Five Hong Kong restaurants that grow their own produce
In such a crowded city, cultivating your own produce takes time, planning and determination. We visit five restaurants that took up the challenge
As the concept of paddock-to-plate dining takes root in Hong Kong, there is growing demand for sustainably produced fresh food. And every week there are more choices for health-conscious diners in the city. However, due to limited space, few restaurants embracing the movement go beyond growing herbs or a handful of vegetables on their roofs or balconies, or buying ingredients from outside farms.
But a small group of passionate local restaurateurs are taking things a step further by becoming farmers themselves - growing and harvesting their own produce and transforming it into tasty dishes. All of them share the same mission: to bring healthy ingredients to our plates within the shortest possible time, so that we can enjoy a truly fresh meal.
O-Veg
This rustic restaurant in a remote corner of Kam Tin sits among a cluster of wood cabins surrounded by trees. Diners can sit inside the dimly lit cabin or outside on an elevated tatami platform (bring your own mosquito repellent).
The restaurant, which also serves as the Cheung family home, is situated on a 20,000 sq ft compound. They moved to the former chicken farm eight years ago and haven't looked back since. "We only open on Fridays and weekends - the rest of the week is devoted to farming. We source almost all of the ingredients from our 40,000 sq ft farm, which is a 10-minute motorcycle ride away," says Cheung.
"We don't have a menu, so diners never know what they're going to be served. I go to the farm in the afternoon to check what is ready to be harvested and come up with the dishes on the spot. We want to prepare and cook the ingredients in the shortest time after picking."