Kitchen Contenders

The expression nose-to-tail dining is often associated with Fergus Henderson, who has been championing the eating of as much of an animal as is possible since 1994, when he opened his restaurant St John in London. But the practice of using the parts many discard is not new. In medieval Britain, brawn, a jellied cold meat made from pig's head was popular, and a favoured dish of the Romans was a sausage of pig offal enclosed in caul (fat found around organs).

In many Asian cuisines, including Cantonese, offal, heads and feet have long been part of the culinary repertoire. But Henderson's revival did spawn a trend that saw restaurants opening up in many countries following his lead. Western restaurants in Hong Kong have been slow to take up the movement. Two that have are Wild Grass and The Salted Pig.

Wild Grass' organic, sustainable philosophy is evident the moment you walk into the large, naturally bright, country cottage-style restaurant, with its mismatched furniture (that appears to be second-hand) and repurposed timber.

Both the lunch and dinner menus offer dishes that fit within the nose-to-tail concept. We order a starter of sautéed kidney with bacon in a whole roasted pumpkin, and a main of baked lamb haggis with neeps (yellow turnip, also called swede) and tatties (potato).

The starter is appealingly presented with the kidney in rich, deep, earthy gravy inside a small pumpkin topped with melted cheese, and a sprinkle of flat leaf parsley.

The slices of kidney are cooked perfectly, with bacon and onion enhancing the taste. The pumpkin is more of vehicle than a flavour component, although it does contrast with the rich gravy, which is the star of the dish. A hiccup comes halfway through, when a small piece of clear, sharp, hard plastic is discovered in the gravy.