First Bite: We Tried The Impossible Foods' Plant-Based Meat

Soon after its Asia debut yesterday, Impossible Foods has already swept Hong Kong off its feet with its flagship product Impossible Burger. With key investors including Bill Gates and Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-Shing, the Silicon Valley-based plant-based meat manufacturer has collaborated with some of the best taste makers in the city on its launch in Hong Kong, including May Chow of Little Bao and Happy Paradise, and Uwe Opocensky of Beef & Liberty. Upon its launch in Hong Kong yesterday, we were invited to be among the first in the city to try out the Impossible plant-based meat and here’s what we think:

Above Impossible patties allow for various creations and are used in many renowned restaurant chains in the US such as Umami Burger. (Photo: Courtesy of Impossible Foods)

“Their food tastes like it’s real meat but has far more potential positive impact on the environment and human bodies. I am also very proud that our very own Gen.T lister May Chow is one of the first chefs in Asia to be invited by Impossible Foods to create a dish with a Cantonese twist. Who knows what you can create with the Impossible meat?!”

Michel Lamuniere, Edipresse Media Asia Chairman & CEO

Above The Impossible Thai Burger created by Uwe Opocensky of Beef & Liberty with chilli, coriander, mint, basil, spring onion, soya mayonnaise, crispy shallots, and garlic. (Photo: Courtesy of Impossible Foods)

“I’ve recently become vegan. Prior to that, I was a heavy meat eater, and I would spend weekends tracking down Hong Kong’s best burgers. For me, an event that combines a plant-based meat substitute with a burger was very exciting. When I bit into the burger, I was amazed. I have eaten other types of plant-based patties before, but Impossible is by far the most convincing plant-based meat I’ve ever tried. I’ve made a request to the scientist who founded the company, begging him to make a plant-based cheese in it because I particularly like cheese burgers.”

Sean Fitzpatrick, Edipresse Media Hong Kong managing director & chief content officer

Above The Impossible chilli cheese fries available at Beef & Liberty. (Photo: Courtesy of Impossible Foods)

"I think that Impossible Foods, like other plant-based diet products are offering a healthy alternative to making our future a better one. On a grand scheme of things adopting a more plant-based diet is good for the environment. On a personal taste spectrum, the Impossible Burger has the versatility to be utilized beyond just a patty as its texture and flavour can be enhanced with spices and other ingredients such as vegetables to enhance, and be utilized in daily cooking and even as an alternative to meat in restaurants."

Wilson Fok, dining editor

Above The secret to Impossible patties' realistic texture and taste lie in an ion-containing molecule called heme. (Photo: Courtesy of Impossible Foods)

“The Impossible patty nailed the taste of its beef equivalent and really hit the spot for me. If restaurants served this on their menu, I would be more inclined to order it over real beef burgers since it's cruelty-free.”

Gavin Yeung, Home Journal digital editor

Above The Impossible patties taste, cook, and smell like real meat despite being entirely plant-based. (Photo: Courtesy of Impossible Foods)

“Am I not eating meat? That was the first question I asked after taking my first bite of the Impossible Burger. It is exciting to know plant-based diet is no longer just about a vegetable-loaded diet but there are options to experiment with. On top of that, the Impossible patties are so much friendlier to the environment than the beef industry as it uses 75 per cent less water and 100 per cent fewer cows. I will be thrilled to see Impossible Foods’ products hitting our local supermarkets in the near future knowing they will make positive impact to our plant Earth.”

Isabel Wong, digital writer

Above The Impossible Xin Jiang hot pocket available at Happy Paradise created by chef May Chow. (Photo: Courtesy of Impossible Foods)

“I loved it! I was so surprised that plant-based meat can look, taste, and cook so much like real meat. If I did a blind taste test, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between Impossible food’s meat and real meat. The fact that we can trick our brain into thinking we’re eating meat by adding different ingredients in the cooking process is an interesting concept that needs to be further explored. Also, when I learned that plant-based meat isn’t necessarily healthier than consuming real meat, I was slightly disappointed but hopefully Impossible Foods will be able to make a healthier option in the future!”

Claudia Cheung, social media associate

Topics

Impossible Foods Plant-based Vegan Startup Hong Kong

Tatler Asia

First Bite: We Tried The Impossible Foods' Plant-Based Meat