Most of us would grimace if we found a worm hole in our apple. Not Barry Quek. The executive chef behind Beet restaurant in Kau U Fong, Central is a fan of nibbled produce: “If there are holes in the vegetables it means there’s been no chemicals added to it, that’s why the worms and insects are feeding.”
He’s half joking (to be clear, Beet does not serve insects in its beetroots) but he’s serious about sourcing local and organic ingredients direct from farmers. After all, “they know their produce best. They can tell us what’s in season and what’s at its peak,” he says.
This February, six of Hong Kong’s top chefs will share their culinary prowess at a special Tong Chong Street Market (TCSM) food truck on 10 and 17 February, as well as a dinner on 17 February co-presented by Tong Chong Street Market and T.Dining by Hong Kong Tatler. Along with Quek, these chefs include Vicky Cheng (VEA), Vicky Lau (Tate Dining Room & Bar), Jacky Chan (Taikoo Place’s The Refinery), Eric Räty (Arbor) and Shane Osborn (Arcane). They will promote home-grown produce through new dishes created especially for the occasion – but each of them will also bring a different perspective to the importance of eating local.