Food Hero Tuesday: TFT Japan Food Team

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 from a member of the Table for Two Japan Food Team, Shoko Iijima, who comments upon the rising popularity of green smoothies in Japan. TFT Japan Food Team, we at TFT HK salute you!

Shoko's green smoothie. See below for the recipe!

Title: "Go Green in the Cold Glass: green smoothies gradually become popular in Japan"

Author: Shoko Iijima, TFT Food Team


It is always nice to have a well-chilled glass of smoothie, especially in the summer. There are many types, made of a one or more seasonal fruits, and sometimes vegetables.

Recently, in Japan, so-called "green smoothies" are gaining popularity, especially among young, health-conscious women. The rise in demand for these veggie-packed drinks is largely due to the release and translation of Victoria Boutenko’s Green Smoothie Revolution: The Radical Leap Toward Natural Health. Boutenko, and her holistic health approach, was first introduced in the book Raw Family, a work by the author and her family wrote together, on raw food and the healing power of healthy eating.

TFT member Tomoko recently attended a “green smoothie seminar”, held by Rakuten's Recipe Party and shared the following recipes:

Healthy Summer Dining Experience: Light Radiant Food

For the next few days, we're highlighting our Healthy Summer Dining Experience partners, the TFT dishes they are featuring for the month of August, and the prizes YOU can win by entering our HSDE (contest)! Don't forget to EAT (a delicious TFT HDSE meal/drink), TAKE (a picture of the item and upload it to our Facebook page), and SHARE (the photo with friends and ask them to "like" it), so you can WIN (one of nine incredible prizes, one for the most "liked" photo taken at each HDSE partner restaurant)!

Light Radiant
photo by Ale Wilkinson, of The Dim Sum Diaries

Light Black Bean Veggie Burger
photo by Ale Wilkinson, of The Dim Sum Diaries

Light Radiant Food is a sweet vegetarian cafe on the corner of Eastern and Second Streets whose owner, Stephanie Ng, is dedicated to bringing whole, unprocessed, plant-based food to the Hong Kong community.  Her offerings include a hearty and delicious black bean veggie burger, which she's chosen as her TFT HDSE dish! The burger is dressed with verde sauce and pickled chinese zucchini, and can be purchased for $88 at lunch (includes salad) and $110 at dinner (includes salad, coffee/tea). The person who takes and uploads the most "Liked" picture of the Light veggie burger will win dinner for two at Light Radiant! Thank you, Stephanie and Light Radiant!

Healthy Summer Dining Experience: The Genie Concept

 For the next few days, we're highlighting our Healthy Summer Dining Experience partners, the TFT dishes they are featuring for the month of August, and the prizes YOU can win by entering our HSDE (contest)! Don't forget to EAT (a delicious TFT HDSE meal/drink), TAKE (a picture of the item and upload it to our Facebook page), and SHARE (the photo with friends and ask them to "like" it), so you can WIN (one of nine incredible prizes, one for the most "liked" photo taken at each HDSE partner restaurant)!

The Genie Concept, the brainchild of Cara Grogan and Melanie White, is a one-stop-shop for all your juice cleansing needs! You can pick up your detoxifying juices at the Genie Cafe, located at 5-13 New Street in Sheung Wan, or have them delivered to your door.  Individual juices are available for purchase, as are cleanses, based on duration (1 day, 2 days, 4 days, and 6 days) and your experience with juice diets (beginner, intermediate, and expert). The Genie girls have designated their kale pineapple juice as the TFT HDSE item, and the lucky TFT supporter who has the most "Liked" picture of it will win a 1-day Genie Cleanse! Thanks Genie Girls!!

Kale pineapple juice!

Food Hero Tuesday: Angie Palmer of From the U.S. to Hong Kong

Angie Palmer

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 Angie Palmer, creator of the vegan lifestyle blog From the US to Hong Kong. Angie works in communications for GR8 Leisure Concept, and also manages to find time for acting, modeling, and writing projects outside of her blog. Angie, we at TFT HK salute you!


Hey Angie! Thanks for chatting with us today. Tell us about yourself!

I'm the Director of Communications for GR8 Leisure Concept, which specialises in the investment, development and management of hotels, restaurants and serviced apartments. We focus a lot on fun and unique concepts like boutique hotels and specialty restaurants. On the side, I do acting and producing for films and other creative projects.

Before moving back to Hong Kong, I ran a boutique PR firm that worked with indie filmmakers, creative entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations in the U.S. My specialty is in online marketing and social media, so naturally social networks and blogs are among the tools in my social toolbox. What made me start blogging was actually my job as a reporter and producer for a local website and TV station in New Mexico. I decided to create original content and share videos and press releases so people in New Mexico could find interesting information and events. Now that I've become vegan, people kept asking me what I eat and where I shop in Hong Kong, so I decided to repurpose that blog into a green, health and vegan blog to share my stories and experiences. It's working out really well as people have been amazed at the number of restaurants where vegans can eat!

Healthy Summer Dining Experience: Teakha

 For the next few days, we're highlighting our Healthy Summer Dining Experience partners, the TFT dishes they are featuring for the month of August, and the prizes YOU can win by entering our HSDE (contest)! Don't forget to EAT (a delicious TFT HDSE meal/drink), TAKE (a picture of the item and upload it to our Facebook page), and SHARE (the photo with friends and ask them to "like" it), so you can WIN (one of nine incredible prizes, one for the most "liked" photo taken at each HDSE partner restaurant)!

Teakha is "lifestyle concept tea cafe and zakka store aimed at promoting a simple, sustainable, happy lifestyle." Located at 18 Tai Ping Shan Street in Sheung Wan, Teakha serves local, organic teas, handcrafted baked goods, and other light snacks. This lovely little oasis of tranquility is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am to 7pm, and owner Nana Chan has selected the Lemon Cream Tart ($38) as the TFT HDSE dish. The tart is a perfect summer treat - the well-balanced, sweet and sour lemon cream filling is cradled by a chewy gingersnap base with just enough zest.  Teakha is offering the photographer who takes the most "Liked" picture of the tart a Teakha tea set for two! Thanks Teakha!

Teakha Lemon Cream Tart

Mooncakes that Give Back: TFT HK partners with Good Luxe this fall!

This fall, Good Luxe is partnering with TFT HK, to bring you mooncakes with a philanthropic purpose. Now, you can enjoy and share this delectable Mid-Autumn Festival treat while helping to right the global food imbalance: each purchase of a box of four mooncakes will provide four nutritious meals to children in Mainland China and Africa! Please see below for more details and ordering information. Thank you to our partners at Good Luxe!

With each box of mooncakes you purchase 

Good Luxe will give 4 nutritious meals to children in China.

DESIRABLE     I     ETHICAL     I     LUXURY    

Order  your luxurious lotus seed with double egg yolk


mooncakes for early bird prices here.

Mooncakes:  Mooncakes are a traditional Mid-Autumn Festival delicacy. Good Luxe mooncakes are filled with rich golden lotus seed paste and sumptuous double egg yolks and come in an elegant red and gold box (containing four pieces each), perfect for a holiday gift. Each box costs HK$328. HK$298 for early-bird offers before 29th of August 2012.  

Hampers: Spoil your clients and loved ones by pairing the mooncakes with other ethical holiday treats including ginger cookies, honey, wine, tea, chocolate, and more, by choosing from Good Luxe’s curated Mid-Autumn Festival gift hampers or by creating your own hampers. Curated hampers range from HK$750 to HK$2,498 depending on the combination. 

About Good Luxe: Good Luxe offers luxury hampers and gifts with an ethical story. The Good Luxe team os passionate about finding unique products that are eco-friendly, socially-responsible, handcrafted and benefit a charitable cause, enabling you to spoil your loved ones and valued clients. Find your perfect gift at www.goodluxe.com.

Healthy Summer Dining Experience: The Flying Winemaker

 For the next five days, we're highlighting our Healthy Summer Dining Experience partners, the TFT dishes they are featuring for the month of August, and the prizes YOU can win by entering our HSDE (contest)! Don't forget to EAT (a delicious TFT HDSE meal/drink), TAKE (a picture of the item and upload it to our Facebook page), and SHARE (the photo with friends and ask them to "like" it), so you can WIN (one of nine incredible prizes, one for the most "liked" photo taken at each HDSE partner restaurant)!

Eddie McDougall's The Flying Winemaker is a wine bar, wine shop, and tasting school at 31 Wyndham Street: Here's a short description from the Flying Winemaker website:

Featuring over 300 wine labels and a versatile 2nd level wine bar / classroom, The Flying Winemaker is the latest wine venue in the heart of Lan Kwai Fong, ideal for hosting private or corporate events, wine tastings, networking and team building activities. Here we offer added options of wine classes, guided tastings as well as wine and food pairing services that are unique to The Flying Winemaker.

The team at The Flying Winemaker is offering the Eddie McDougall Cabernet Merlot 2010, King Valley, Australia ($90 per glass, $190 per bottle) as its TFT HDSE item. If you take the most "Liked" picture of this win, you could win two free vouchers to a WineSkool Tongue Explorer class (valued at $500)! Thanks to Eddie and everyone at The Flying Winemaker!