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Fresh Cuts
SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANTS TO DINE OUT IN THIS FESTIVE SEASON
The holidays are undoubtedly a time of excess, but have you ever considered how that might affect more than just our own waistlines? Festive meals with meats, cheese, wines and more are usually shipped in from around the world, leaving a heavy carbon footprint in the process. This year, create a more ecologically friendly holiday feast by keeping it local and supporting these restaurants that place sustainability and local producers front and centre. By Aarohi Narain
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The Chairman
Book early to get into this sought-after establishment, a Cantonese farm-to-fork feast that’s unlike any other. Not only does the restaurant grow its own produce on a farm in Sheung Shui, where its meats are preserved and its pickles prepared, but it also partners with small farmers in Yuen Long, guaranteeing fresh, hyperlocal vegetables. All of its pork, chicken, fish and shrimp are sourced locally, too. Think crispy pork belly rice cakes with chrysanthemum sugar, Sichuan spicy lamb spare ribs, and cherry tomatoes pickled in a basil reduction - our mouths are watering just thinking about it. From $828 per head.
No.18 Kau U Fong, Central, 2555-2202, thechairmangroup.com
Yin Yang Coastal
The farm-to-table scene in Hong Kong arguably began with the Cantonese concept Yin Yang Coastal, helmed by chef Margaret Xu Yuan. First launched in 2008, the restaurant has developed into a private kitchen today, located in a beachside house in Ting Kau Village. Ying Yang’s emphasis on organic and local ingredients sets it apart from the crowd, creatively interpreting fishing village-style cuisine, with flavours and techniques of Hakka cuisine. This year’s Christmas menu includes lobster flambeed with homegrown organic tomatoes and Hong Kong-style cheese sauce and a homemade watercress gelato. From $1,200 per head.
House 117, Ting Kau Village, Ting Kau Beach, Tseun Wan, 9784-2280, yinyang.hk
Posto Publicco
New York Italian osteria Posto Publicco embraces seasonal menus in a bid to reduce lengthy supply chains and using imported, hard-to-find ingredients. The chefs and owners have forged relationships with local farmers to keep their changing menu predominantly local, sustainable, and traceable, which we love to see.
G/F, 28 Elgin St., Central, 2577-7160, postopubblico.com
Asaya Kitchen
Mediterranean-focused food with a health and wellness flair - that’s Asaya’s niche. Under the auspices of Rosewood’s global Partners in Provenance programme, the restaurant works with growers and producers in Hong Kong to source local, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients wherever possible. This year’s Christmas offerings include black cod with smoked chestnuts and chanterelle mushrooms, pumpkin veloute with winter black truffle, and cinnamon tart with maple syrup and banana ice cream. Starts from $988.
6/F, Rosewood Hong Kong Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 3891-8732, rosewoodhotels.com
SKYE Gastrobar
The Park Lane’s SKYE Gastrobar offers more than just a stunning skyline view. It’s also committed to sustainable seafood, offering only the finest catches, most of which are locally farmed or caught. Much of their produce also comes from local organic producers, and the restaurant even has their own rooftop garden and an in-house hydroponic growing operation.
310 Gloucester Rd., Causeway Bay, 2293-8888, parklane.com.hk
Roganic
The city’s only restaurant bestowed with a coveted Green Star for sustainable gastronomy, Roganic is a leader in Hong Kong’s sustainable culinary space. To cut down on imported ingredients, the kitchen grows its own microgreens, leafy greens and herbs in-house, and sources produce from local suppliers like Zen Organic Farm, Wah Kee Farm, and New Age Organics in the New Territories. The full tasting menu ($1,080) here is a perfect shout for the holiday season, featuring 10 courses of delights including truffle pudding with birch sap, stout and lincolnshire poacher, and seven-day aged local pigeon with maitake, beetroot and preserved blackcurrant.
UG08, Sino Plaza, 255 Gloucester Rd., Causeway Bay, 2817-8383, roganic.com.hk
FOOD NEWS
CHEESE ON EARTH
Vegan cheese is having a moment in Hong Kong right now. The newest plant-based cheese brand to join the party is Nuteese, Hong Kong’s first aged vegan cheese line. The dairy- and glutenfree products are made primarily from activated cashews, which are then aged in a cellar for 21 days for a more intense and complex flavour that the discerning fromage aficionado is sure to appreciate. Nuteese is offering Christmas hampers for the festive season, which include everything from their signature flavours, like Merry Cranberry and Truffle Hunter, to gluten-free crackers, Champagne and Christmas crackers. If you’re looking to consume more consciously this holiday season, this is a great place to start! Hampers start from $1,188. nuteese.com
PLANT PARTY
Just in time for the holiday season, one of our fave vegetarian kitchens is back in action! After closing for renovations, VEDA is reopening its doors this month and we can’t wait to check out some of the newest additions, from a dog-friendly terrace offering a daily “Puppy Hour” (3-7PM) to a pastry counter selling treats by Alive Foods. Even more exciting is the promise of a brand new free-flow brunch: VEDA’s Champagne Brunch ($598) include two hours of Perrier-Jouët, wine, beer, and a specialty cocktail, not to mention a six-course of delicious veggie plates and a free-flow dosa (think South Asian crepes) bar.
2 Arbuthnot Rd., Central, 3755-3067, ovolohotels.com/ovolo/central
IN THE CLUB
There’s a new healthy dining spot in the middle of Central, but it’s not what you might expect! Carbon is a new 8,000-square-foot hub perched right on the top of Pottinger Street’s H Code. At night, it’s a club serving hip-hop and live music, but for lunch and dinner it has a surprisingly comprehensive - and delicious! - health menu with lean proteins, superfood smoothies, and low-carb and plantbased options galore. For starters, think watermelon tartare with beetroot sorbet and Thai salad, or for mains, a lean grilled beef with mushrooms, broccolini and nam jim jaew dipping sauce; or an amazingly juicy chicken with roasted carrots on a bed of kale. What’s more - the venue will be hosting regular wellness events on their amazing rooftop. Watch this space!
26/F, H Code, 45 Pottinger S., Central, carbonhk.com
GIVEAWAYS
Visit liv-magazine.com/giveaways for a chance to win!
Free stuff!
WIN: a two-night experience at K11 ARTUS
Especially for the festive season, we’ve got a mindblowing giveaway up for grabs: a glimpse of living with art with a two-night stay in a two-bedroom Harbour View Residence at K11 ARTUS! The package features a fascinating Resident Art Tour, where you can discover disappearing Chinese craftsmanship through the K11 Craft & Guild Foundation. The stay also includes a set breakfast for four at The Commune, a complimentary PT session for two, access to the outdoor heated infinity pool overlooking the harbour and state-of-the-art 24-hour fitness centre. The prize is valued at $18,480.
artus.com.hk
WIN: a gift set from Apia Honey
Sustainably sourced in Western Australia’s untouched wilderness, Apia Honey came across our radar last month, and we are so here for their antimicrobial properties that rival New Zealand’s manuka honey. Plus, they’re absolutely delicious! Courtesy of Apia Honey, we have a four-piece gift set up for grabs, comprising a jar of jarrah honey, a jar of marri honey, and two tubes of organic jarrah honey balm, made with honey, beeswax, avocado oil, kakadu plum and other natural botanicals. The whole set is worth $1,480 and we have one set to give away.
