Hong Kong Healthy Eating Scene Update – Summer 2016

When it comes to all things healthy food, the city’s eating scene is evolving at such lightning speed that we thought it was time to start a regular update on openings, launches and general happenings. Welcome to our first Hong Kong Healthy Eating Scene Update, summer 2016 edition. Below, we share all the news you need to stay on top of all things delicious!

Plant-Based Public Service Announcement: Everyone’s favorite retro vegetarian diner Veggie SF has now gone fully vegan. The new menu is full of tempting dishes like their Peanut Coconut Laksa, Scrambled Turmeric Tofu and their Beetroot Cashew Lentil Mushroom Burger, all of which are 100% plant-based. More good news on the vegan front: Kwun Tong is now home to Veggle, a new vegan cafe with a menu of plant-based pastas, burgers, pizzas and salads.

We were lucky enough to enjoy the new vegetarian tasting menu at Le Bistro Winebeast in Wan Chai and it must be said that we were wowed. The food, prepared by Johan Ducroquet, a Frenchman who earned his stripes at Parisian Michelin-starred outposts, is exquisite: modern French with an Asian ingredient twist. Each dish was paired with a selection of organic wines served by the Chef’s wife, Christina, a very charming and very knowledgeable Sommelier. Fun fact: Le Bistro Winebeast has the largest organic vino range in town. We can’t forget to mention the decor: we loved the cosy-slash-funky wine cellar setting. A must visit!

And speaking of organic alcohol, if you fancy a healthy happy hour of sorts, why not give HOME Eat To Live’s organic cocktails menu a go: from the cold-pressed juice mixers to the fair trade whiskey to the locally crafted Kowloon Bay Brewery gluten-free beer (courtesy of our own local brewers Kowloon Bay Brewery), the drinks go down a treat (and the hangover risk is low!)

We can also recommend Kaum, the new Indonesian farm-to-table restaurant out of Bali beach club export Potato Head in Sai Ying Pun. The food is delicious and authentic (the menu was designed with an Indonesian food activist), with a focus on fresh ingredients, bold flavors and a celebration of spices. Truly an eye-opening journey of discovery into the archipelago’s eating culture. Not to mention that Kaum’s interiors are gorgeous: teak wood everywhere, hand-painted Indonesian folk patterned ceilings and low-key lighting set an intimate, warm mood.

We sampled the new superfood menu at Tivo in Kennedy Town and it was pretty outstanding. The menu exemplifies healthy, detox cuisine with clever Asian-inspired tastes. The vibrant, colorful dishes are packed with nourishing ingredients and bursting with flavor. We especially loved the Summer Brussels Sprout Salad, the Roasted Cauliflower Hummus, the Sesame Kale Salad and the Beetroot Two Ways- ideal for lazy summer lunches.

Fresh (aka not frozen) wild salmon is the holy grail of grocery shopping in this town so we could not believe our eyes when we saw on My Meat Man’s Facebook page that they just got permission to import wild, fresh (read: chilled not frozen) Alaskan Copper River Salmon into Hong Kong! Quantities per order are limited and prices are high (Alaska is pretty far away) but for those of you who can’t stomach the farmed stuff and find the frozen stuff doesn’t hold up, there is light at the end of this tunnel. Note: My Meat Man‘s website shows their frozen salmon only- the chilled salmon only comes in once a year.

It’s holiday time in Hong Kong, which means a fair few of you will be jetting off to all four corners of the globe. And when you do, you can rejoice in knowing that there is now FINALLY a healthy dining option at Hong Kong International Airport. Scandinavian juice chain Joe & The Juice has an outlet at Terminal 1 (6Z511, Level 6, Central Course) where you can ‘indulge’ in cold-pressed juices, shakes and sandwiches!

And speaking of healthy shakes, new smoothie company on the block Blended is making waves with its all natural, super refreshing and uber colorful concoctions. Founded by a rugby player passionate about energizing beverages, Blended specializes in setting up smoothie bars at events (you may have seen them at the Rugby Sevens in April) so keep them in mind the next time you’re organizing one.

We had a taste of Ice N Lean‘s new protein ice creams post-rebrand and we can confirm that they are dee-licious. It’s hard to believe that these babies are healthy! The individual cups pack 15 grams worth of grass-fed protein, are soy and gluten-free and come in flavors like Matcha, Skinny Latte, Super Choc, Salted Caramel (our favorite) and Peanut Butter. Order your stash on Deliveroo or grab them at Just Green shops around town. January 2017 Update: Ice N Lean has closed operations. 

The Mandarin Cake Shop is ushering summer with a new menu of healthy choices including a selection of fresh juices with names like Refresh, Recover and Detox and an Energy acai bowl designed by nutritionist and detox expert Jennifer Thompson of Raw Food Bliss. Perfect for a pick me up whilst on the go!

In other news, if you are looking for a new wheat-free pasta option, you may want to give local hydroponic vegetable purveyor Farm Direct‘s new green lettuce noodles a go. The noodles are vegan-friendly, free of pesticides and preservatives and made right here in Hong Kong. Find them at one of Farm Direct’s many stores.

There’s a new baker in town: Yanti’s Organic Bakery is a father-daughter operation looking to introduce traditional Latvian breads to the Hong Kong public with a focus on sourdough made with organic ingredients. They offer baked-to-order breads including rye, multi-seed, wholewheat, olive and more. Email them or call them at +852 9533 0336 for orders.

Image credits: Green Queen (lead photo of Tivo, second photo of Le Bistro Winebeast, third photo of Kaum), Joe & The Juice, @ulatsui (Ice N Lean) and Farm Direct.