered in a rich soy sauce. DE-LIC-IOUS. We couldn’t neglect a cheung fan fix, especially when visiting a Cantonese comfort food joint, so we indulged in the straight forward hoisin, chilli, peanut and soy sauce combination. For a very generous $38, no one was complaining. Although we are no cheung fun experts, we found the bouncy rice noodles extraordinarily delicious, and liked them equally as much as the beef noodles and barbequed pork. Bottom line it was a very satisfying meal indeed.

The Grill Room Baby back ribs

5/F, The L. Square, No. 459-461 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay, 2897 6838 銅鑼灣駱克道459-461號 The L. Square 5樓

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I want some baby-back-baby-back ribs: We’re always up for carnivore delights, so when we heard about the new pork-i-licious barbeque joint aptly named The Grill Room in Causeway Bay, we chortled with glee and braved chaotic Lockhart Road to give it a try. Located in the newly refurbished L Square building, The Grill Room is the second restaurant venture of Jason Yeung, who started with Flames Charcoal Chicken in Quarry Bay. The new Grill Room focuses on porky indulgences, although the menu also offers a variety of other grilled meats such as the peri-peri chicken, which follows the same recipe as that of Flames Charcoal Chicken, and beef short ribs. The ambiance is easy going, with the menu centered around rustic, sharing plates. Porky Love: We arrived for a lunch tasting, and sadly, were unable to try most sections of the menu as they were limited to dinner service. However, there was a good variety of dishes to salivate over, ranging from a grilled Wagyu burger, to vongole capellini, to mini ribeye, to the signature chargrilled pork ribs. We opted for the house special pork ribs, accompanied by fries and coleslaw. As a side, we went with the scorched corn kernels ($48), which came 12

with a sesame oil dressing. We are huge fans of buttery, sweet corn, but the sesame oil was a bit overpowering. The corn would have also faired better if it had spent more time on the grill, as it lacked caramelisation and would have benefited from a hint of smokiness. The ribs are marinated with a housemade dry rub, then slow-cooked for eight hours before chargrilled over searing hot flames and basted with the “secret” house sauce. The menu promises fall-off-the-bone ribs, at the tune of $198 for a half rack and $268 for a full rack. Our half rack arrived with around six segments of ribs, which was quite generous for the lunch price of $128, and included either a salad or soup starter as well as a tea or coffee. The ribs were smothered in a sweet and slightly tangy barbeque sauce that wasn’t overpowering, and, although not exactly “falling of the bone”, had juicy porky flavour. We did wish that the ribs had more of a smoky chargrilled accent to pique the flavour profile. The fries were on the limp and soggy side, although we liked how the coleslaw wasn’t overdressed and maintained a good crunch. Verdict: An ideal place to go for a casual meal if you happen to be in Causeway Bay and craving some barbeque. The ribs were good although not life-changing. We liked the cheerful, easy going ambiance and the moderately priced menu.

tried & tasted

New!

Grilled abalone from Shoku

Shoku G/F, Shop 109 , The Pulse, 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay, 2808 2333 淺水灣海灘道26-30號The Pulse 地下109舖

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Breezy cocktails: Our tasting during the soft launch party began with rounds of refreshing summer cocktails, ranging from the Bukudan “popping bomb”, a twist on the classic Caipirinha, to the Chuhai “two in one” to Chado, a matcha old-fashioned. Our favourite, although

Seared Hokkaido scallops

www.afoodieworld.com // july 2015

Sizzling grill on a hot beach: Summer is all about beach and sun, and the newly opened Shoku brings beach-goers plenty of sizzle with its elegant Japanese robatayaki selection. The new beachside bar and restaurant focuses primarily on grilled meats and seafood, and is the sister restaurant of refined Kishoku in Causeway Bay. The relaxed yet sophisticated venue flows out to the beach on the ground floor of The Pulse, although the view is obstructed by the beachside changing rooms. Instead, the focal point centers around the massive open grill and kitchen, complete with wrap-around counter seating. More intimate booths, as well as private rooms, line the 4,000 square feet open plan venue, so there’s plenty of varying ambiances to accommodate any occasion. Ice-filled display cases packed with fresh seafood line the open grill, while heat wafts from the mighty Japanese binchotan charcoal hearth.

not a pretty one (it vaguely resembled swamp water) was the matcha old-fashioned, which tasted unusually cleansing despite the hard liquor. Tantalizing small bites circulated on tray service, and we couldn’t resist snatching up the deep fried fresh oysters ($118) even though the plump juicy bundles were piping hot. We were rewarded by the succulence in each bite of the umami-rich shellfish. The prawn and sweet potato tempuras ($158) were equally moreish, and were wrapped in crunchy nori before enveloped in a thin coat of tempura batter and deep-fried. To cleanse our palates after all that fried gluttony, we dug into the “Shoku-style” guacamole and prawn salad ($108) and the butter lettuce green salad ($108).

tried & tasted

The guacamole delivered in creaminess, punctuated by sweet morsels of prawn, although we would have preferred another contrasting flavour to balance out the rich profile. The bouncy scallop, grilled to perfection with minced garlic in its own shell, came still attached with the coral or roe sac, making for scrumptious eating. Not usually a fan of abalone, the grilled fresh shellfish at Shoku was sweet and incredibly tender whilst the grilled whole sea bream was visually impressive although a bit tough to handle as the meat could have been more tender. On the skewer side, the thick-cut ox tongue ($88) was juicy with a delicious charred salt and pepper crust, while the kurobota pork wrapped around maitake mushroom ($58) had powerful earthy aromas but could have benefited with more seasoning. The chilled homemade Korean kimchi udon ($168) had a garlicky, sweet tang which was incredibly addictive, especially on a hot summer’s day. Our meal capped off with deep-fried Hokkaido green tea milk pudding ($118) which was a bit bitter due to the concentration of matcha powder, and fluffy red bean cakes ($118) which felt like an indulgent breakfast pancake treat. Verdict: Sophisticated, yet relaxed Japanese robatayaki with high quality ingredients. The venue is effortless chic and would make for a great intermission or finale to a day on the beach.

New! Wagyu beef skewers from Yayakiya

Yayakiya Shop 10-12B, Windsor Mansion, 29-31 Chatham Road, TST , 2723 9833 尖沙咀漆咸道29-31號溫莎大廈地下10-12B號舖

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What is it? From the founder who brought us laid-back Spanish restaurant Rustico, comes an entirely different concept in the form of a Japanese grill bar in buzzy Tsim Sha Tsui East. Yayakiya opened its doors in mid May and specialises in Hakata-style yakitori with plenty of funky libations to make any happy hour eventful. There’s the refreshing Applesabi $88, and the zesty caffeine fix that is Orange Espresso Martini $88, plus an extensive sake selection to pick your poison from. On the food front, Yayakiya offers an assortment of grilled skewers hailing from the Fukuoka region, where the word “yakitori”, which literally means grilled chicken, can also encompass a variety of delicacies such as pork, beef, vegetables and seafood. In this sense, it really should be termed more as a kushiyaki. Was it good? Although we didn’t arrive at happy hour, we sat down for a midday meal to sample a menu which included not only grilled skewers but also sashimi and sushi rolls. Our skewers arrived on a bed of raw cabbage leaves, which is a Fukuoka tradition. The idea is for the meat juices from the skewers to trickle down and act as a dressing for the leaves. Pork

tried & tasted

plays an important role in Fukuoka yakitori, so we started the meal with skewers of pork belly wrapped around an assortment of ingredients ranging from mini green peppers ($33), to tender asparagus ($32), to basil and cheese ($28). Our favourite, was the skewer of quail eggs wrapped with pork belly ($28) which was a delicious contrast between creamy soft egg yolk and crispy caramelized bacon. This would have made for a great Japanese style breakfast! The rock shrimp tempura with a curry powdered batter ($72) was a highlight of the restaurant, although it didn’t make it to our recommendations list, as the shrimp was overcooked and rubbery. The Wagyu beef sukiyaki rolls wrapped around seasonal vegetables and chewy gluten and cheese ($55) were another highlight, and came with a raw egg yolk dipping sauce. This was delicious, although a bit over-drenched in sauce. Other specialities include the spicy tuna on fried crispy sushi rice ($70) and a curious waffle chirashi sushi with fillings ranging from tuna and scallion, shrimp, salmon and mixed seafood ($45) over a bed of rice and shiitake mushrooms. The waffle crust reminded us of Japanese dessert rather than a savoury accompaniment. Verdict: The red brick walls and vintage tables and chairs give the restaurant a casual, laidback ambiance. The menu isn’t anywhere close to those of fine yakitori establishments like Toritama, but it’s a fun little place to stop by for after-work drinks if you happen to be in the area. Just don’t overthink it.

Truffled bean curd from Tycoon Tann

Tycoon Tann G-2/F, Ming Fat Building, 74 Wellington Street, Central 2808 2333 中環威靈頓街74號明發大廈地下至2樓

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Meet the Tycoon: The latest culinary trend to overtake Hong Kong hails close to home, in the form of Chinese cuisine with a modern twist. Restaurants the likes of Mott 32 and Ho Lee Fook first ignited the flame last year, and the fire has been burning strong ever since. One of the newest additions to this trend is Tycoon Tann, which spans three floors on Central’s buzzy Wellington Street, and consists of a stylish mod bar as well as two dining floors each set in a different décor concept. Founded by the same restaurant group that brought us Loyal Dining, a play on classic Cantonese comfort food, Tycoon Tann is a more flamboyant and stylized affair, with a swanky, Chinese apothecary-like bar on the ground floor serving up quirkily named drinks such as Yum Cha ($110), a blend of homemade cinnamon gin, St. Germain, lemongrass and fruit tea served in a traditional Chinese tea cup. The Lion Dance ($105), a fruity mix of gin, rosemary, orange marmalade,

twitter.com/foodiehk // july 2015

Rock shrimp from Yayakiya

New!

tried & tasted

Peking duck from Tycoon Tann

cranberry juice, lemon and peach bitters, had us buzzing before dinnertime. Dining in Two Styles: The dining area of Tycoon Tann is divided between two floors, with the first floor set in crisp white and blue hues for a contemporary feel while the second floor takes on a more traditional tone with dark wood accents. We decided to dine in the breezy, modern first floor, and cleansed our palates with a flavourful array of premium teas with curious names such as Monkey Pick Tea ($38) and Double Happiness Blossom ($38) before sinking our teeth into the first meaty starter of Hungarian Mangalica hog char siu ($288). Barbeque pork drizzled in caramelized honey is a Cantonese classic, and Tycoon Tannâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rendition using wellmarbled, buttery Mangalica pork really hit the mark. The tender pork was incredibly juicy, and had a sticky, collagen-rich texture. It was lusciously fatty yet had enough tender lean meat to give it structure. We could have polished off the entire plate on our own. Next, came a platter of Peking duck slices (six for $468) dotted with caviar and served over tiny blini-isque Chinese pancakes. This was a contemporary twist to the classic Peking duck, although we would have preferred the original. The mini Chinese 16

pancakes were thick and doughy, and detracted from the flavours of the duck. The brininess of the caviar was an odd accompaniment to the crispy duck, which is usually served with a sweet tianmian sauce. Alas, there was no sauce or punchy scallions to accentuate the flat flavour profile, aside from the caviar, which felt like an unnecessary indulgence. On another poultry front, the crispy salted chicken (half for $210) had good flavour but the skin lacked the promised crunchiness. The braised beancurd with black truffles ($188) was thoroughly infused with the intoxicating fungi aromas, while the steamed winter melon with wild fungus and mushrooms ($188) was light and delicate. The baked crab shell stuffed with fresh crab meat, cheese and onion ($168 each) was addictively creamy, and layered with a golden breadcrumb crust. Verdict: We appreciated the overall concept of the restaurant, but felt that the menu was over accessorized with decadent ingredients such as truffles and caviar without these ingredients really complementing the dishes. These add-ons seemed unnecessary and detracted, rather than enhanced, the overall flavour profiles. The portions were small in comparison to the hefty price tag.

tried & tasted

Townhouse 23/F California Tower, 30-36 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, 2344 2366 中環蘭桂坊德己立街30-36號新加州大厦23樓

Bookmark me!

Concept: Our romance with fusion food was short-lived and sensationalised. Consequentially, “fusion” almost feels like a dirty word these days. So, when we heard about the Asian food with a Western twist menu at Townhouse, we were understandably hesitant to dive in to what we imagined could be Italian-ramen glory... Thankfully, we were pleasantly surprised. Townhouse has been careful not to go overboard with the fusion concept. Instead, the space, beverages, location and staff all work in synergy. Eats: On our recommendation list is the cheung fan with cheese sauce, a gooey affair made extra creamy with the addition of a 63-degree egg and pancetta. It sounds weird, and we had misgivings about pairing a staple Hong Kong street food with what sounded deceptively like carbonara, but it was deliciously cheesy, sloppy and satisfying. Next, the duck salad with peaches, pine nuts and pomegranate. The succulent

Peach duck salad

stone fruit paired well with the tender and flavoursome duck, and the dish was accentuated with the toasty pop of pine nuts. Sweets: We concluded our meal with the whimsically named candy crush dessert, which definitely surpassed the popular (and irritating) Facebook game by the same name. Mango and black sesame ice cream arrived underneath a mound of toothache-inducing sweets such as Oreos, Jelly beans, Pocky sticks, wafers and other unidentifiable addictive sweet chewy things, alongside fruit in a jumbo mortar and pestle. One of our favourite desserts in LKF to date.

Cheung fan with cheese sauce

twitter.com/foodiehk // july 2015

Verdict: The open kitchen creates an energetic environment and the huge space designed by Mr. Hugh Zimmern draws attention to the breathtaking views of Central via floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The food is surprisingly memorable; tasty and unusual. You can be sure you won’t have tried anything like it before.

food war

Nutty about Butter

BEOSICTE CH

MERIDIAN The price: $53

The price: $160

The value: This jar of smooth almond butter

The value: The price tag might raise eyebrows,

is made from only two very simple ingredients:

but the sizable 453 gram jar actually translates

roasted almonds with a pinch of sea salt. The

to pretty good value, especially considering the

compact 170 gram jar contains no palm oil or

spread is made from 100 percent organic raw

sugar.

California almonds.

The taste: A delicious roasted nut aroma

The taste: Using organic raw almonds, this is

met our noses when we cracked open this jar,

the most nutritionally bountiful butter in our

as this butter was the most fragrant of all the

taste test. The raw almonds gave the spread a

contenders. The paste was salty enough to

lighter, yet significantly less aromatic flavour,

almost border being savoury, and was quite oily.

but we loved the clean aftertaste, which was

The verdict: Even though the paste was on the oily side and separated easily, we love the

ARTISANA ORGANICS

far less oily than the rest, and had the aroma of marzipan.

roasted aromas. The pinch of sea salt also

The verdict: Our favourite out of the four,

helped cut through the greasiness, making this

based on having the most pleasing taste and the

a butter we could indulge in daily.

most healthful qualities.

Foodie rating:

Move over peanuts, there’s a new sheriff in town. This month, we dip into luscious jars of almond butter to see which supermarket contender is worth spreading on your next piece of rye toast.

BARNEY BUTTER

MELROSE

The price: $82

The price: $120

The value: The cheapest of the bunch at $82

The value: This is our most expensive

for 285 gram, this crunchy California almond

contender for 250 grams is a hefty price tag.

butter does contain less desirable ingredients

The jar is filled with 100 percent lightly roasted

such as palm oil.

almond spread, and is GMO-free.

The taste: The texture is practically

The taste: The spread had an appealing

indistinguishable from peanut butter, and the

consistency in between crunchy and smooth, and

overall flavour and texture felt overprocessed.

deep flavours with a delicious, strong roasted

Like peanut butter, it sticks stubbornly to the

zing. It was significantly sweeter than the rest

roof of the mouth, and tasted glumpy.

of the contenders, and had a pleasant crunchy

The verdict: A good one to try for novice eaters

more than a couple teaspoons of this.

into the unique spread by way of something that

The verdict: The most expensive of the

reminds them exactly of peanut butter.

roasted almonds options, unless this almond

Foodie rating:

butter comes with a Lamborghini, we wouldn’t say it’s worth it. Foodie rating:

www.afoodieworld.com // july 2015

of almond butter, who prefer an gentle easing

texture although we would feel sick consuming

chewin’ the fat

Chewin’ the fat with...

Dr. Andrew Lam of ecoFarm Dr. Andrew Lam, a neurosurgeon of 30 years from California, founded ecoFarm on the pristine mountain range of Ruijin, in Jiangxi, China. His inspiration stems from his passion for healing the body using nature’s ingredients. His mountain top farm now supplies to some of Hong Kong’s finest kitchens, including Otto e Mezzo and the RitzCarlton. We recently sat down with the doctor-turned-farmer, to discuss his thoughts on organic farming, and especially, organic farming in China. What inspired you to open an eco farm in China? What are the growing conditions like? We established ecoFarm in 2006, in Jiangxi, China because the land is pristine and nestled in a remote mountain range 1000 feet above sea level. The land was fallow for eons and is located next to the National Forest preservation zone. This untouched landscape allows us to grow vegetables and fruits from non-GMO seedlings certified organic by the USDA, the European Union and Japan. The unique hills and valleys offer an array of micro-climates which allows 20

us to grow over 130 varieties of seasonal crops. We control our own water source since it starts from the top of our mountain before running into villages downstream. The summers are warm and humid, while the winters are cold and dry. What produce do you grow? Thanks to the variety of micro-climates, we are able to grow a vast array of vegetables and fruits all year round. There’s plenty of leafy salad greens, as well as Chinese vegetables such as choy sum and kailan. We also grow hearty root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, taros, beets, as well as broccoli, cauliflowers, Brussel sprouts, fennel, beans, eggplants, cucumbers and tomatoes. There’s also all kinds of squashes and pumpkins, and specialty vegetables like bamboo shoots, Jerusalem artichokes and lotus roots. In the orchards, there’s figs, apples, blood oranges and pears, and these are balanced with plenty of herbs. Do you come from a farming background? Where did you learn to grow? I grew up on a farm where we ate what we grew. However, my colleague, Ada Lui, is the agronomist who looks after the extensive development of ecoFarm. What are the challenges in convincing people to buy vegetables from China? We encounter folks that are curious about the quality of air and water. We answer these curiosities by showing our test analysis and certificates. It is an education process. We

have been hosting visitors so they can see for themselves. Chefs from Ritz Carlton and Otto e Mezzo have visited and audited our farm with satisfaction and praises. Soil is very important to the organic farm. It’s common knowledge that the Hong Kong Government used chemical sprays such as DDT until 2007 to exterminate mosquitoes. Furthermore, Hong Kong thrived with polluting industries such as cowhide processing until the Eighties. Despite this, we still have many farms adopting organic practice in Hong Kong even with the likelihood of contaminated soil, let alone the air and the underground water that the crops are grown with. Where do you get your seeds from? We try to find seeds from where the vegetable originates from. We also buy seeds from certified organic seeds suppliers who can present us verifiable legitimate certificates approved by our auditors from the organic certification groups. Mostly, we grow our own seeds. What quality control measures do you maintain at ecoFarm? facebook.com/foodiehk // july 2015

We strictly forbade the use of any chemicals in our farm in order to practice natural farming. We protect our crops with netting, companion crops, natural organisms and other herbal plants to reduce insect pressure. We aerate our water and plant the crops in scattered and spacious patterns to confuse the insects, the birds and to

avoid plant diseases. Due to the fact that we are an organic farm certified under the USDA, the EU and the JAS, we have to maintain a day-inday-out record on what we do and present them for audits. The auditors come annually to inspect our farm, test the water, the soil and randomly test crops via reputable third party laboratories such as SGS. We also have an on-site laboratory where we periodically check and record all the data for inspection as required by the auditors. We file quality check during harvest, postharvest, packing and before delivery to homes, as well as employ state-of-the-art cooling technology to hibernate our vegetables for wholesomeness. We label our vegetable box with information such as batch number, and organic certificate numbers. In short, we provide traceability for every box we deliver. As a doctor with extensive knowledge of the healing properties of vegetables, can you share some tips on which vegetables are good for aiding certain diseases? Swiss chard is good for people with calcium deficiency, since itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich in magnesium and calcium. Plants from the brassica family such as choy sum, pak choy, kailan, mustard greens, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and kohlrabi, have high anti-tumor properties. What do you think about the majority of

vegetables that are available in Hong Kong? The majority of vegetables available in Hong Kong come from China. There are imports from Australia, New Zealand, North Americas and Europe, although most of these are just conventional produce grown with chemicals. For imports that are labeled organic, there are seldom any grower organic certificate numbers and contact information in the labels, which limits traceability. Are visitors allowed at ecoFarm? Yes, everybody is welcome to visit our farm. We host group visits from various schools and universities, as well as professional organisations for doctors, restaurant chefs, and bankers. How can people get in touch and whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best way to access your vegetables? We are still in the process of building our website but customers can access our order form directly at the following link: www.ecofarm.com.hk What are your plans for the farmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future? We want to convey a message that; once an economy of scale is reached, organic produce can be inexpensive. Organic produce is healthier than conventional produce since it has more trace elements, due to its slow growth, and is not packed with synthetic chemicals or toxins. Our current farm is a huge piece of property that is sufficient for our current planting needs. As to distribution, we are expanding our business steadily, one step at a time, since our emphasis is on quality and educating customers about the beneficial synergies of vegetables and fruits.

Homegrown Foods

The Future & Food We look at how small changes create big differences

The Big Issue

At current, we are experiencing one of the greatest public health crises in our human history in association with food. This threatens to bankrupt us as a collective, with drastic inflation in dietaryrelated ailments such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity. The Centre for Disease Control in the United States estimates that 75% of

the national health care budget is spent treating preventable chronic diseases, many of which, are directly linked to diet. In Hong Kong, according to government health statistics from 2013 and 2014, of the five leading causes of death, three can be linked to eating habits. There is pressing need to maintain balance in the ecosystem and improve sustainable agriculture practices in order to secure adequate food supplies to meet demands. These pressures are all linked to the food choices we make on a daily basis. The Role of Food in the Sustainability Equation By 2050, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population is estimated to

facebook.com/foodiehk // july 2015

When we picture the looming problems of sustainability, images of factories and litter usually materialize in our minds rather than consideration for what we are having for dinner. In reality, the mounting demand for food, and the way we harvest and distribute it, pose some of the most prominent threats to our health and our planet.

future and food

Ever Green Republic

reach a staggering 9.1 billion. The global middle class, alone, is expected to grow by 3 billion in the span of 17 years between 2020 to 2037, as projected by the Wolfensohn Centre for Development. With this increase in population, and a demand for richer protein-based diets, Jonathan Foley, the director of the Institute on the Environment at University of Minnesota, projects that our demand for crops will double from present figures. Over the past 40 years, the global demand for animal products has tripled, as calculated by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation of Australia. The result is an increased strain on crop levels to feed livestock, and the shifting of land allocation towards growing feed crops. Industrialised agriculture contributes significantly to global warming. Methane from rice farms and livestock, as well as carbon dioxide from slashand-burn agriculture, produce more greenhouse gases than the combined output of ground and air transport globally. In addition, large-scale industrialised farming requires vast quantities of water, and contaminates ecosystems with toxic fertilisers and pesticides. A greater demand for animal protein doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just stop on land, but extends to the oceans. At current, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that 54% of fish stocks are overexploited due to commercial fishing. A bright spot in this discussion could be found in 24

Hong Kong, where, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), two of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major seafood suppliers have found a doubling of sales of sustainable seafood between 2010 to 2013. This increase is the equivalent of 1,200 tonnes in sustainable seafood! Waste is a severe catalyst in the food crisis, and while there is no exact method of measuring food wastage worldwide, the estimate, according to the Global Food Report conducted in 2013, is that 30% to 50% of the food produced each year is wasted. Food and Our Health The predominance and growing popularity of processed food filled with empty calories has placed tremendous strain on the health care system. The World Health Organisation estimates that 42 million children under the age of 5 are overweight or obese. The children of today are the first generation predicted to live shorter lives than their parents. In America, it will cost the government $425,000 (USD) to treat every child diagnosed with type 2 diabetes throughout his lifetime. This prompted Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York at the time of the announcement, to propose a ban on supersized sodas. Although the ban was rejected, the proposal illustrated that our eating habits affect not only ourselves but our entire society, and that even small changes have the potential to create large-scale behaviour shifts.

future and food

Small Changes, Big Results We have infinite demands, yet we live on a finite planet, and the only solution for our planet’s wellbeing is the move towards sustainable development. Much of this catalyst lies in the consumer’s power to choose. Slowly yet surely, steps are made towards a more sustainable future with the growing popularity of nose-to-tail gastronomy, as well as the organic food movement and locavore culture. By fully utilising every part of an animal, and by choosing produce that is grown locally and under organic guidelines, we can significantly reduce the strain on our planet. Ultimately, to quote Anna Lappe, a prominent author and sustainable food advocate, “each time we spend money we are casting a vote for the type of world we want”. How We Can Help: Purchasing Power It’s easy to buy a processed burger at a nearby fast food joint, but you’re not going to get many nutrients from it. Instead, try cooking simple meals at home using sustainable ingredients. By supporting farms that use environmental, humane methods, you are empowering these producers to grow and expand, leading to the spread of more sustainable practices. Whenever possible, buy from local producers, as their products are the freshest and have the smallest carbon footprint thanks to short transportation lines.

Kadoorie Farm

It’s important to consider quality over quantity. Meat from ethical, environmentally-conscious producers will likely cost more than large-scale industrialized meat enterprises, due to more stringent regulations on animal feed and better welfare for the livestocks, but the quality of the product is also significantly higher. According to our friends at Slow Food, livestock raised on high quality grains, hay, or grass and allowed to exercise outside of cages produce healthier, tastier meats with lower cholesterol and saturated fats. Although the cost is higher, the nutrition content is also greater. Therefore, eating higher quality meats less often is both beneficial to health and budget. Choosing meats from sustainable farms, as close as possible to where you live, will mean fresher products that taste better without costing the earth. Shifting Diets

facebook.com/foodiehk // july 2015

Homegrown Foods

If the majority of crops grown were fed to humans, feeding 9 billion people by 2050 would be manageable. However, nearly half of the crops grown today are fed to livestock, or converted to industrial products such as biofuels. Either a shift towards a less meat-intensive diet or a way to produce meat more sustainably is needed in order for our planet to continue supporting our growing population. A diet that consists of 20 percent animal protein and 80 percent plant-based nutrients would revolutionise the way we treat our planet today. Eating high quality meat, but less frequently, would also do wonders for our health and the environment.

future and food

Kadoorie Farm

Reduce Waste We love to eat in Hong Kong, yet, according to Feeding Hong Kong, 3,200 tonnes of food ends up in landfills each day. As food rots, it releases significant amounts of methane and carbon dioxide, creating a layer of greenhouse gases that trap heat. It is estimated that the remaining capacity of our landfills will be exhausted by 2018. We can all do our part in reducing waste by eating leftovers, ordering smaller portions at restaurants, and supporting waste reduction community programs such as Feeding Hong Kong. A reduction in menial items such as plastic straws, plastic bags and napkins not only help our landfills, but also save us money. So next time, bring your own reusable shopping bag, carry your lunch in personal tupperware, and sip from a refillable water bottle! Collectively, we have the power to create enormous change through our daily decisions. We have all the tools needed to reform the way we grow and use food, and we are all responsible for casting our votes on the way we want our planet to grow with each purchase and each mouthful. Food and health, farmers and governments, animals and ecosystems, dining and economics - every day, we are able to play our part in changing the future. 26

Where to Shop for Sustainable Produce in Hong Kong Farm Direct www.farmdirect.hk With stores across Hong Kong, many of which are conveniently located in MTR stations, Farm Direct grows leafy vegetables via hydroponics in their two farms in Kam Tin and Fanling. Hydroponic farming grows plants in water instead of soil, and Farm Directâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s method uses only non-GMO seedlings in a close-loop irrigation system that uses no harmful chemicals and recycles 95% of the water used.

Kadoorie Farm

future and food

Evergreens Republic www.evergreensrepublic.com One of the leading Aquaponics farms in Hong Kong and the largest in Southeast Asia, Evergreens Republic capitalises on the symbiotic relationship between three living components - fish, beneficial bacteria and plants. The USDA-approved organic produce is harvested in the farm’s climatecontrolled greenhouse in New Territories, and delivered to customers. The fish, mainly Australian perch, is also on offer. Evergreens Republic anticipates a new harvest this August. ecoFarm www.ecofarm.com.hk/

Ever Green Republic

Nestled in the pristine mountain range of Ruijin National Park, in China’s Jiangxi province, ecoFarm grows organic vegetables and fruits from non-GMO seedlings certified by the USDA, the European Union, and Japan. EcoFarm not only delivers directly to consumers, but also supplies the finest kitchens in town, including the Ritz-Carlton, KEE Club, and Otto e Mezzo.

Magic Season www.magicseasonorganics.com/ What started in 2005 as an organic farm selling to locals in Tai Kong Po has grown into a large farm in Qingyuan, situated 420 meters above sea level in Guangdong province. All the produce is certified organic by the Hong Kong and Chinese governments, and the farm makes home deliveries as well as supplying Jusco supermarkets and Jockey Club Hong Kong. IPC Food Centre 26 On Lok Mun Street, Fanling, NT www.ipcfoodlab.com IPC is not just a restaurant, it’s also a research lab and an indoor vertical farm. The centre, situated in an industrial building in Fan Ling, and grows organic vegetables on the rooftop garden, as well as various indoor plots. A variety of mushrooms are also grown here. There’s also a restaurant within the headquarters, offering delicious farm-to-table experiences.

Lam Kam Road, Tai Po, NT www.kfbg.org

Ever Green Republic

Established in 1956, Kadoorie Farm helped poor local farmers in improving farming methods. Today, the farm is a pioneer in organic farming in Hong Kong, and has conserved several rare chicken

facebook.com/foodiehk // july 2015

Kadoorie Farm

future and food

Ever Green Republic

breeds. Located, 1800 feet above sea level on Kwun Yum Shan in Tai Po, the organic farming terraces also share space with botanic gardens, and wildlife rescue facilities. Visitors can fill their grocery bags with seasonal produce at the Farm Shop onsite. Zen Organic Ping Che, Ta Kwu Ling, NT http://www.zeno.com.hk/ This local farm recently joined the home delivery platform and their delicious produce is now available at www.organnetmarket.com. The certified organic 250,000 square feet farm, located in Fanling, supplies to many hotels, restaurants and organic shops in Hong Kong. Adventurous customers are also welcome to book a visit and pick their own selection of vegetables and fruits straight from the source. Homegrown Foods http://www.homegrownfoods.com.hk

Green Common Shop 2, 222 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai www.greencommon.com If you don’t want to wait for home deliveries, then visit Green Common, a plant-based grocery store founded by social start-up Green Monday. The shop, located in Wanchai, is packed full of fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as vegetarian dry goods. There’s also an array of classes and seminars to educate yourself about sustainable living. Bee’s Nest www.beesnest.hk Bee’s Nest is Hong Kong’s leading organic honey producer. With 100 hives located in Tai Tam country park, as well as various organic orchards, Bee’s Nest honey is rich in pollen and healthful enzymes. Order via their website, or indulge in a specially designed honey afternoon tea at the Ritz-Carlton, on offer from now until the end of July.

One of the earlier organic produce home delivery services in Hong Kong, Homegrown Foods started as the supplier for Posto Pubblico before expanding to a direct-to-household service. Working with local farmers in the New Territories, as well as across the border in China, Homegrown Foods’ produce is certified organic. Locally raised Wah Kee Pigs, which are hormone and antibiotic-free, are also sold here, along with local organic free-range eggs. Homegrown Foods

Fergus Henderson The Man Who Changed The Culinary World

facebook.com/foodiehk // july 2015

Chef Fergus: Nose to Tail

The best way to describe Fergus Henderson is as a man who exudes originality and wit, who creates dishes of sheer deliciousness. A cult figure amongst culinary professionals and ardent devotees, the British chef has battled Parkinson’s disease for many years. The challenges, however, have in no way halted his passion and influence on the revolution of nose to-tail cooking. Upon sitting down with Chef Henderson, we sensed a charismatic and understated grace to his speech, especially when he spoke about the common sense of nose-to tail cookery. This style of cuisine might not become a trend, as it embodies too much practicality and perhaps, not enough glitz, but his message is one of increasing transparency and positivity in how we treat and pick our produce. During his trip to Hong Kong, he spoke to us about British food, his illness, and why he is “not too fussed” on the concept of nose-to-tail. 30

How would you describe your nose-to-tail concept and why is it important? The thing is, it’s really not a “concept”. It is the way I cook, and it’s really dull common sense. I’ve always stuck to this form of cooking (fully utilizing all parts of an animal) and I didn’t do it with the goal of setting it up as a cause, or healing the world. Was your way of cooking difficult to introduce to people? People used to tell me I was a hundred years out of date. In the past everybody cooked like this, and then the majority stopped. When I first started opening restaurants, people said it was a crazy idea. They’ve come around to it now. Architecture was your chosen study path does that come into play in your cooking? Yes, it does, in various ways. Architecture is about creating a space that people occupy. You do the same with food. Whether it’s the bones that people will suck on, you feed their mind and stomachs and create space. There are many similarities in the intent of both professions. Do you think that chefs should kill their own meat? Well, I have said yes in the past. I was once out shooting, and had killed eight ducks, and then, as I was reloading my gun, one chap informed me that ‘ducks mate for life’. A duck then squawked past me, presumably looking for its now dead

Chef Fergus: Nose to Tail

performed on very few people. The operation is performed while the patient is awake, so you literally hear the drills going into your skull. But now I can cook again. It certainly helped to remind me of what I love and what is important. What do you love about British food that you think has been overlooked?

mate, and I just couldn’t keep going. I had to put down my gun. Do I think that all chefs need to endure this? Well, no. It’s really up to the individual. There’s been a large upswing in nose-to-tail cooking. Do you think you had a significant part to play in that? Maybe. [When I see protégés opening restaurants] I feel quite like a mother hen, watching all her chicks run off. But that’s nice. I need it. You’ve always been known to be quite affable, has it ever been difficult to cast aside this trait under the pressures of professional kitchens? Not really. For me, the kitchen is about knowledge; we must know what we are doing and why we are doing it, and then, do it well. We love the food that we are cooking. Actually, I think I’ve lost my temper only twice. Twice! Is that all? Yes. It was not pretty. I hate it. It happens, but you move on. It’s not healthy. And it sends out the wrong kind of vibrations into the dining room and around your team.

I thought being diagnosed with the disease would end my career. Undergoing the surgery was terrifying, because at the time it had been

Why do you believe the St John kitchen is transformative for so many chefs? It’s a pleasure to cook there; it isn’t a sort of chore. The idea that a chef has to be stuck to the stove is not how it should be done. They love fresh air, and a chance to go to the movies. The kitchen becomes like a home. It’s lively and then there is always the stuff that they, themselves, can bring to the kitchen. Does that have much to do with the sort of people you attract into the kitchen? It was just by chance I asked Jon [Jon Spiteri who cofounded St John in London], and never looked back. The partnership set a bit of a precedent. I used to have to work hard at convincing the good people to stay, but now I sort of have to beat them away. What do you think adopting nose-to-tail eating would achieve? It’s strange to look at something as though we are taking into consideration the whole world. Food is precious, but we shouldn’t get caught up in ideas and concepts. It’s become a bit like an American TV program with a crime scene, with the police arriving and saying “back off, police!”. It has become a bit like that with concepts. “Back off, organic!” There are a lot of words used today, such as ‘sustainable’ or ‘organic’,

twitter.com/foodiehk // july 2015

We greatly admire your perseverance through your illness. How has it affected you and changed your perceptions about life?

British restaurants should follow British seasons. More than just talking about seasonality as a trendy term, chefs should instil seasonality in the way they cook. Nature is making a menu for us, you would have to be blind not to use it. A sense of place is vital, and it seems that we have turned our backs on it. The seasons in Britain are short and distinct and should be utilised as such. The Chicken Kiev is an example. You take one part of the animal, fill it with butter and fry it. That’s it, with no culinary imagination. It doesn’t really resemble much at all.

foodie forks 2015 Chef Fergus: Nose to Tail

and they become words without a lot of meaning anymore, because they have been misused. I’m not saying that there aren’t good things that come from these movements, but there’s just an awful lot of misuse. You once mentioned that nature writes our menu and we should listen. Where did that earthy sense of responsibility come from? Well, there is not all that much to it really. Vegetables to be roasted and stewed in the winter, salads in the summer. So, again, it’s all about common sense? Well, yes. Strange, isn’t it? What do you respect and admire about Chinese cuisine? Well, it’s delicious. They’ve been cooking for themselves [from their own culture and land] forever. Who is your chef idol? Although I’ve mainly taught myself, I have had a number of characters to draw from. I did know a gentleman by the name of Charles Campbell, who sat in the corner of the kitchen, smoking cigarettes and drinking a bottle of vodka a night. He would tell me stories about food while I tinkered about cooking. He once made a cucumber soup, and put too much salt in it. He then said, “f**k it, we’ll just call it sea salt and cucumber soup!” He was probably one of my earliest mentors. 32

Besides Charles Campbell, was the rest of your culinary style carried out by your own sense and feel? Yes – a bit of trial and error. My wife, Margot [who is an equally talented chef], also guided me. She beats me into shape. She’s certainly my hero. Pork or beef? It really depends on the mood. You’ve got to go with your feeling – let it lead you. What’s in your fridge? Parmesan, always to go with pasta. Cheddar for the kids. Milk. My wine. Frozen peas. What potential do you see in Hong Kong and its dining scene? I see huge potential. It seems to be a city that is all about eating. It’s very unique. What would your last meal on earth be? Quite a lot, so I have it worked out quite precisely. I’d start with a dry martini, tosoften the blow of one’s last meal. Sea urchins, from Norway, or the West coast of Ireland. I’d have to have some cheese-best to have it hard and made from sheep’s milk, with a glass of red wine. Chocolate ice cream, one that is very rich, and a prune. The soundtrack would have to be Wilson Pickett. And then, after our lunch (and only after, of course), we would dance.

www.afoodieworld.com // july 2015

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HKTDC Food Expo

Foodie Paradise It’s that magical time again, when the HKTDC Food Expo welcomes both consumers and industry leaders to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre to taste and experience mouth-watering delicacies from more than 1,100 exhibitors from all over the globe. This year marks the 26th edition of the wildly popular food emporium, and the gastronomic fair will run from August 13th to 17th. From premium products and renowned brands to star chefs, seminars, exhibitors demonstrations, interactive games, competitions and lucky draws, there is plenty to see and taste at the HKTDC Food Expo!

Top Tier Tasty Treats at Gourmet Zone Upgrade your ticket to include the Gourmet Zone, and you’ll be treated to over 70 exhibitors offering their premium products in four themed zones: Western Delicacy, Asian Cuisine, Chic & More and Sweet Delight. There will be plenty of gourmet goodies to entice appetites, including Wagyu beef, fresh seafood, premium coffee, fine wine, jambon, abalone, fusion icecream, speciality cheese and much more. 34

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Star Chefs Over 15 renowned local chefs will be showcasing their culinary wizardry with cooking demonstrations held at the Star Kitchen in the Gourmet Zone. Among these are Ricky Cheung, Chiu Sze Cheuk, Gabriel Choy, Margaret Fu, Wins Hung, Jeffery Koo, Bong Kwok & Jason Ho, Lau Chun, Ken Lau, Leung Fai Hung, William Ma, Denice Wai and Annie Wong.

Margaret Fu Picky Gourmet Chef

Bong Kwok & Jason Ho Founders of ATUM desserant

Ken Lau Managing Director and Chief Chef of Palco Ristorante

Leung Fai Hung Executive Chinese Chef of InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong

William Ma Chinese Executive Chef of Gloucester Luk Kwok Hong Kong

Annie Wong Food Consultant

DETAILS OF HKTDC FOOD EXPO Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wanchai (Harbour Road entrance). Public Opening Hours:

*Note: special night admission tickets are available from 6pm to 10pm on 13th - 16th August. The price is $10 for the Public Hall and an extra $25 for admission to Gourmet Zone.

Public Hall (10am–10pm, 13-16 August; 10am–6pm, 17 August)

Ticketing Outlets: Starting from 30th July, tickets will be available for purchase at Circle K and 7-Eleven convenience stores.

•

Gourmet Zone (10am–10pm, 13–16 August)

Online Ticketing: www.hkticketing.com

Ticketing prices: $25 (Public Hall only); $40 (combo ticket for Public Hall and Gourmet Zone). Free admission for children aged 3 and under and senior citizens aged 65 or above.

HKTDC Food Expo: www.hktdc.com/ex/ hkfoodexpo/25 Enquiry: 1830 670

Also check out HKTDC’s facebook page at www.facebook.com/HKTDC.Exhibition for more details about the Food Expo.

www.afoodieworld.com // july 2015

•

the food nomad

Celia Hu takes her taste buds through the glitz and glam of Los Angeles

Los Angeles, with its glitzy show business and allure of stardom, has always been a beacon for those dreaming of seeing their names lit up in lights. During high school, I dreamed of running away to Hollywood, and making it big on the Big Screen. Needless to say, it didn’t happen, but this town, built on the shoulders of make-believe, will always captivate my childhood dreams. I’ve journeyed through LA on several occasions, but never quite had enough time yet to explore all the hottest eateries. So I’ve enlisted the help of my good friend, and fellow inquisitive Foodie, Chamani Wong, to help scoop out the best pig out spots in town and the neighboring regions. So tie on a bib, and let the good times roll.

THE BOILING CRAB 3377 Wilshire Blvd #115, LA, CA 90010, www.theboilingcrab.com This is the Holy Grail of Cajun seafood restaurants. Affectionately known as the “best tail in town” and the “biggest asspinching, head sucking venue this side of the Mississippi”, Boiling Crab started the trend of “seafood in a bag” that has now become a global trend. The chain was founded in 2004 by a family of Texas fishermen, with a menu inspired by their weekly family get togethers to enjoy the catch of the week. Market fresh seafood ranging from blue crab to king crab legs, to lobster, crawfish, shrimp and clams are tossed in a plastic bag alongside mouth-watering sauce and seasonings. There’s a variety of incredibly flavour-rich sauces to choose from, including the Rajun Cajun, Garlic Butter, and Lemon Pepper, but our favourite has to be the Whole Sha-bang, which is a lovefest of all the above mentioned sauces! Shake that all up with some corn, and you are ready for some messy good eating! 36

Boiling Crab

the food nomad

SPAGO 176 North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, +1 310 385 0880 Wolfgang Puck has been a household name on the glitzy Los Angeles’ dining scene for decades, captivating the palates of Hollywood’s elites with his signature blend of French fine dining and farmto-table Californian cuisine. Spago, Wolfgang’s flagship restaurant, opened its doors in 1982, and have been welcoming the glitterati ever since. It’s also one of the only three restaurants in Los Angeles to win two coveted Michelin stars. The stunning venue is the perfect place for celebrity spotting, but is also intimate enough for a tete-a-tete romantic evening. The cocktails are exceptional, with the curiously named “Help! Save the bees” blend of vodka, limoncello, thyme and lavender honey being one of our favourites. We also loved sipping the Duke of Earl cocktail, a mix of Earl Grey tea infused gin and lemon juice. The menu, a collaboration between Wolfgang and executive chef Lee Hefter, is composed of dishes built on the bones of classic French cuisine but with plenty of exotic Asian influences. The lobster bisque was phenomenal, along with the jet-fresh chirashi sushi box, and we loved the French black truffles pizza.

CITY TAVERN 9739 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232, +1 310 838 9739 City Tavern wins our top pick for best brunch cafe. The environment is a relaxing blend of laid back communal seating, distressed brick walls, and reclaimed wood. There’s a greenhouse with plenty of natural lighting and cozy leather chairs to unwind in. The menu is packed with refined comfort foods, and there’s even three booths that have computerized draft beer systems so customers can pour their own Californian boutique craft beers at the table. We wanted to give a standing ovation to the grilled cheese for its crispy and gooey deliciousness, and the breakfast options are mindboggling droolworthy. The breakfast poutine, a load of crispy garlic fries smothered in slowbraised short rib, pimento cheese, gravy, and topped with a runny baked egg, will make any Canadian proud. And for a sweet finish, you won’t regret the bourbon bread pudding, topped with candied pecans, butterscotch and crème anglaise. Well...perhaps your waistline might disagree, but it’ll be well worth it!

facebook.com/foodiehk // july 2015

City Tavern

“Help! Save the bees” Cocktail at Spago

the food nomad

SUGARFISH BY SUSHI NOZAWA Multiple locations: www.sugarfishsushi.com It’s a refreshing sight not to see sushi rolls on the menu of a US-based Japanese restaurant, as the elaborate, often garishly overpacked rolls that Americans seem to adore are as authentic to Japanese traditional cuisine as the fortune cookie is to Chinese food. After 25 years of serving simple, purest sushi at Sushi Nozawa, celebrated sushi chef Kazunori Nozawa broke sushi lovers’ hearts by closing the doors in 2012. The phoenix that emerged from the ashes of Sushi Nozawa was the Sugarfish concept. With various locations around LA, Sugarfish is an extension of Chef Nozawa’s original concept, and focuses on authentic sushi using basic ingredients. They even make their own fresh soy and ponzu sauce! The menu is either a la carte and packed full of the kind of sushi you’d find in Tokyo’s Ginza, or divided into three “Trust Me” sections, similar to an omakase experience. Each slice of delicate, fresh fish is pressed onto warm loose rice, a signature of Sugarfish and a key component to authentic, great tasting sushi. This allows the sushi to literally “melt in your mouth”. Mac N Cheese at Huckleberry

HUCKLEBERRY 1014 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401, +1 310 451 2311 Huckleberry started as a seedling in 2009 and grew from a love story between two passionate chefs, Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan, who fell in love while working at a nearby restaurant together. They decided to open an artisanal bakery and cafe, using only the finest locally sourced ingredients, in an environment that their friends and family can visit and enjoy sharing meals together on a daily basis. Every item on the menu is made on-site, guaranteed organic and GMO-free, with ingredients sourced from trusted purveyors from the local farmers’ market. The grilled cheese with Tipperary Irish cheddar, served with crispy bacon from nearby Niman Ranch, is the best in town. Mop up the fig dressing from the stone fruit burrata salad with a piece of fluffy maple bacon biscuit, and you’re in heaven. The cinnamon sugar brioche is also not to be missed. 38

Huckleberry

the food nomad

FOODIE PICKS: No Vacancy – “Secret” bars are all the rage, and No Vacancy transform guests into the mystic world of the 1900s. Located in a fully restored Victorian house, patrons must bypass the seduction of a burlesque matron before picking the right door to descend into the eccentric bar packed with innovative cocktails and live performances. 1727 N. Hudson Ave, www.novacancyla.com Good Times at Davey Wayne’s Another venture by No Vacancy owners Jonnie and Mark Houston, this one is all about the Seventies, and fondly named after their father. The door to the retro venue is set in a fully operational Seventies garage sale, behind an old refrigerator. Pry your way through, and you’re transported back to an era of sideburns, bellbottoms and shag carpets. There’s even snow c ones and tiki drinks on offer – ahh, the Seventies! 1611 N. El Centro Ave, www.goodtimesatdaveywaynes.com Alley – Yet another secret bar, this one is hidden in a dark alley in Culver City. Pass the imposing doorman and you’ll find yourself in a little bluewalled speakeasy, resonating with blues, soul and Seventies rock. Be sure to order the Cagneys, a rye cocktail over brandied cherries and cabernet. 12223 W. Washington Blvd

BACO MERCAT 408 S. Main St., LA, CA 90013, +1 213 687 8808 What started off as a late-night, off-the-menu

facebook.com/foodiehk // july 2015

snack for staff and friends has become the star at Baco Mercat. The “baco”, created by chef and owner Josef Centeno, is a flatbread sandwich stuffed with crispy pork belly, and beef carnitas with caraway pepper. Located in the historic Old Bank district of downtown LA, Baco Mercat today does a roaring trade not only selling the original baco, but also diversifying its menu to include variations of the classic sandwich such as beef tongue schnitzel baco with harissa, smoked aioli and pickles, or pork meatball baco dressed with raisins, pine nuts and tomatoes. There’s also the “coca”, a Spanish version of the pizza, where the famous baco bread dough is rolled out to form a thin crust and baked crispy with toppings. The carne picada coca with spiced beef, yam, pine nuts, and pomegranate is especially droolworthy! There’s also the buttermilk fried quail with pear, tarragon and fresh herbs which will keep guests coming back for more.

recipes

MoreThan Kimchi Lawyer by day, chef by night, Mina shares with us her favourite Korean flavours from Sook styling by Jo Lorenz of lamaisondelorenz.com, photography by Sophie Jin of www.todaytomorrowphotography.com

Pickled Daikon (front) & Soy Glazed Lotus Roots (back)

SOY-GLAZED LOTUS ROOTS Yield: 1 large jar Prep time: 8 mins Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients: • 300g fresh lotus root (peeled and sliced in thin slices) • 1 tbsp cider vinegar • 2 cups water • 2 tbsp sesame oil • 1/4 cup soy sauce • ¼ cup brown sugar • ¼ cup malt syrup • 1 tsp sesame seeds

PICKLED DAIKON Yield: 1 large jar Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: 8 mins

Ingredients: • 500g daikon • 1 cup white vinegar • ½ cup sugar • 1 cup water • pinch of sea salt Method: 1. Peel and cube the daikon into 3-4cm cubes and place in steel or glass bowl. 2. Boil the vinegar, sugar and water together until sugar is dissolved. 3. Pour hot vinegar mixture over cubed daikon. Let cool and pour into airtight jar or container. Refrigerate for 2 days and drain before serving.

facebook.com/foodiehk // july 2015

Method: 1. Combine the lotus roots, vinegar and water in a saucepan. Make sure the lotus roots are fully submerged in the water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the lotus roots in ice-cold water. 2. In the saucepan, heat the sesame oil on high heat and fry the lotus roots very quickly, approximately 30 seconds. 3. Add in the 2 cups of water, soy sauce, and syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil, then

reduce the heat to a very low simmer. Simmer, stirring frequently, for 25 minutes until the liquid has reduced and the lotus roots are somewhat crunchy yet soft inside and covered in a thick glaze. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

recipes

Spicy Rice Cakes with Chorizo, Greens and Pepitas

Sook summer soju

SPICY RICE CAKES WITH CHORIZO, GREENS AND PEPITAS

2. 3.

Serves: 6 Prep time: 30 mins Cooking time: 20 mins 4.

Method: 1. Soak the rice cakes in water to soften them for at least 30 minutes.

SOOK SUMMER SOJU Serves: 1 Prep time: 2 mins

Ingredients: • 2 oz distilled soju (hwayo) • 1½ oz ginger liqueur such as Domaine de Canton • 1 oz lime juice • splash of soda water • 5 mint leaves Method: 1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker and pour in a tumbler over ice.

twitter.com/foodiehk // july 2015

Ingredients: • 500g rice cakes (ddukbokki, shaped like cylinders) • 150g cooking chorizo • ½ cup preserved mustard greens, chopped • 1 onion, sliced • 2 cups water • 1/4 cup Korean hot pepper paste (gochujang) • 3 cloves garlic, grated • 2 tbsp soy sauce • 1 tsp sugar • 4 scallions, cut into 5 cm pieces • 1 cup pea shoot greens (or other greens) • 1/8 cup toasted pepitas • fresh coriander to garnish, chopped

In a wok, sauté the chorizo with the onions and preserved mustard greens until browned. Add water, hot pepper paste, garlic, soy sauce, sugar and rice cakes and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce has reduced and the rice cakes are soft. Add more water if the rice cakes begin to stick to the pan. Mix in scallions and greens. Garnish with coriander and pepitas. Serve immediately.

recipes

Kimchi mung bean pancakes

KIMCHI MUNG BEAN PANCAKES Yield: 30 pancakes Prep time: 6 hours Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients: Korean Dipping Sauce • ¼ cup soy sauce • ¼ cup rice wine vinegar • 2 tsp sesame oil • 1 tbsp scallions, thinly sliced • 1 tsp garlic, grated • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds • optional: 1 tsp Korean chili pepper flakes (also known as gochugaru) Bean Pancakes • 400g carrots • 2 large onions • 3 celery sticks • 2 whole jalapeños (deseeded) • 4 cloves garlic • 250ml red wine

• • • • • •

150ml soy sauce 150g tinned crushed tomatoes 1 litre milk 30g of basil cut into strips ricotta cheese, to garnish green pesto, to garnish

Method: For Korean Dipping Sauce 1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. 2. Serve with mung bean pancakes. For Kimchi Mung Bean Pancakes 1. Soak the mung beans overnight in cold water (or at least for 6 hours). Drain and set aside. 2. In a blender or food processor, process the beans with the ½ cup cold water and ½ cup kimchi liquid. Mix the batter with the kimchi and pork or shrimp (if being used). Mix in the garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil. 3. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. 4. Heat a generous amount of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Spread 2 tbsp of batter in rounds in the pan. Cook for approximately 4 minutes on each side until crispy and browned. 5. Serve immediately with Korean dipping sauce

Yellowtail Crudo

YELLOWTAIL CRUDO Serves: 3-4 Prep time: 15 mins

• • • • •

2 tbsp lime juice 2 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 1 tsp sugar ½ tsp salt

Method:

Dressing • 4 tbsp Korean red pepper paste • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar • 1 tbsp lime juice • 1 tsp garlic, grated • 2 tbsp sesame oil • 2 pinches toasted sesame seeds

For Dressing 1. Combine the ingredients for the dressing

Yellowtail • 350g sashimi grade yellowtail, (sliced to 25g pieces) • 1 medium carrot, julienned • ½ nashi pear, julienned • ½ cup coriander leaves • toasted sesame seeds, to garnish

For Yellowtail: 1. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt. 2. Combine the carrot, Asian pear and coriander and dress with enough fish sauce to lightly coat the vegetables. 3. Place yellowtail on a serving platter. Brush with the dressing so that each piece of fish has a light coating of sauce. 4. Place the salad on top of the fish. Garnish with additional sesame seeds if desired.

facebook.com/foodiehk // july 2015

Ingredients:

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CAUSA MORADA This classic Peruvian layered potato-and-chicken salad adds plenty of color and creativity to your salad menu. It’s hearty enough to serve as a lunch entree and also ideal as a bar snack or shared appetizer.

2. Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients: • 2lbs purple potatoes • fine sea salt • ½ canola or olive oil • ¼ freshly squeezed key lime juice • 2 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts • 1 yellow onion • 1 carrot • 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves • ¼ cup aji amarillo puree • 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper • ¾ mayonnaise • ½ minced celery • ½ cup minced red onion • 1 or ½ cup semi-ripe avocados, thinly sliced for garnish spicy sprouts (radish or clover) Method: 1.

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until very tender (about 20 minutes). Let cool.

5. 6.

Peel the potatoes and pass through a food mill or ricer. Knead lightly and slowly drizzle in oil until the potatoes reach a dough-like consistency. Add in lime juice and season to taste with salt. Refrigerate until cold and firm (about 2 hours). Put the chicken, onion, carrot and mint into a large saucepan, adding just enough water to cover, and bring to a slow boil. Cook until the chicken is fork tender and can be pulled apart (about 20 minutes). Once cooled, shred the chicken and mix with mayonnaise, aji amarillo, celery and red onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until cold (about 1 hour). Oil a 2-quart casserole. Spoon half of the potato mixture into the casserole, followed by the chicken and then the remaining potato mixture. Refrigerate until firm. Slice and serve garnished with avocado and sprouts.

(Recipe courtesy of Andina Restaurant in Portland, Oregon)

this month

on afoodieworld.com

Web News & Online Features If you’re in Causeway Bay and your stomach is growling, check out our web feature this month on the best places to eat for under $100. And if you’re looking for a healthy weeknight meal at home, our resident nutritionists have created healthful recipes to the tantalizing tune of tri-colour quinoa, chicken curry, and cauliflower sticks with tomato salsa. There’s also plenty of top deals listed on our website, from 50% off wine at Chom Chom when it’s raining, to free beers at Cali-Mex when you buy anything between 2-6pm. Our bloggers sample Double D burgers and comfort Chinese food at Sohofama, and we found an amazing new organic milk, arriving in Hong Kong this month from Wales. It’s all happening at Foodie, so stay tuned to our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!

Next Month in Foodie

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We will be ringing in the month of August with plenty of wedding bells. Our August issue will be filled with delicious tips on how to pick the ideal wedding cake based on venue, key suggestions on how to plan for a wedding banquet, and a handy guide to the ultimate countdown diet to keep brides healthy yet svelte for the Big Day.

chineasy food

Foodie’s kitchen scientist Kelly Yau experiments with recipes in her tiny Hong Kong kitchen

TAIWANESE BRAISED PORK (LU ROU FAN) Serves: 4 Prep time: 1 hour 20 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

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1lb pork mince

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2 tsp brown sugar

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10 shallots, sliced

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¼ tsp five-spice powder

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1 large handful of dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water and sliced (keep the soaking liquid)

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¼ tsp pepper

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1½ tsp Sichuan peppercorn, crushed

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2 garlic cloves, sliced

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1 star anise

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3-4 tbsp dark soy

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2 tbsp oil

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2 tbsp light soy

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2 tbsp oyster sauce

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¼ cup Shaoxing rice wine

Method: 1. Soak the dried shitake mushrooms in warm water for at least one hour until it is fully hydrated. Squeeze the water out of the mushrooms, remove the stem and slice. Reserve the soaking liquid. 2. Heat oil in a large wok and fry the shallots on medium heat until golden (about 3-5 minutes). Add the garlic and pork and turn heat up to high. Stir fry the pork with the brown sugar, star anise, five-spice and two types of pepper until the pork begins to colour. Add the sliced mushrooms, rice wine, dark and light soy and the reserved liquid from the mushrooms. Top with water, if needed, to cover the pork. 3. Cover and cook on medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pork is tender and the sauce is slightly thickened. 4. Serve immediately with a soft boiled egg and a big bowl of rice!

KELLY’S TIP: •

This dish can be refrigerated for at least 3 days. I usually make a big batch if I know I will have a busy week.

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This dish can be served with rice, noodles, pasta or even quinoa!

To see more of Kelly’s fun food experiments, check out bit.ly/KellyYau

6 COURSE

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