Green Queen Guide To Sai Kung – Where To Eat Clean & Shop Green In The Family Friendly ‘Hood

Who doesn’t love Sai Kung? This idyllic neighborhood is far away from the congestion and noise of the island, and long time residents will tell you that living there feels like you are always on holiday. From the beauty of Hong Kong’s green hills to picturesque boat harbour to the easily accessible hiking trails in Sai Kung national park the convenience, it’s not hard to imagine why more and more people are decamping over there. What many of us may not realize is how healthy living friendly the area is! Sai Kung is packed with health food shops and eco-friendly options, all of which we list in our below guide.

Best For Local Brands & Craft Beer – The Bottle Shop

Thirsty? The Bottle Shop offers a great selection of micro-brews, artisan liquors and specialty wines from around the world. We love that they carry locally-made beers from Moonzen Brewery and Nine Dragons. They also stock a selection of food and snacks including local favorites Raiz The Bar raw vegan chocolate bars and Happy Cow Dairy Free Ice Cream. You can order online or visit their shop. Avid beer enthusiasts may want to join their beer club.

GF, 114 Man Nin Street, Sai Kung, New Territories,  +852 2791 1600. Open Monday to Friday 11 AM – 9 PM and Saturday and Sunday 10 AM – 9 PM.

Best For Gluten-Free Baked Goods & Healthy Cafe Fare – Ali Oli Bakery & Cafe

Ali Oli Bakery & Cafe has traditional bakery items such as pastries, cakes, breads, and bagels as well as a selection of gluten-free and wheat-free options. They also carry baking mixes and flours including gluten free varieties. Have a special occasion? Their large selection of cakes are available in a variety of flavors, shapes and sizes and can be made gluten-free. Ali Oli doubles as a cafe and deli offering healthy salads, vegan cheeses, pies, olives, meats, cheeses, dips, homemade preserves, quiches, sausage rolls, and homemade gelato.

G/F, 11 Sha Tsui Path, Sai Kung, New Territories,  +852 2792 2655. Open daily 8AM- 7:30PM.

Best For Restocking A Healthy Pantry – Chung Heng Organic Shop

Chung Heng Organic Shop stocks a variety of healthy grocery items as well as personal care and cleaning supplies. They also have fresh organic produce from local farms.

112 Man Nin Street, Sai Kung, New Territories, +852 2792 3386. Open Monday to Friday 10AM – 7PM, Saturday/Sunday 9AM – 7PM.

Best For Organic Veggies – Green Market

Green Market is a produce shop stocking both local and imported fruits and vegetables, some of which are organic. Delivery is available within Sai Kung and is free in Sai Kung Town, as well as for purchases over HKD 300 in other areas of Sai Kung.

2/F, Sai Kung Market, Yee Chun Street, Sai Kung, New Territories,  +852 9852 8433. Open daily 8AM – 7PM.

Best For Single Origin Artisanal Coffee – 18 Grams

18 Grams’ Sai Kung location, also known as 18 Grams Alley, is located in the heart of the shopping neighborhood and is a perfect place to enjoy one of their iced slow drip coffees, which take 8+ hours to brew. Many of their coffees are single origin and all are roasted here in Hong Kong, meaning their coffee is always fresh. In addition to a selection of bakery items, they also have a food menu that includes breakfast/brunch dishes such as Sauteed Mushrooms with Perfect Poached Eggs & Guacamole plus lighter soups and salads.

Shop 16, G/F, Sai Kung Building, 42-56 Fuk Man Road, Sai Kung,  New Territories, +852 2791 9418. Open Monday to Friday 8:30AM – 6PM and Saturday/Sunday 8AM – 6:30PM.

Best For Gardening Supplies, Linens & Green Home Products – Green Earth Society

Both an online and physical store,  Green Earth Society is a one-stop-shop for everything you need for your green home. They carry organic cotton bedding and towels, air and water filtration systems, eco-friendly paints, and a wide range of gardening supplies such s organic manure, potting soil, pest control and even organic seeds. You can also find a full line of organic and eco-friendly personal care products including cosmetics, skin care and hair care products. Not to mention that they carry a full range of grocery items including gluten-free products, organic juices and teas, and even organic pet food.

37 See Cheung Street, Sai Kung, New Territories,  +852 2792 0106. Open daily 11AM – 7PM.

Best For Eco-Friendly Fun & Family Day Trips – Lions Nature Education Centre

The Lions Nature Education Centre, a 16-hectare park managed by the government of Hong Kong, is a series of five exhibition halls and and outdoor gardens and family-friendly trails, all of which are perfect for a weekend visit. The park has many specialized areas including a lychee orchard, lotus pond, bamboo grove, and arboretum (tree orchard). For the budding geologist, there is also the Rock Academy, Rock Classroom and Geopark Visitor Centre. The Centre offer eco-tours for schools, organizations and the general public. Before you leave, be sure to check out the veggie stall managed by the Vegetable Marketing Organization (VMO) to pick up some locally grown organic veggies.

Hiram’s Highway, Sai Kung, New Territories,  +852 2792 2234. Closed Tuesdays. Exhibition Halls & Car Park 9:30AM – 4:30PM, Outdoor Features 9:30AM – 5PM.

Best For Second Hand Book Browsing – Leisure Book Shop

For the inner bookworm in all of us, Leisure Book Shop offers over 15, 000 used titles to choose from, in both English and Chinese language. In addition to stocking many rare and hard-to-find titles, they also carry CDs, DVDs, and even paintings! It may be difficult to pick just the one book, but with their competitive prices you may not have to narrow down your list too much.

G/F, 32A, Po Tung Road, Sai Kung, New Territories,  +852 2791 9629. Open daily 10AM – 6:30PM.

Best For Sustainably Sourced Furniture – Tree

Looking to redecorate? Tree is Hong Kong’s own brand of eco-friendly furniture. Every piece is made of recycled, reclaimed and sustainably-sourced wood and comes in clean designs that showcase the wood itself. Their collections cover pretty much every room in the house with dining tables, beds, sofas, desks, shelves and even outdoor furniture. Many pieces can be customized depending on the size and style of your space.

116 Man Nin Street, Sai Kung, New Territories, +852 2791.2802. Monday to Friday 10:30AM – 7PM, Saturday/Sunday 10:30AM – 10PM.

Best For Getting Your Hands Dirty – Garden Farm

Garden Farm is a working organic farm that allows you to rent your own organic farm plot and harvest your own produce. They can provide seeds, tools and fertilizer and assist any gardening newbies. They host a variety of activities including eco-tours and and can host both children’s birthday parties and events for adults. Visitors can join a series of workshops including a primer on local medicinal herbs, farming for children, how to make jam, understanding rice, and bread making. For the more serious farmer, they put on a series farming outreach lectures. Did we mention they have a BBQ area that guests can make use of? Perfect for the end of your visit.

Sai Sz Heung Village Well No. 131, Sai Kung, +852 2792 8164. Open Tuesday to Sunday 9AM- 5PM.

Best for Organic Fruit & Veg Delivery – Nature’s Harvest

Nature’s Harvest is a working HK-ORC certified organic farm. They host a variety of activities for visitors including workshops on organic farming, handicrafts, DIY herbal teas, and creative potted plants. For those that want to get their hands dirty, they have a “City Farmer” farmland rental program. They work with local schools to offer education programs that introduce students to organic farming. You can buy their organic produce from their online shop (www.veggies.hk, which can be accessed through their main website)- the e-store carries organic beauty products, organic and socially conscious teas, organic grocery items, and eco-friendly home cleaning supplies. For those in Sai Kung, the produce is delivered the day it is harvested for optimal freshness and orders over HKD 350 get free delivery.

227 Pak Shui Wun,  Sai Kung, New Territories, +852 2723 3126. Open Tuesday to Sunday 9AM- 5PM.

Photo credits:Boats and Pier via photopin (license), Ali Oli Bakery & Cafe, 18 Grams, Lions Nature Education Centre, Tree, Nature’s Harvest