A Fresh Approach

How the farm-to-table movement is gaining momentum in Hong Kong

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Farm-to-table – a movement that highlights locally grown, seasonal produce – is nothing new in many parts of the world. For some it’s a lifestyle choice, while others view it as a passing fad. But health-conscious diners in Hong Kong are now starting to transform the local food scene as a slew of restaurants sourcing local and fresh ingredients have popped up in the space-starved city in recent years.

Despite some enormous hurdles – from ensuring ingredients are fresh, to keeping food affordable and often battling a lack of consistency in supply quality – a small number of the city’s chefs are committing themselves to travelling up to local farms and bringing fresh, nutritious and local fare to diners’ plates. They are also telling restaurant-goers the story of locally sourced food in an effort to promote the value, both in terms of health and taste, of food grown within Hong Kong’s borders.

Nestled between village houses in Tsuen Wan, in Hong Kong’s western New Territories, and underneath a glitzy bridge, is Yin Yang Coastal, one of the first ever farm-to fork private kitchens in Hong Kong. Helmed by celebrity chef Margaret Xu, Yin Yang Coastal is perched along a secluded beach, far away from the hustle and bustle of urban Hong Kong life. This Chinese restaurant, which opened in 2008, sources 80 percent of its ingredients from a farm in Yuen Long, also in the New Territories.