SUSTAINABILITY & ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
We recognize our activities have an impact on the environment. Our staff and us are part of and stakeholders of the community we live in. As a business, we aim to reduce our environmental impact and provide a fair and healthy work place for our staff.
With the above objective in mind, we take a holistic approach to our operations and address the impacts in the following areas:
- Sourcing
- Community
- Environment
1. Sourcing & Menu:
- 1.1. Consider seasonality of products especially with seafood. We will not use seafood during their spawning season for example.
- 1.2. Incorporate / Feature seasonal vegetable (or other ingredients) that are suitable to eat based on Chinese 24 solar terms (which is listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO).
- • Use seasonal vegetable / ingredients in canapes.
• Lunch daily soup is almost always a vegetarian soup and use seasonal vegetable.
• Include more seasonal and local vegetables into main courses.
- • Use seasonal vegetable / ingredients in canapes.
- 1.3. Offer vegetables, and vegetarian options
- 1.4. Choose locally produced products whenever possible, the environmental impact in transportation and to support local businesses.
- • Use as much HK farmed vegetable (which is season based) as possible to supplement other vegetable used in cooking. Source from farmers market / local farms. Make social media posts to “advertise” to influence the public.
• To the extent it is difficult to use only local produce in HK as HK produces little food on its own, we will feature and use regional products, such as from Japan, Taiwan, Korea and China. Example, we use mushrooms from Yunnan rather than imports from Europe to reduce carbon footprint.
- • Use as much HK farmed vegetable (which is season based) as possible to supplement other vegetable used in cooking. Source from farmers market / local farms. Make social media posts to “advertise” to influence the public.
- 1.5. Source high welfare meat, and Sustainable seafood, whenever possible.
- • While it is not easy to use “local” meat in HK as HK does not really produce much meat, especially beef, we commit to using meat including poultry that is as close to us as possible.
• To raise awareness of “local” meat / poultry products, we will create menu item / dishes which highlight using local chicken, duck, pork etc.
• We include whenever possible off cuts (non steak cuts of meat) and as many offal menu items as possible. We will put preference on locally available offals than imported offal parts.
• For steaks and other import meats, we target to use only high welfare meat.
• For seafood, we will use as much sustainable seafood as possible and use best endeavor to avoid seafood that are endangered.
- • While it is not easy to use “local” meat in HK as HK does not really produce much meat, especially beef, we commit to using meat including poultry that is as close to us as possible.
- 1.6. Never use disposable plastic products such as straws, cutleries.
- 1.7. Choose FSC certified or other sustainable / recycled paper products, if appropriate.
- 1.8. Source fair trade sustainable coffee.
- 1.9. Use “head to tail”, incorporate off cuts which are normally discarded in menu.
2. Community:
- 2.1. Preserving Heritage and Culture
- • Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) describes the world as a harmonious and holistic entity where all living beings are viewed in relation to the surrounding environment. And mankind is part of this holistic entity. We are influenced directly and indirectly by changes in weather and our bodies make corresponding physiological and pathological responses to these changes. According to TCM philosophies, if we consume seasonal foods that are similar in nature to the external environment, we remain in harmony with the environment, adapt better to changes in season and stay healthy. TCM teaches us how each flavor corresponds to a certain organ of the body. The basic applying principle is "nourishing yang in spring and summer time, and nourishing yin in autumn and winter time." To apply this principle, try following the simplified dietary advice below for each season.
• Our ancestors created the 24 Solar Terms (which is listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO) that helps ancient farmers understand the changes in season and weather so they can plant and plan accordingly. Following the 24 Solar Terms and TCM dietary principles, Chinese ate according to seasons in the old days. Modern city people seem to have forgotten those principles.
• We work with TCM practitioner to apply these ancient dietary principles to our menu items. We hope to remind and revive the ancient practice of eat according to season to our well being and be in harmony with our environment.
- • Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) describes the world as a harmonious and holistic entity where all living beings are viewed in relation to the surrounding environment. And mankind is part of this holistic entity. We are influenced directly and indirectly by changes in weather and our bodies make corresponding physiological and pathological responses to these changes. According to TCM philosophies, if we consume seasonal foods that are similar in nature to the external environment, we remain in harmony with the environment, adapt better to changes in season and stay healthy. TCM teaches us how each flavor corresponds to a certain organ of the body. The basic applying principle is "nourishing yang in spring and summer time, and nourishing yin in autumn and winter time." To apply this principle, try following the simplified dietary advice below for each season.
- 2.2. Happy Productive Staff
- • Provide equal opportunity.
• Promote and award base on merits.
• Provide adequate and appropriate training opportunities to staff.
- • Provide equal opportunity.
- 2.3. Support Our Community
- • Each year we support a number of (up to 5) local charities in both monetary donations and donation in kinds (dinner as prize to raise money)
• E.g., Impact HK, PathFinders, Autism Partnership, Women in Finance, Haw Par Music Foundation, Pebbles, Rain Lily, etc.
3. Enviroment:
- • Each year we support a number of (up to 5) local charities in both monetary donations and donation in kinds (dinner as prize to raise money)
- 3.1. Recyle
- • Recycle whenever it is practical and possible.
- 3.2. Value Natural Resources
- • Offer filtered water to minimize use of bottled water.
• Adjust aircon in restaurant to appropriate level.
• Use non paper menus.
- • Offer filtered water to minimize use of bottled water.
- 3.3. Minimize Wastage
- • Design appropriate menu portions to minimize wastage.
• Encourage customers to pack leftovers.
• Educate staff / customers not to over order.
- • Design appropriate menu portions to minimize wastage.
Creative Refined Hong Kong Cuisine
創意精緻香港料理
A decade ago when our owner chef, Sandy Keung, began her chef's journey, geography was not of concern. The goal was simply to cook food that she loves and to create a place where people connect and share experiences. Dishes created are purely reflective of her unique cultural background and authentic to her personal experiences as a typhical Hong Konger.
十年前，當我們的主廚 Sandy Keung 開始她的廚師生涯時，國家或地理料理並不是考慮因素。目標只是烹飪她喜愛的食物菜餚，並創造一個人們交流和分享經驗的地方。十年來所創作的菜餚完全反映了她獨特的文化背景，並真實地反映了她作為典型香港人的個人經歷。
夏季料理
立夏養生宜「補脾養心、增酸減苦」
2024年5月6日是「立夏」。立夏是夏季的第一個節氣。，此節氣開始後天氣變又濕又熱。隨著氣溫逐漸攀升，陽氣漸長，人體能量的消耗會變多，心臟的工作強度日漸增大，中醫認為這時最需要補脾、養心。
夏天屬火，對應的五臟六腑是心臟，加上氣候炎熱，汗液外洩。俗話說「汗為心之液」，夏季要避免大量出汗，使精神及體力下降更感疲勞，多補充水分非常重要。夏天可多吃麥冬、赤小豆、竹葉、苦瓜、黃瓜、西瓜等食物，均有助清心火、清熱安神。此外中醫有論不同顏色的食物分別對不同的臟腑器官有所補益，食材的青、紅、黃、白、黑五種顏色對應到人體的肝、心、脾、肺、腎。 紅色食物有助養心護心，並有助體內生血、活血，因此番茄、紅蘿蔔、枸杞、紅棗、紅豆等紅色食物可以多吃。
Summer Cuisine
"Arrival of Summer" is the first solar term in summer season. This is the season when the weather becomes hot and humid. As the temperature rises, Yang Qi (energy) also rises. The human body will consume more energy, and the work load of the heart will increase as well. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that during summer season, it is most important to nourish the spleen and nourish the heart.
Summer corresponds with fire in the five elements term, and the corresponding body parts are the heart and spleen. As the weather gets hotter, we tend to sweat more. TCM believes "sweat is the fluid of the heart". In summer, it is very important to avoid excessive sweating as it causes weakening physical and mental strength, and tiredness. It is very important to replenish body fluid by drinking more water. In summer, you can eat more food heat clearing and cooling food such as red beans, bamboo leaves, bitter gourd, cucumber, squashes, watermelon, etc. TCM also believes that different color of food: green, red, yellow, white, and black, correspond to different internal organs: the liver, heart, face, lungs, and kidney. One should eat more red foods such as carrots, jujubes, red dates, and red beans in the summer.
Conscious, Ingredient Based Cuisine
「意識」食材料理
- Deeply influenced by the Chinese holistic concept of ‘harmony between man and nature’, TABLE revives the practice of eating according to seasonality. Seasonal local vegetables and other ingredients are incorporated into the menu according to Traditional Chinese medicine principles and the 24 Solar Terms. The five internal organs are nourished by maintaining the harmony of the five elements within the body to optimise wellbeing. Dishes also aim to showcase beloved local flavours using Western cooking techniques with ingredients from Hong Kong and around the world to create a ‘Conscious, Ingredient Based Cuisine’ that is uniquely Hong Kong and uniquely ‘Sandy’.
- Deeply influenced by the Chinese holistic concept of ‘harmony between man and nature’, TABLE revives the practice of eating according to seasonality. Seasonal local vegetables and other ingredients are incorporated into the menu according to Traditional Chinese medicine principles and the 24 Solar Terms. The five internal organs are nourished by maintaining the harmony of the five elements within the body to optimise wellbeing. Dishes also aim to showcase beloved local flavours using Western cooking techniques with ingredients from Hong Kong and around the world to create a ‘Conscious, Ingredient Based Cuisine’ that is uniquely Hong Kong and uniquely ‘Sandy’.
