Le Méridien Hong Kong
Cover The hydroponics cabinet at Le Méridien Hong Kong (Photo: Handout)

The system of growing produce in a water-based nutrient solution, hydroponics opens up a whole new world of on-site farming perfect for Hong Kong’s space crunch. We round up the restaurants doing it right

As a bustling metropolis, Hong Kong is known for its densely populated areas and limited space for agriculture. With the growing demand for fresh produce and the need for sustainable and environmentally friendly farming practices, the city is turning to innovative solutions such as hydroponics. Hydroponics is a system of growing plants in water-based nutrient solutions, without the use of soil. This method has proven to be highly efficient, using up to 90% less water than traditional farming methods and allowing for year-round cultivation.

In recent years, more and more restaurants in Hong Kong have adopted this method of on-site farming, sourcing their own fresh produce and reducing their carbon footprint. These restaurants are not only providing healthier and more sustainable options to their customers but also supporting the local economy by sourcing locally grown and harvested produce. Here, we round up some of the top restaurants in Hong Kong that are doing hydroponics right, showcasing their innovative approach to agriculture and their commitment to sustainability.

Don't miss: Sustainability and humble beginnings: Roganic head chef Ashley Salmon gets to the root of it all

Tatler Asia
Above Stir-fried king prawn with hydroponic greens (Photo: Rú)

The newest culinary addition to Nina Hotel Tsuen Wan West is Rú, the flagship Cantonese restaurant that seats 226 diners and focuses on local sourcing and farm-to-table cooking. Helmed by chef Edmond Ip, who previously worked at the likes of Wing and Woo Cheong Tea House, the menu features hydroponic vegetables such as marinated cherry tomato in preserved plum sauce, as well as seasonal vegetables like spinach and Chinese lettuce cooked to your liking.

Rú, 7/F, Nina Hotel Tsuen Wan West, 8 Yeung Uk Road, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong; ninahotelgroup.com

Le Méridien Hong Kong

Tatler Asia
Above Dishes from Southside Bistro (Photo: Le Méridien Hong Kong)

Reopened after an extensive renovation last year, Le Méridien Hong Kong is one of the city’s first hotels to build a smart hydroponics wall in the lobby, providing the bar and its three restaurants with produce grown directly on-site. Guests can sip on a plethora of options from the sustainable cocktail menu at Latitude 22, or nibble on an organic, vegan-friendly salad bar at Southside Bistro, all of which use ingredients from the smart farm.

Le Méridien Hong Kong, 100 Cyberport Road, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong; marriott.com

See also: The top 5 vegan substitutes to kickstart your plant-based diet

Skye Roofbar & Dining

Tatler Asia
Above Vegetables harvested from Skye's rooftop garden (Photo: The Park Lane Hong Kong)

Head chef Florian Muller continues the good work of his predecessor Lee Adams with a culinary programme at The Park Lane Hong Kong’s contemporary dining venue that leans heavily on its rooftop garden as well as its own hydroponic produce. The organic terroir salad and heirloom burrata salad from the à la carte menu feature greens plucked from the vegetable beds upstairs, as does the eggplant steak with curry gel from the set dinner menu.

Skye
Contemporary   |   $ $ $ $

27/F, The Park Lane Hong Kong, 310 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

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Interval Farmacy

Tatler Asia
Above The state-of-the-art indoor hydroponics farm at Interval Farmacy (Photo: Handout)

Featuring an indoor hydroponics farm designed in collaboration with agricultural tech company Farmacy HK, Interval’s Cyberport location grows its own seasonal micro greens, edible flowers and vegetables that are hand-picked for use in dishes, as well as for the public to buy. Look out for hydroponically grown purple shamrock in the shrimp and citrus starter, as well as red-veined sorrel in the signature Interval salad.

Interval
Western

Cyberport, Shop 207, Level 2, Arcade, 100 Cyberport Road, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong

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Roganic

Tatler Asia
Above The bar at Roganic (Photo: Handout)

As one of many initiatives that have won Roganic the Sustainability Champion title at the Tatler Dining Awards 2023, the British casual fine-dining restaurant's Evogro hydroponics cabinets are the most visible. Bathed in purple LED lights, the cabinets' many racks grow a variety of micro-greens on-site, from amaranth leaves to mustard cress and nasturtium, supplying Roganic and its sister restaurant Aulis with all the botanicals it needs just footsteps away from the dining table.

Roganic
British   |   $ $ $ $

UG/F 08, Sino Plaza, 255 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay

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