November 19, 2014
Earlier this year, Slow Food committee member Diane Espley met Ka Shing Leung, or Shing as he calls himself, at an organic food fair. From this very fortuitous meeting, a friendship and a collaboration between Shing and Slow Food Hong Kong was born.
Together with his wife, Emma Leong, and his sister, Kary Leung, Shing owns and operates KLG Fine Food Co. Ltd., a local seafood distributor. One of only seven Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified seafood distributors in Hong Kong (out of over 100), KLG Fine Food strives to provide its customers with the highest quality seafood, a majority of which is responsibly raised or caught. They also supply and own their own seafood restaurant in Tai Hang appropriately named Fishful Season.
On Wednesday evening, November 19, Slow Food members gathered to taste this conscientiously imported seafood. The evening began with lively chatter over white wine in anticipation for the carefully prepared dinner.
The first course was a whole, organic Portobello mushroom classically paired with a balsamic vinaigrette. Accompanying the appetizer were some lovely, crusty slices of rustic bread and triangles of herbed flatbread served with oil and balsamic vinegar and humble, fragrant roasted heads of garlic. We enjoyed something of a palate cleanser with a very light preparation of plump Boston mussels poached in white wine and a mirepoix of onions, celery and parsley. The mussels lent a clean, briny flavor to their own broth.
But the main course drew the most appreciated silent bites and chews between conversation. The grilled Atlantic cod fillets from the Barents Sea were firm partners to a tart, bright, playful tomato sauce. The mashed potatoes, another humble ingredient, were done to a slightly lumpy perfection with the lightest amounts of butter and cream. Slices of grilled courgette and an (there’s no other way to put this) adorable mini aubergine rounded out this healthful, well-balanced dish.
The menu was somewhat of a surprise, a very delightful one, to all of us. It was the epitome of simple, humble ingredients prepared with expert technique and seasoning and a lot of love. It’s not often you find simple, home cooking-inspired meals at a restaurant in Hong Kong.
Before dinner, however, we were treated to a very informative presentation and discussion on seafood consumption in Hong Kong, the effects of the seafood markets and why the sustainability of our ocean’s fruits matters. Shing illuminated this alarming fact from Hong Kong’s World Wildlife Fund website:
According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, 505,553 tonnes of seafood were consumed in Hong Kong in 2011 which averages out to 71.2 kg of seafood per person in that year alone based on Hong Kong’s population. This was about 4.1 times higher than the global average (18.9 kg per capita) and double the per capita consumption in mainland China. Hong Kong is now the second largest per capita consumer of seafood in Asia, and the seventh largest in the world.
Given Hong Kong’s hefty weight on the delicate balance of our oceans’ survival, it seems like an imperative to learn as much as we can about the issues and consume as responsibly as possible. Some of the myriad of issues, very briefly: modern fishing technology that enables humans to catch more than is sustainable, growing demand for seafood from wealthy and developing countries, illegal fishing (catching outside of government regulations), the effects of chemicals, inorganic fish feed and drugs on our health and environment from modern aquaculture operations.
With this new and profound knowledge, we all enjoyed this unique meal by Fishful Season with a renewed sense of appreciation and deep gratitude for our oceans.
To learn more, check out the following links:
Slow Fish, A Slow Food International Campaign
Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch
For up-to-date apps to help you choose responsibly, download we suggest the following:
World Wildlife Fund Hong Kong Seafood Guide
Australia’s Sustainable Seafood Guide
