Foodie Issue 88: January/February 2017

ISSUE 88 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 | WWW.AFOODIEWORLD.COM

a new year of food

Food festivals, travels, tales, and recipes

join foodie club today Invitations to one-of-a-kind events Monthly deals & Foodie giveaways The hottest F&B news and updates

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INTRO DU CTIO N

NEW YEAR, NEW FOODS CEO Lily Ng CTO Derek Kean Editor-in-Chief Alicia Walker Editor-at-Large Celia Hu Digital Editor Stephanie Pliakas Junior Digital Editor Cheuk Fung Ng Art Director Jen Paolini Events & Sales Coordinator Yanhan Tan Director of Commerce Joseph Kwok Director of Sales Le Roux Louw Sales Coordinator Cecilia Gui

There are many ways you can enter a new year: with resolutions coming out your ears; with December's excesses weighing down your bones; with tales of sugar plums still dancing in your head; however you feel, we always have the pleasure of eating to keep January from feeling too glum. That might be with a new healthy ethos, or it may be with indulgent comfort foods, but who says that the two can't be one. We have a couple handy recipes that will do the trick with just the right balance of hearty gratification and vegetable goodness to keep things on an even keel. We have a new section on food tech to keep you abreast of the latest tools to make life easy, as well as a new column following Hannah Chung as she battles her way through to a waste-free existence. We talk a lot about the upcoming Taste festival Cover image courtesy of PRU at Trisara that we are already salivating in anticipation of, and we go to war to discover which poke hits all the right buttons.

Have a look, and get ready to get hungry.

Intern Gordon Yip

Alicia Walker, Editor-in-Chief alicia@afoodieworld.com Published by Foodie Group Ltd., 1401 Wah Hing Commercial Building, 283 Lockhart Road, Wanchai, HK www.afoodieworld.com Printed by Teams Printing Co., Ltd.

If you’d like us to help you to promote your brand, please contact Joseph Kwok at sales@afoodieworld.com, 3791 2565

"The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison."

- Ann Wigmore

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.

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CON T ENT S

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Contents 04 FO R START E RS 10 FOOD WARS What’s happening around town this month

Poke! We take on as much of this Hawaiian raw fish salad as we can handle to find our fave

05 FOOD T EC H We take a peek at the latest technology in the food world

06 FO O DIE C LU B Check out the fancy schmansy images from our Secret Supper

2 0 E AT W E LL W IT H E ATO LO GY ( P RO MOT I O N )

Discover this healthy and ecofriendly meal delivery service

12 A TASTE OF TASTE (P ROM OTI ON)

2 1 STAR C RUIS E S

All the details on Hong Kong’s favourite food festival

Take your taste buds for a cruise on the open seas

08 CHE WIN' THE FAT WIT H V I NC E NT MUI

16 THE CHEF S OF TASTE

The man behind Test Kitchen is giving restaurant pop-ups a permanent place

We chat with the tastemakers creating the dishes at this year’s Taste Festival

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( P RO MOT I O N )

2 2 T H E FO O D N O M AD : PH UKE T Celia Hu goes off on her foodie adventures again, this time to check out PRU, a farm-to-table restaurant in Phuket

CO NTENTS

26 GOOD WHOLESOME RECIPES Laura Williams shares her dishes for filling up with tasty, nutritious flavours

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26

22

32

30 MEATLESS MON THLY

3 2 T H E ZE RO WA S T E DIARIE S

Cindy Lam prepares a paella to coat the insides

Hannah Chung details her journey to cutting out waste and helping the planet

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Onion is Latin for ‘large pearl’.

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FOR STA RT E RS

THIS MONTH'S HOTTEST NEWS BITES

RETAIL ECOLOGY An interesting new concept was launched this month at the inventive K11 Mall, known for their Art, People and Nature theme. K11 Natural aims to showcase wellness, nature and craftsmanship with its 9,000 square foot space filled out with small local and international artisanal brands providing speciality goods. 11 of the stores featured are making their Hong Kong debut in K11 Natural, including a Swedish organic store with goods that have all been produced using only solar energy and following the strict KRAV standards, a local health-infused fast cocktail bar, a French boutique grocery that advocates zero-waste, and a local coffee roaster whose familyrun business has spanned three generations.

ONE CHURRO SHORT OF A PICNIC

K11 Natural, 3/F, K11, 18 Hanoi Road, TST

Shop L408, 4/F, The ONE, 100 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 3755 4848

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Think outside the box is the ethos of TST’s newest eatery Joo de Rolls, and think outside the box they do. This Japanese joint serves up Spanish churros freshly made every morning. The classic option for these sugary sticks of delight are available along with a whole host of flavours including matcha, tiramisu and lemon curd as well as an all day breakfast churros plate. Now, we love churros, and we love hot dogs, but the churros dog sounds like something that might have been cooked up after a heavy night on the tiles. The popcorn cheese yoghurt does not sound like music to our ears, plus they’re selling a jar of water with cucumber in it for $68, which feels wrong. It would seem to be an entirely confused concept, but we’re intrigued by the sheer madness of it all to venture over and be proved wrong; or right, we’ll see...

FO O D TECH

Photo Credit: Amazon

TECH

The latest and greatest ideas being cooked up in the tech kitchens.

What we're geeking over this month:

Photo Credit: Amazon

FOOD

IS AMAZON GO THE SUPERMARKET OF THE FUTURE? Opening their first Amazon grocery store in Seattle early 2017, the premise is that you walk in, activate their free app on your phone to enter the store, then take what you like and walk out again. Amazon Go will track what you’ve selected with their high tech system and charge your account through the app and send you a receipt. You’ll have no queues to deal with and no check out. It’s like online shopping in person. The video released to announce the new service used terms like deep-learning algorithms, which don’t add much insight into how the store will actually work, but it does seem like the logical next step after self-service kiosks. It also highlights a further step down the rabbit hole of isolation with less and less everyday interaction with humans. They call it Just Walk Out technology and it’s a fascinating idea, full of all kinds of scary promise.

Photo Credit: Marks and Spencer

MARKS AND SPENCER COOKING APP This free app is one of our favourite new discoveries. With a vast collection of recipes, carefully catalogued with beautiful photography, simple, easy to use methods, inapp timer, and even includes the calorie count and effort involved to make each dish. We also love the seasonality and intuitive design of the categories, and how they make figuring out what to do with Christmas leftovers or healthy meal planning a breeze. www.cookwithmands.com

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FOODI E C LU B

Secret Supper: Double Secret Our sold-out sixth edition of Secret Supper took place on a Saturday before Christmas in full festive mood and anticipation. For those who haven’t heard, Secret Supper is a signature Foodie event that is always packed with surprises and really good food. Guests who participate do not know where they are going or what they will be eating, so it's always an adventure!

This time, we harboured an extra secret of using commonly found ingredients from our partner for the evening, NESTLÉ®, and asked the wonderful folks at Culinart to incorporate them into some mouth-watering fine dining dishes. And they did not disappoint.

The evening started with us whisking a lively bunch of guests onto a shuttle bus from Admiralty station.

The enthusiastic crowd participated in a spitfire pop quiz on the bus to start the evening. We arrived at an unsuspecting industrial building, marking the beginning of this mysterious dinner. Nervous smiles and tension were soon eased once the lift doors opened and guests were greeted with glasses of bubbly and warm hospitality from the staff. The bare bones entrance led into the romantically lit and beautifully decorated dining area of private kitchen Culinart, and in that instant we knew we were all in for a real treat in this hidden gem.

To spice up the already suspense-filled evening, participants had to guess the secret hero ingredients of each dish. Competition instantly stiffened up a notch when we announced there was a prize on the cards. That’s when people started covering up their answer sheets to prevent sneaky neighbours from taking a peek.

"I know what this is!" exclaimed a guest when she worked out that the crunchy croutons in her mixed winter greens salad were made of bean curd.

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FO O DIE CLUB

Yoghurt was an easy guess in some of the starters as its sour tanginess gave it away in a delicious dill dressing and refreshing sorbet.

The main for the night was a juicy coffee-rubbed prime beef hanger steak accompanied by chips and grilled potatoes. The secret ingredient in the chips, however, was a debatable one that stumped many guests. The chips had a creamy and salty hint that could easily be passed off as cheese, but much to everyone's surprise, the secret ingredient was actually Greek yoghurt.

Just when we thought dinner was over, the patissier brought out a massive dessert art display to the bar counter – an art piece so spectacular that phones were whipped out in fast fashion to capture the moment. While we watched the pastry chef torch the surrounding crème brûlée and add on finishing touches to the dessert piece, more ice cream was served. Our over-stuffed bellies were saying no, but our hearts were screaming yes as our teeth sunk into the chocolatey goodness of Dreyer's D-Collection® Belgian Triple Chocolate Mini Sticks.

As impeccable as the dessert art looked, no one had any qualms in destroying it and shovelling white chocolate Christmas trees, brownie chunks and meticulously piped macarons onto their plates.

Perhaps drunk with happiness, some guests might have missed out that the crème brûlée from the dessert art was made from two secret ingredients, bean curd and coffee.

Goodies never seemed to stop – not that we were complaining. Not only did the winner of the Secret Supper menu quiz walk away with a huge hamper, everyone received a goodie bag filled with products, all courtesy of NESTLÉ®. We dare say this double-secret sixth edition of Secret Supper was the perfect end to 2016. With a sporting bunch of up-for-anything foodies, coupled with a beautiful ambience and great food, we couldn’t ask for more.

As we end yet another successful Secret Supper series and start afresh in 2017, we will be working even harder to churn out more exciting concepts to keep you foodies guessing. afoodieworld.com 07

CHEW I N' T H E FAT

CHEWIN' THE FAT WITH...

Vincent Mui

We picked Vincent's brain to find out about this new and unique form of permanent pop-up that's enveloped the taste buds of this city:

Vincent began Test Kitchen by abducting restaurants for one night for international chef kitchen takeovers.

He found the idea such an exciting and successful one that he tried out a popup in a warehouse space with a makeshift kitchen.

And again, he experienced another successful run of guest chef evenings. So with the dining scene calling out for more, Vincent decided to lease the space, install a proper kitchen and continue to bring in the chefs to show off their skills, with professional cooks flying in from everywhere from New York and the Philippines to Germany and Spain. He tells us about the journey so far:

What made you decide to permanently take the space? We've spent a year doing pop-up dinners in various locations, as you've seen. They've 08 afoodieworld.com

been well received and our dinners are growing, and so have our numbers. Having our own place allows us to focus all our energy on making great food, not worrying about where we are going to do our pop-up, but simply refining our service and dining experience for our chefs and guests.

And after a year of exploring and testing out the concept, its time to put our foot down on the pedal and just go for it.

What kind of transformation was needed to convert the space? We made it work for Test Kitchen by keeping the space minimal and focusing on the details. For example, on our back door we have a small piece of brass plate that has our name punched in from a blacksmith in Sweden – great craftsmanship, just big enough to read on the back door wall. We want to become part of this community in Sai Ying Pun, and it's honestly very exciting for us, our first shop, like a newborn kid.

CHEWIN' THE FAT

You seem to have an eye for emerging culinary talent. How do you choose your featured chefs? Most of it is by luck! An ex-guest chef of Test Kitchen referred the next chef. Carlos Garcia, who did our modern Spanish pop-up, used to work with Filip from Dóttir, and he reached out to him.

Or when I'm travelling to different countries, I explore and by chance I come across great chefs with a love and passion for what they do, and in that case, usually I give them everything we've got to make sure we make each pop-up dinner as good as it can be. We are also just trying to make the next dinner better than the one we just did, so we learn from our past pop-ups and make each one better.

Can you talk a bit about the ongoing successes of the past chefs you’ve worked with at Test Kitchen? One thing I feel very fortunate about is that I am able to keep in touch with all the chefs I worked with. The relationship goes way beyond the week of pop-up in Test Kitchen. I'm pleased to say everyone is doing very well. After the Test Kitchen pop-up, Kwame Onwuachi broke to me the news that he was going to Top Chef, and eventually he finished in the top six! And now Kwame's opening a new restaurant in DC called The Shaw Bijou, named after his mother (who, by the way, makes the most amazing gumbo and cornbread in New Orleans I've ever had in my life). Sarawut, from Thailand, is now opening his own restaurant right by his home. His Thai dinner with us in Test Kitchen focused on ancient recipes, and I still remember the flavours. Chris has gone on to run one of Hong Kong's most talked-about restaurants in the industry for his innovative use of local ingredients. Jordy and his dream team are definitely living the dream! They opened Toyo Eatery shortly after our pop-up, and it was an instant hit in the country. Carlos is just an amazing fellow; he and the team at The Black Pig continue to do amazing food, and they are opening a new restaurant soon in the city centre. Eric and Toni have a genuine passion and talent for cooking and I love working with them. And to be able to bring two great friends together in Hong Kong and share a wonderful week is very gratifying. I first

met Eric at Dóttir's pop-up dinner last July. He was one of our guests and he expressed interest in doing a pop up-dinner together.

What response did you have from diners after the last Sandlådan pop-up with Eric and Toni? People are mostly impressed with the chefs' personalities and their food. It's something they haven't had before. It's driven by passion, and their style really shines through on the plate. My favourite comment is from a great chef in town, and he said there was not a false note on the menu, which shows all the thoughts and details we considered with the menu and execution really paid off. And other times when we just hear the guests really enjoyed their night. That is really all it takes to put a smile on our faces because, ultimately, that's what matters. afoodieworld.com 09

poke war THE POKE CO

ALOHA

Rialto Building, 2 Landale St, Wanchai, 3705 1782

20 Hoi Kwong St, Quarry Bay, 9386 8984 Price per poke: $80

Price per poke: $98 Looks: We loved the big meaty chunks of tuna, and the scattering of sesame made for an attractive topping with it all looking very fresh and appetising.

Taste: The marinated sauce left quite a sweet lingering on the fish with a tiny hint of spice underneath, but also a bit of a fishy aftertaste. Perhaps a bit on the sugary side for our particular taste buds and lacking that clean fish flavour that we crave.

Verdict: The saucy option, with plenty of fancy dressings to suit any and all like citrus miso, korean fire sauce and XO sauce. A few unique offerings give The Poke Co a boost like zoodles, buckwheat noodles or quinoa and kale to beef up the nutritional value. This was already the priciest poke player, and any of those extras will also tag another extra bit on your bill.

Foodie rating:

Looks: Initially, this looked great with mounds of nori, cucumber and avocado, but they were shielding a small bundle of quite brownish tuna with a red centre that wasn’t as appealing (and is probably the reason most tuna in Asia is coloured to stay pink). We worried that perhaps the fish had cooked slightly in transit atop the rice as we transported it back to the office, so we didn’t feel we got the best example of what Aloha had to offer.

Taste: We liked the mixture of textures with the tuna, cucumber and seaweed combining to make a nice complete dish. The thinlychopped tuna pieces also meant the fish was saturated with sauce to a deeper level than with the bigger chunked contenders.

Verdict: Not our favourite this time round.

But we liked the different options available on their carefully-crafted menu. They've done a lot of the guess work for you with their cool Japanese-inspired flavour combinations that we’d like to return to give another try.

Foodie rating:

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FO O D WAR

This raw fish salad has hit Hong Kong like a big fat tuna to the face, with shops opening all over town serving up their slice of Hawaiian heaven. We poked holes in four of the big contenders to see which one made us want to say aloha again and again

POKEWORLD

POLOLI

8 Hillier St, Sheung Wan, 2811 2115

4 Swatow Street, Wanchai, 2755 8099

Price per poke: $78

Price per poke: $90

Looks: This made for a beautiful bowl with its bountiful small cuts of tuna topped with ginger and spring onion.

Looks: Not the most glamourous of the bunch, this one was more substance than style. A good-looking red hue to the tuna and a paper takeaway bowl were subtle winners on appearance.

Taste: The biggest thing to note about PokeWorld is that they don’t marinate the fish. Instead, they drizzle the sauce on afterwards. This had the benefit of the shoyu dripping down and being absorbed into the rice, which we liked, but the fish on its own didn’t have that pizazz that we have come to associate with poke. The no-charge additions of spring onion and ginger on top made for a nice texture balance with the firm tuna, soft rice and crunchy vegetables.

Verdict: Spoiled for choice with prolific protein options of salmon, salmon belly, tuna, marlin, octopus, cooked prawn and tofu, this was by far the best value and it tasted good and fresh, but wasn’t quite our favourite for the all-important fish element.

Taste: Big cuts of fresh, silky tuna. The traditional spicy comes with a kick of chili that’s nothing major, along with a good hit of shoyu and a crunch of onion that adds a much needed texture to each bite so its not too one-dimensional.

Verdict: A traditional version that’s all about the fresh fish. Daily changing flavours, as well as fish choices, with a furikake edamame option for a veggie spike and a choice of a creamy sesame or a sesame vinaigrette to dose up your salad. If you’re after a proper poke, this one tops the chart.

Foodie rating:

Foodie rating:

BEST

CHOICE

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P ROMOT I ON

a taste of taste The famed restaurant festival returns for a second year in HK Last year, Taste of Hong Kong presented by Standard Chartered, was a feast for the eyes, brain and taste buds as some of Hong Kong's premium restaurants lined the picturesque setting of Central Harbourfront to dish up a bite from their menus. There were also stalls offering up local artisanal products, a range of wines to discover, sake to sample and a champagne bar to tickle the tongue. Live demonstrations revealed the secrets of top chefs to the hungry-eyed guests and a seat at the Chef's Table provided an interactive Q&A with several of this city's favourite professional cooks.

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Simon Wilson, Head of IMG Culinary Asia, organiser of the festival, says,

“

It was no question for

us that Hong Kong should be the home of Taste Festival’s first Asian location - the city’s exceptional food culture and wealth of culinary talent is internationally recognised as some of the world’s best. The success of the inaugural event, which attracted around 15,000 visitors, solidified Hong Kong’s position and status as one of the world’s top food capitals, proving the city’s impressive appetite and knowledge for top tables and world class cuisine.

Seeing Hong Kongers embrace the festival with such a high level of excitement, we decided to make the second edition 25% bigger.

Taste of Hong Kong 2017 will be raising the bar once again, bringing popular favourites and introducing the latest and greatest local and international culinary talent and trends with more premium dishes, exclusive offerings and culinary experiences for taste buds to discover.

Mercato

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P ROMOT I ON

The 2017 event, which will take place again at Central Harbourfront from 16 to 19 March, has secured a host of some of HK's best restaurants participating this year and providing a choice of over 50 amazing dishes to try your taste buds on.

Discerning Hong Kongers will enjoy access to world class cuisine across the festival as well as the opportunity to shop at The Gourmet Market and the chance to learn a couple of tricks at the Taste Theatre from the region’s finest chefs over the weekend. Festivalgoers can take a break and mingle with like-minded foodies while listening to a line-up of live entertainment in one of the many lounge areas at the festival.

Laurent-Perrier will unveil, for the first time in Asia, the labours of the past 15 years, its La Cuvée Champagne, ready for oenophiles to enjoy with the finest of Hong Kong cuisine.

Etihad Airways, the official Airline partner of Taste Festivals, will be running their ‘Taste the World’ competition between restaurants at the event. They will send one Hong

13 of the special 16 restaurants for 2017 have been revealed so far:

Amber (TWO MICHELIN STARS)

Arcane Café Gray Deluxe Chino Duddell's (TWO MICHELIN STARS)

Kaum at Potato Head * Mercato * Okra * Rhoda * Tin Lung Heen (TWO MICHELIN STARS)

Tosca (ONE MICHELIN STAR)

Yardbird Zuma * * New additions to Taste of Hong Kong 2017

Kong chef to compete alongside 12 other world-class chef’s in the final of

Taste Festivals are celebrated in 22

the ‘Taste the World’ competition at

destinations including Paris, London,

Taste of Abu Dhabi in 2017.

Rome, Dubai, Sydney and Sao Paulo.

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Samir Subberwal, Managing Director & Head, Retail Banking, Hong Kong, says,

“

Many of our Standard

Chartered clients enjoyed the 2016 gastronomic festival and we recognise that gourmet food is the way to the hearts of our clients.

This is why we want to continue to bring this experience to them and are proud to celebrate our 2nd year of collaboration with IMG.

�

Tickets range from $108 on weekdays to $678 for VIP passes, including limitededition offers. VIP pass holders can enjoy fast-track festival entry, exclusive access to the VIP enclosure, $300 worth of the official festival currency and three complimentary premium beverages.

Tickets available at: ticketflap.com/tastehongkong2017 hongkong.tastefestivals.com @tastehongkong

@tasteofhongkong

Prices exclude booking and transaction fees.

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the Chefs of Taste We spoke to some of the chefs dishing up at this year’s hotly anticipated culinary showcase

Shane Osborn of famed fine dining restaurant Arcane is returning to the festival for another run: “I'm a big fan of the Taste festivals. I've been to many in London UK and Perth, Australia.

The inaugural Taste Festival presented

Last year’s HK event was challenging due to the

by Standard Chartered was an instant

appalling weather, but the atmosphere and turnout

success that was no surprise given the

still exceeded my expectations. I feel with even

huge number of passionate foodies

a small improvement in the weather, this year’s

in this city. Those who dream of the

festival could be a cracker. From a chef's point of

decadent dishes in Hong Kong's fine

view, it gives us a great opportunity to meet and

dining restaurants gathered to sample

hang out with like-minded people from HK's best

some of the finest flavours by some of

restaurants. HK Taste is so unique due to its location

the top chefs in town. We spoke to a

and backdrop. One thing that truly surprised me

handful of them, some returning for a

last year was the appetite of visitors; the sheer

second year and some brand new to the

volume of food consumed was very impressive.”

festival, about the flavours to come: 16 afoodieworld.com

THE CHEFS O F TASTE

Back for another year, Chef Pino Lavarra of Tosca is known for his technically challenging and scintillating Italian cuisine. His dish last year of Green Spaghetti wrapped in a swordfish carpaccio won taste buds over from the first bite. Chef Pino says:

A stalwart of the festival, Chef Eric Räty of Café Grey Deluxe won the unseasonably cool weather with

“It was fun last year. You have to take this one

their hearty Marsala Glazed Veal

as something fun. They asked me to do it again

Cheek dish. Chef Eric says of their

and I accepted immediately. The best part was

plans for this year,

when we closed down and all the chefs came to my stall to drink espresso. And then also the people that really enjoyed themselves.”

“This year, we know more about it all and we are happy with the booth design. But with the

When asked if it was the interaction with the

signature dish, we might do

chefs that enhanced the experience, he says,

something more difficult for us.

“Yes, but even more with the guests, getting

Maybe this year will be warm

closer to them, so we can explain it to them.

weather, or maybe not, so we need

They can see it all, because we go down to

to do something similar to suit

earth. We are usually 102 floors up and now

because you never know. You have

we actually go down to the ground.”

all the best chefs from Hong Kong; you meet up with them again, and you have lots of the new chefs coming up, and new restaurants showing the best products that they normally serve in their restaurants, that’s the main thing.

The Taste events welcome so many people. Some have never heard of Café Grey, or maybe they’ve heard but haven’t had a chance to taste the food because of the price, and here it is a smaller price and hopefully they like it and then they come upstairs to the restaurant.”

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THE C HEFS O F TAS TE

Yardbird showcased their renowned Korean Fried Cauliflower and an array of junmai sakes that got the party atmosphere going and proved a popular spot. Chef Matt Abergel says it was an easy choice to participate in the festival again: “Yes, if it wasn’t a good experience I wouldn’t do it again. It was well organised and it was fun; the weather sucked but lots of people showed up, so it didn’t really matter at the end of the day. We were worried that people wouldn’t show up, but people came and it was great. Now we know what to expect and we’ll just try to be better.

We’re not changing the world, but we’re having fun.”

New to the scene this year is Chef Antoine Audran of Sai Ying Pun hotspot Kaum at Potato Head. We asked Antoine what we could expect from his team at Taste: “Some unique Indonesian food. We believe Indonesian food is so underrated in the world so we want to bring it a step further and a step higher. I’m very excited. I attended last year and I think it is a great event. The weather was too cold and the carpet was too wet, but we still managed to continue.”

Kaum at Potato Head

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THE CHEFS O F TASTE

Rhoda exploded to applause from Hong Kongers when it opened its doors last summer and Chef Nate Green of Rhoda, and previously 22 Ships, although new to Taste of Hong Kong this year, is very familiar with the international festival: “Last year I couldn’t do it because 22 Ships is just too small, but I did the first ever Taste of London and it’s a very different format to the way it is now. It’s interesting to see the progression of the festival, the style of the way it operates and how it is run. Before it was quite hard for the chefs to make it work, financially; you used to get penalised if you ran out of dishes, you had to pay a lot of money to rent the booth, and all this sort of thing; whereas now you don’t have to do any of that, you just come, do your thing, and that’s it, really. It makes life quite a lot easier. The London one was hard, hard work, for four days in Regent’s Park, whereas I like what they did last year here. It was small, wasn’t too big or crazy, interesting restaurants, and a good showcase for them as well. Taste of London was originally started to showcase fine dining restaurants for people that couldn’t necessarily afford to eat at fine dining restaurants. So for that idea, you could go down and have a plate from La Gavroche for six pounds, that was the whole point of it. And again, it's the same thing here, it helps to appeal to people who may not be able to get down to your restaurant or be able to come down and have a full meal, but it gives them an idea of what you’re doing and the experience of it, all in one setting. You want a bit of Amber, you want a bit of Yardbird, you go and it’s fun. It’s a great showcase for restaurants and it appeals more than to just the local market – you also get people coming in from places like Singapore visiting Hong Kong for it, so it’s not always just the Hong Kong market. And it’s just nice to be involved with the community of chefs getting together and doing stuff together.”

Rhoda

afoodieworld.com 19

P ROMOT I ON

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Delights plan coming in at about $1,500 for two

about the damage plastic pollution is doing to our

meals and two snacks delivered each weekday.

environment, especially to the marine life in our

You’ll never be bored with Eatology meal plans –

seas and oceans. Eatology have furthered their

more than 100 delicious and visually appealing

eco-conscious pledge by portioning all their meals in

recipes have been created to suit clients’ specific

neatly designed compostable packaging.

dietary requirements. For each meal dished up, the origin and intrinsic make-up of the ingredients 20 afoodieworld.com

www.eatologyasia.com

PRO MOTIO N

Foodie Reader Exclusive Promotion

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Culinary

Cruising

Sail the open seas while your taste buds take a tasty trip of their own Onboard SuperStar Virgo they have unveiled the Total Freedom experience where you tailor-make your own journey at sea. With over ten restaurants and bars to enjoy, you can take a trip to the flavours of southeast Asia, Chinese fine dining and Michelinstarred dishes, all without leaving the ship! You can break free from fixed dining arrangements with “Total Freedom” with every passenger, whichever class or cabin they are travelling in, will be eligible for online credits to all entertainment and services. This new cruise concept is a leap forward to a wider range of choices while cruising.

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BEST OF DUCK! Enjoy one half “Roasted Duck” from Genting Palace per cabin upon presentation of this e-voucher when booking at selected travel agencies.

CRUISE PACKAGE'S TERMS & CONDITIONS Offer is valid from 1 to 31 January 2017. Please present the printout of this e-voucher to enjoy the discount fare upon booking at selected travel agencies. Single occupancy pays 150% of special promotional rates. 3rd and 4th pay pax 50% of special promotional rates. Children aged below 11 and infant pay 25% of special promotional rates upon 2 paying pax. Offer is applicable to DD-DA, CD-CA & BC-BA cabin categories. Onboard Credit, Admiral and Balcony Class Privileges are applicable under this promotion i.e. Yellow and Red Card.

DINING OFFER’S TERMS & CONDITIONS The offer can be redeemed at Genting Palace only. The offer is subject to availability and can be replaced by other dish with the same price at sole discretion of SuperStar Virgo. The

As well as food, there is a host of shopping, beauty treatments and entertainment onboard, there’s even a karaoke lounge! The huge array of dishes

offer cannot be transferred to other guests.

GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS All promotional fares shown are per person based on twin sharing of a room. Price excludes of holiday surcharge, gratuities, port charges, shore excursions, travel insurances, visa

available will wow your palate over the relaxing and

charges, airport tax, airport security tax and any other incidental charges.

exciting cruises that will have you filled with enough

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delicious food and thrilling experiences to last you until the next time.

Offer is subject to cabin availability and capacity controlled.Offer cannot discount or promotional offers. Offer is only applicable to Hong Kong/ Macau residents. Offer is valid from 1 to 31 January 2017 and it cannot be backdated to a previous date. All information is for reference only and

afoodieworld.com 21

subject to change at the time of booking. Terms and conditions apply. In case of any disputes, Star Cruises reserves the right of final decision.

The Food Nomad PRU, Phuket

Celia Hu flew to Phuket to experience the magic of this farmto-table restaurant attached to a luxury villa resort

Nestled within the lush foliage of Phuket is an exquisite gem, an elevated dining experience that forays beyond the dining table and into the farm.

PRU quietly opened this November amidst the subdued luxury of Trisara, an award-winning villa resort overlooking the dramatic north-western coastline of Phuket. The name in Sanskrit translates to 'The Garden in the Third Heaven', and the 48 ocean-facing pool villas and private residences are certainly nothing short of paradise. Following a whirlwind fast-track concierge that bypassed the massive crowds at immigration and a mere 15-minute jaunt from the airport, we found ourselves sipping mimosas by the pool.

22 afoodieworld.com

THE FO O D NO MAD

The idea of PRU sprouted from a deep respect and appreciation for Thailand's native fauna and flora.

at the resort's sister restaurant, Seafood, before headlining this new concept. He earned his culinary stripes at Gaggan in Bangkok, a restaurant named the top in Asia for two years running by The World's 50 Best Restaurants.

We took a tour of Pru Jumpa alongside Chef Jimmy to learn more about the farm and his ethos of using only what the land provides. Phuket's vibrantly hued red soil is mostly made up of clay.

In order to naturally enrich the soil, the kitchen recycles its food waste into compost and uses worms to eliminate any harmful bacteria. We meandered through rows of tomatoes, carrots and ginger before arriving at a large lake teeming with freshwater fish. Free-range chickens clucked their

The name is not only an acronym for the

way through the undergrowth in search of juicy

restaurant's ethos of 'plant, raise, understand', but

insects, leaving behind fresh eggs for a perfect Thai

also a commemoration of the in-house farm, Pru

crabmeat omelette. Many of the ingredients used

Jumpa. When the land was cleared in 2004 for the

on PRU's menu are foraged from the indigenous

construction of Trisara, the bulk of the native flora

vegetation that grows wild on the farm. On our

was transferred to Pru Jumpa for safekeeping.

walk through the farm, Chef Jimmy collected

Since then, the 240-acre farm has acted as a sort

pineapples, pine needles, jasmine flowers and

of plant hospital, replenishing the rich landscape

Thai basil, then created a dessert based on these

of the resort. Currently, only 15 acres are used

ingredients.

within the massive farm, but the resort hopes to further cultivate the land to meet the increasing demands of its kitchens. In three years' time, the farm intends to rear its own livestock. At present, PRU already makes its own goat cheese and butter from milk supplied by neighbouring farms, as well as uses eggs from the farm's free-range chickens.

Additionally, 100 per cent of the ingredients used in PRU's kitchen are sourced from within Thailand, with over 75 per cent coming from wider Phuket.

At the helm of PRU's masterful menu is Chef Jim Ophorst, a youthful Dutch chef who competed in Thailand's S. Pellegrino Young Chef Competition in 2016. Jimmy, as he prefers to be called, first started his career at Trisara afoodieworld.com 23

THE FOOD NO M AD

The hero of the evening was the humble carrot.

Lamb

Cooked over hot stones buried under the ground, the candy-like carrots were accompanied by a sauce made from fermented carrot juice and cured egg yolk. The result was an incredibly creamy sauce that paired perfectly with the caramelised sweet carrots.

Although Pru Jumpa currently does not rear any mutton, they do import lamb from a trusted purveyor from the outskirts of Bangkok. The tender cuts of lamb arrived alongside deep-fried Pineapple and pine needle cake

Jerusalem artichoke, celery, sweet caramelised onion and house-made goat cheese. Despite

PRU's imaginative menu pays tribute to the unique

the strongly flavoured ingredients, the dish

terroir of the Andaman region with the use of

was surprisingly clean on the palate, with just

locally sourced ingredients.

a whisper of gaminess. Chef Jimmy capped off

Our tasting dinner began with briny pops of sea grapes plucked from a nearby shore. The hamachi tartare came in the shape of a crescent, dressed with Hua Hin Oscietra caviar and rosella power alongside a tangy crème fraiche vinaigrette.

our tasting dinner with a dessert made from the ingredients collected on his foraging trip. The pineapple and pine needle cake was almost too pretty to eat and had delicious contrasting textures between the crisp wafer and spongy cake.

Tiny leaves with a refreshing cucumber aroma

The opening of PRU will surely elevate the culinary

uplifted the dish. Eggs that were harvested that

landscape of Phuket. No longer is this holiday

morning came nestled in a creamy sorrel sauce

hotspot just about local Thai delicacies, but now

accented with water lily roots and smoked

it's also about world-class fine dining. Although

catfish from the farm's lake. Creamy aubergine

located within the luxurious Trisara resort, PRU is

arrived alongside five types of basil, shaved

open to all visitors, not exclusively to hotel guests,

mushrooms and homemade bottarga. The

making it a perfect spot to celebrate a special

sweet basil paired beautifully with the briny

occasion or simply to appreciate its fine flavours

bottarga, and delicate chilli flowers added faint

and farm-to-table principles.

pops of spiciness. The bottarga is house-cured

Trisara Phuket, 60/1 Moo 6, Srisoonthorn Road,

and undergoes salt water and olive oil immersion

Cherngtalay, Thalang, Phuket 83110, Thailand,

before being cured in salt for a month.

+66 76 313020 or +66 76 313022

24 afoodieworld.com

Goong Ob Guea & Naam Jim Chef Jimmy shares his delicious recipe for tiger prawns so we can get a taste of his Thai in our own homes

Serves: 2

Cooking time: 35 mins

IN GRE DIENTS Prawns •

400g tiger prawns (with heads left on)

•

200g sea salt

•

30g galangal, peeled and sliced

•

2 stalks of lemongrass, crushed and cut into 2 inch pieces

•

5g kaffir lime leaves

Sauce •

5 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

•

4 pcs of cilantro roots, cleaned and roughly chopped (can use cilantro stems as substitute)

•

8 pcs green Thai chilis, roughly chopped

•

5 tbsp fish sauce

•

5 tbsp lime juice

•

3 tbsp palm sugar

M E TH O D 1.

For the sauce: Add all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to a rough paste consistency.

Taste and adjust seasoning according to taste.

Garnish with cilantro leaves.

2.

For the prawns: In a small pot over medium low heat, roast herbs (lemongrass, galangal, kaffir) for 15 minutes until fragrant. Add prawns into the pan alongside the herbs. Add salt to cover the prawns completely.

3.

Roast for 15 minutes until cooked through. Rinse the prawns briefly and serve immediately with dipping sauce.

good & wholesome Recipe blogger and home-cook extraordinaire Laura Williams from My Little Hong Kong Kitchen gives us her secrets for some seriously delicious dishes www.mylittlehongkongkitchen.blogspot.hk

26 afoodieworld.com

R ECIPES

winter veg soup & soda bread rolls Serves: 4 Prep time: 20 mins Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients: Soda Bread • 250g wholemeal flour • 250g plain flour • 100g rolled oats • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda • 1 tsp salt • 500ml buttermilk Soup • 2 onions • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 tbsp butter • 2 tsp cumin seeds • 1 medium sweet potato • 3 carrots • 2 parsnips • 1l vegetable stock • 150ml natural yoghurt • Yoghurt and cumin to serve Method: 1.

Begin by making the soda bread dough.

Mix the two flours in a bowl, add in the

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

oats, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Mix to combine and add the buttermilk. Bring the dough together and divide into 6-7 balls. Place onto a baking sheet and top with a few extra oats. Use a knife to create a cross on the top and place in a preheated oven at 200°C for around 30 mins or until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Make the soup by peeling and finely chopping the onions and placing in a deep saucepan with the oil and butter.

Add seasoning and cook to soften. Add in the cumin seeds and coat in the onions.

Peel all the root vegetables and chop into 2cm cubes. Add to the onion mix and stir to coat. Add in the stock, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 30 minute or until soft.

Using a stick blender, blitz the soup until smooth (adding extra water to loosen if needed) and add in the yoghurt. Stir to combine.

Serve the soup with a swirl of yoghurt, a few extra cumin seeds and a crusty soda bread roll.

afoodieworld.com 27

R ECI P ES

BEETROOT, THYME & GOAT CHEESE TART Serves: 4 Prep time: 30 mins Cooking time: 30-35 mins

Ingredients: Crust • 1 cup rolled oats • ½ cup raw cashew nuts • 3 tbsp butter, cold • 1 sprig thyme, chopped • 1 pinch salt • 2 tbsp water, cold Filling • 250g beetroot, cooked • 1 small onion, chopped • 1 large clove garlic • 2-3 sprigs thyme • 1 large handful fresh spinach • 2 large eggs • 125ml milk • 80g goats cheese

2.

3.

4.

5.

Method: 1.

Begin by making the crust. Toast the cashews for a minute in a dry pan.

Allow to cool. Place the oats, nuts, butter, thyme, salt and water into a food processor and pulse into a soft sticky

28 afoodieworld.com

6.

dough. Wrap in cling film and allow to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Whilst the dough chills, make the filling by grating the cooked beetroot. Place the chopped onion into a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil and the crushed garlic.

Pick off the thyme leaves and add them to the pan. Cook for a minute or two and add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the grated beetroot. Cook all the ingredients for 2 minutes and place in a bowl to cool.

Once chilled, press the dough into a 9-inch tart or cake tin. Keep pressing until you achieve a thin, crisp crust. Place the crust in a preheated oven at 190°C for 12-15 minutes until golden.

Whisk together the eggs and the milk, adding a good pinch of seasoning and then the cooled beetroot mixture.

Once the crust is golden and cooled slightly, pour the filling inside and top with pieces of goats cheese and a couple of extra sprigs of thyme. Turn the oven down to 180°C and cook for 25-30 minutes until set.

Serve with salad for a hearty and healthful winter lunch.

R ECIPES

afoodieworld.com 29

meatless monthly Cindy Lam of cooking workshop MS Food Division cooks delicious vegetarian recipes that support local farms and promote good old home cooking. Her Korean paella is a fusion comfort dish with a little heat to keep you warm this winter www.msfooddivision.com

30 afoodieworld.com

MEATL ESS MO NTHLY

Korean paella Serves: 2 Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: 20-25 mins

Ingredients:

Method: 1.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1-2 garlic, finely chopped 1 small onion, diced 1 carrot, finely chopped 1 celery stalk, finely chopped 1 small bowl clamshell mushrooms 1 zucchini, thinly sliced 6-8 cherry tomatoes, halved 1 handful chopped coriander and some for garnishing 120-150g risotto rice 1 glass dry white wine 1 tbsp Gochujang 1 tbsp soy sauce 400ml vegetable stock 1 lemon or lime, cut into wedges Extra-virgin olive oil

2.

3.

4.

5.

Heat up a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil on medium heat. Cook onion, carrot, and celery for 2-3 minutes.

Add garlic, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, rice, and white wine. Stir well and season to taste.

Coat rice evenly with Gochujang and soy sauce before adding the vegetable stock.

Cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer for roughly 20 minutes.

Once the rice is cooked, remove the lid and turn the heat back to medium-high for 1-2 minutes to create the golden caramelised crust (socarrat).

Turn the heat off. Garnish with some chopped coriander, a twist of fresh lemon/lime juice, and a drizzle of olive oil before serving.

afoodieworld.com 31

the zero waste diaries Hannah Chung is on a zero

My journey into zero waste started late in 2016

waste challenge. She seeks

where I found myself in a supermarket staring at

eco alternatives and green

produce wrapped in plastic, sourced from all over

solutions for everyday living

the world, and bundled together in one soulless

and is aiming to achieve

aisle after another. It wasn’t just the elevator music

zero waste within one year.

on loop that depressed me, or the endless queuing,

Follow her journey on Instagram @thezerowastechallenge.

or even the sense of loneliness from the giant corporate machine, it was the lack of control I had in what I wanted to buy. I had no idea what was in

And so the year began with a table of French fries,

season or what food was produced locally.

steamed mushroom dumplings, ratatouille, and

In a city where 90–95% of our produce is imported,

Austrian pancakes. The fries were made from sweet

finding organic, local and affordable food is hard

potatoes harvested earlier that day and served

to come by. When you do find them, they are in

alongside homemade fresh tomato ketchup; the

pristine condition, all uniform in shape and size

pancakes were served with papaya and banana

and not a blemish in sight. Often, you find them

jam made straight from the fruits of the trees in

kept fresh in plastic bags. The market demands

the mountains, and a rich peanut sauce from the

perfection and does a good job at convincing us

recent harvest from the neighbouring farm. It was

that imperfection will not sell.

a handsome looking table full of dishes prepared by

And so the winter break saw me take a step back

people from all corners of the world who had come

from it all, strip down to the basics and volunteer

to stay together on an organic farm. The remote

on a farm. Days consisted of morning yoga, evening

village was three hours from the city of Chiang

meditation, with garden work and cooking in

Mai, Thailand and it was New Year’s Eve when we

between. Not to be mistaken for a retreat, there’s

brought the fruits of our labour to the village party

manual labour and cold showers involved, with

to share with the local community.

sleeping conditions similar to camping in open huts.

32 afoodieworld.com

Photo Credit: chazi.hk

THE ZERO WASTE DIAR IES

MY ZERO WASTE TRAVEL TOOLKIT For the actual journey, I managed to travel zero waste with a few handy items. Always armed with a flask, stainless steel tins, handkerchiefs and cutlery, I pre-pack my snacks before travelling and supplement with a top-up of hot water past customs at the airport. Stainless steel boxes can be found at most kitchen shops; I bought mine at one of the industrial kitchen shops on Shanghai Street in Hong Kong for $45 per box. Metal straws ($20) can be bought online through Chazi.hk and I found a Klean Kanteen stainless steel flask ($329) from LogOn.

You sew new seeds, harvest ripe food, then take it straight to the kitchen and cook with it. The food scraps are kept for composting while other fruits you mix with sugar and water and let ferment for rich enzyme water to feed the soil. What you learn is that everything feeds back into the soil and nothing is wasted. With an abundance of seasonal papayas and bananas around, we found ways of cooking the imperfect ones. Papayas have the unfortunate quality of tasting a little like vomit when over-ripe, so we cooked them down with sugar, vinegar and a little chilli to make papaya jam and fried banana strips in oil, then sprinkle with salt or sugar to make banana chips.

Back to the daily grind of working life in Hong Kong, the organic farm in Thailand and all its

For toiletries, I use shampoo soap

sustainable practices and zero waste mentality

($115) for both my hair and body

seem a world away. But it’ll stay close to my

and tooth powder ($90) from Lush.

heart and I will visit my local grocers with more

Although tooth powders are sold in

appreciation and gratitude than before.

plastic tubs, you can return the tubs for recycling back to Lush. You can also find bamboo toothbrushes ($28) from a

Mindful Farm, Pang Term Village,

store in PMQ called Bathe To Basics

Samoeng, Chiang Mai, Thailand

that are fully compostable.

www.mindfulfarmers.org

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