Hong Kong chef turns vegetarian and so is his menu, mostly – Moxie’s Michael Smith on his transition to a plant-based diet and the wellness benefits he feels
- Moxie’s menu features 80 per cent vegetables and fruit and 20 per cent sustainable seafood – a soft-touch approach to mindful eating, says chef Michael Smith
- Smith took the Veganuary meat-free challenge in 2020, kept with it and transitioned to a plant-based diet. He feels better, enjoys food more and has lost weight
In August 2020, when restaurants in Hong Kong were forced to close to dine-in customers by 6pm because of social-distancing restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus, the chef-owner of Arcane, Shane Osborn, sat down with his head chef, Michael Smith, in the empty restaurant and wondered what they were going to do next.
The coronavirus pandemic had hit the hospitality industry hard, and there was no end in sight. The two came up with an idea for a new restaurant, Moxie, which means strength of character, perseverance and grit.
“In the industry everyone went through it, the uncertainty as to where we are going to go from here, rallying together … we’re going to get through this and we’re going to go onto great things. A feeling of moxie – and here we are,” explains Smith, now chef de cuisine at Moxie, which has just opened in Alexandra House in the city’s Central district.
When the two had their initial brainstorming session, the 29-year-old was eight months into his journey towards becoming vegetarian. He has been able to incorporate his new passion for plant-based cooking into the all-day-dining restaurant.
Moxie’s menu features about 80 per cent vegetables and fruit and 20 per cent sustainable seafood. There is no meat on the menu. His is what he calls a soft-touch approach to mindful eating, with a plant-focused yet balanced menu that caters to everyone.