August 11, 2014
Slow Food Hong Kong had the pleasure of welcoming Mr Paolo Di Croce, Secretary General of Slow Food International, for a brief two-day stop in Hong Kong. Paolo began the last stop of a successful tour through Asia by joining our convivium for dinner at Kin’s Kitchen, the Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant that features uniquely traditional dishes. The evening’s special menu was designed by Mr Lau Kin Wai (founder and owner of Kin’s Kitchen) himself who so kindly stepped away from his own birthday celebration to introduce each dish and describe its ingredients and preparation. Some of these dishes included recipes and preparations rarely found today in Hong Kong that we hope eventually to include in the Ark of Taste.
Paolo spent a few minutes with the convivium describing his recent journey through Asia and encouraging us in our mission of good, clean, fair food for all.
The next morning, our Chairman Walter Kern, accompanied by several committee members, led Paolo on a tour of Hong Kong’s diminishing wet markets in Central. The tour included a stop at Kowloon Soy Company, a local soy sauce producer that only uses traditional clay pots to ferment its soybeans. It also included a brief peek at Hong Kong’s few remaining dai pai dongs before a dim sum lunch at Luk Yu Tea House. Dim sum expert and committee member Carol Yau guided us through a seemingly endless procession of dishes. The group tasted everything from mainstays like har gau and siu mai to less familiar dishes like won ton noodle skins in clear broth.
Paolo returned to Italy from his first visit to Hong Kong with a new appreciation of the variety and vibrancy of Hong Kong’s food culture. We hope that Slow Food convivia from around the world will also visit to learn all about Hong Kong’s exciting food traditions and trends!