Note from the Editor: Every Tuesday, TFT HK will bring you a post or article from/about one of our local or global food heroes. These are people who inspire us, and whose visions align with the values that TFT espouses and promotes. This week's post is an interview with Peggy Chan, rising star of the Hong Kong dining scene and sustainable food system champion. Chan, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Institute, Hotel Institute of Montreux, and Swiss Hotel Management School, is the founder, director, and chef manager of Grassroots Pantry--a new cafe and workshop that focuses on health through eating; green values; local and sustainable food systems; and plant-based cooking and eating--in Sai Ying Pun. Peggy, we at TFT HK salute you!
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Chef Chan in the kitchen
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| Grassroots Pantry staff |
Hi Peggy! First of
all, thanks so much for being willing to share with us today. We’re very
excited about your new project, Grassroots Pantry, in
Sai Ying Pun. Can you tell us more about it?
Grassroots Pantry is a lifestyle boutique cafe dedicated to
inspiring a healthier, cleaner and more equal world. About 85% of our
ingredients are organic, the produce is mostly sourced from local HK organic
farms, and 90% of our menu is plant-based. We are constantly changing our
specials according to what we have in season, because our bodies naturally
react better when we eat with the season. GP is located on a quiet alleyway off
Third Street, between Western Street and Pok Fu Lam Road. I picked this
location because the rent is much more affordable, the neighborhood is slowly
reinventing itself, we have great access to both locals and expats of all
different income levels, and I wanted my shop front to be free of vehicle
traffic. We quietly opened last week on the 24th, and are planning our grand
opening for the 26th of June.
We can’t wait to be
frequent visitors to GP! When and where did your interest in food begin and how
did you decide to be a chef?
I started cooking and baking as a little girl and grew up
watching my mom prepare abalone and shark's fin feasts at home. We are all
serious foodies at home. I was lucky enough to eat out everywhere and had my
first French fine dining experience at age six (how they ever let us in is a
whole other topic to discuss...). At 16, I started working part-time at the
first Starbucks that ever opened in HK as a barista, and kind of found my
niche. But I still had no idea that women could be “Chefs”. I went to first
year of university studying fine arts. One evening a personal guardian angel of
mine, while eating a meal I had cooked for him, suggested that I check out
culinary school. The next day, I enrolled and that was when it all happened.
But I do not like to call myself a “Chef”. I have worked with numerous amazing
Chefs throughout the years, at multiple Michelin-starred establishments, and
what I do does not compare to their accomplishments (and all the years they have
worked to get where they are). I am simply a home cook who is also classically
and professionally trained.
It sounds like you
were destined to be in the food industry. How and when did you develop a
commitment to sustainable values, especially as related to food/eating?
I stopped eating red meat 12 years ago, in consideration of animal
welfare, and started reading a lot on food politics and sustainable
agriculture. The inequality in our food system really struck me. Slowly I found
myself writing more and more about food issues throughout Business and Hotel
School, when I really should have been doing my thesis on “How to make money by
providing good customer service”; but such topics felt insubstantial to me, in
light of what I had learned. I have always been a conscious, healthy eater, and
slowly, I became a full-on vegetarian. I see vegetarianism as the most sustainable
way to live and to eat, and it just made sense to me. Through Grassroots
Pantry, we hope to allow more people to understand this movement as well.
People should internalize this knowledge—not for me, for you, or for
themselves, but for the betterment of our planet and for future generations.
What do you love and
hate about Hong Kong as a food city?
Love: You really do get a lot of variety, cooked pretty
decently. Hate: The same F&B chains run everything, and the concepts get
reworked over and over again. I believe every business and every trade has a responsibility
to give back and to provide for people who are in need.
Who are some of your
own food heroes?
Dr. Vandana Shiva: An Indian professor, philosopher and
environmentalist who fights for an equal and sustainable food system. AND not
to mention, a woman of true values.
Alice Waters and Jamie Oliver: both doing AMAZING things—teaching
children about the origins of food, to eat better, and to give back to the
planet. We are currently collaborating with schools and a children-run
non-profit to do similar things in Hong Kong.
Michael Pollan and Wendell Berry: amazing food
sustainability and agriculture writers.
Carlo Petrini: the founder of the Slow Food Movement and
UNISG.
Are you noticing a
shift in Hong Kong mentality, in regards to interest in food origin and
sustainable food systems?
Definitely! This is why all these organic shops are popping
up! Farming seems to be the new “trend” these days but agriculture is not a trend.
It's an ongoing, labor-intensive industry. Every society begins with
agriculture. Unfortunately, what is borne out of this welcome and necessary
shift in mentality (i.e. expensive organic produce and dining options) does not
always cater to middle-class and lower-wage families. And this is why, at
Grassroots Pantry, we want to create a menu that is both affordable and
nutritious. We want EVERY person and EVERY child to be able to eat healthy and
organic.
Thank you so much for
your time, and for being a TFT HK Food Hero! Can you share a simple
recipe with our readers?
Brown rice has been my staple for years. This is a simple
recipe I make at home, and it's very similar to the Japanese dish we have at
GP:
SERVING for 2
Protein:
- 200g firm tofu
- 20 mL tamari gluten free soya sauce
- 10 mL 100% pure sesame oil
- Black Pepper
Greens:
- Seasonal leafy greens
Fibre:
- 2 cup brown rice
- 4 cups water
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp Tahini paste
- 1 tbsp White miso paste
- 10 mL Lemon Juice
- Black Pepper
- 5-10 mL Filtered water to thin out dressing
1. Marinate tofu for 15 minutes.
2. Steam brown rice for 35 minutes or until thoroughly
cooked.
3. Mix all ingredients for tahini miso dressing together.
Reserve.
4. Steam leafy greens in steamer (or create your own!) Season
with soya sauce.
5. Sear tofu until golden brown on both sides, about 4
minutes.
6. Serve with brown rice on bottom, leafy greens and tofu on
top, and dress with tahini miso
dressing.
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