What Hong Kong’s top vegetarian restaurateur cooks at home – Peggy Chan’s healthy kitchen secrets
Miso, nori and spices of all kinds fill the shelves at the home of chef Peggy Chan, chef and owner of Grassroots Pantry; ; kombucha is her daytime pick-me-up, while a glass of good wine helps her wind down from a 14-hour day
Peggy Chan is the chef and owner of Grassroots Pantry, one of the most progressive plant-based restaurants in Hong Kong. The 30-something has been a vegetarian since her teens, and her home, like her Sheung Wan eatery, is devoid of animal products.
To fuel long hours in the restaurant, Chan starts the day with a substantial breakfast. “I have nut-based or coconut-based yogurt with some almond butter,” she says. “Generally, I’ll eat it with home-roasted granola, so it’s very simple but very nourishing. And black coffee.” She currently drinks instant coffee by Clipper, a British tea brand committed to fair-trade practices. “It’s good-quality, organic and easy to find.”
She’s not big on snacking, Chan says, “but around once a month, I crave very Chinese snacks, so I’ll always have something at home. I only need a bite.” What is satisfying her craving on the day we meet are baked, tuile-like egg rolls and Chinese nut candies – gifts from her father, who has just returned from Macau.
Her acupuncturist supplies her with a snack developed along traditional Chinese medicine lines.
“Once a day, I’m supposed to eat this walnut, black sesame and Chinese yellow wine paste, which has medicinal qualities and gives you a lot of energy throughout the day,” she says. “There’s black sesame in it, which is a source of protein and iron. I like it a lot because it reminds me of how we make Grassroots Pantry’s raw truffles.”
These sweet treats, she says, are based on a nut paste. “I can imagine dipping them in raw couverture chocolate.”
