Currently, Hong Kong has 207 restaurants with Michelin stars, but only three restaurants in the city – Mora, Roganic, and Amber – have earned Green stars, which is the organisation’s award for restaurants that hold high ethical and environmental standards. Founder and chef at Mono, Ricardo Chaneton, says that Hong Kong and many Asian countries are lagging behind Europe and North America in terms of sustainable practices, but he is encouraged by the increasing awareness and active participation in sustainable initiatives among local restaurants.

Chef Manav Tuli of Leela believes that environmental impact remains a big concern for the F&B community as a whole, as well as for consumers. He emphasises the need to use more organic and GMO-free products and supports local and international farmers pushing the boundaries in producing these ingredients so restaurants can continue to share it with guests.

Cafe Bau sources over 90 percent of their ingredients from local suppliers I  Photograph: Courtesy Cafe Bau

“I think there will be a continuous search for high-quality local produce and bridging the gap between producers and chefs,” shares chef Agustin Balbi. “A continuous search for sustainability is also very important, even though it is something very challenging in Hong Kong, I think we should try as much as possible to make the system work, every grain of sand helps for a better future,” he adds.

At Cafe Bau, chef Kasey Chan emphasises that their restaurant has been proactive in sourcing over 90 percent of their ingredients from local suppliers. “This approach not only supports local farmers and suppliers, but also significantly reduces our carbon footprint,” he states.

Chef Richard Ekkebus believes that there will be an influx of restaurants operating sustainably in 2024. As a restaurant that is proud of their sustainability efforts, chef Richard says that even during and after the pandemic, Amber remained busy. “This means there is a clientele that wants to support a responsible business, we have shown a real business case for what we have been driving over the past 18 years,” he shares.