Community Inspiration

Celebrity food and lifestyle brand Chef Nic Family is expanding its digital space and has teamed up with local creative studio Hungry Sausages Lab (HSL) to launch a brick-and-mortar NFT club in Hong Kong.

Scheduled to open in July, the physical NFT club "Not for Teeth" is a play on the abbreviation of non-fungible tokens, also known as NFTs. The club will integrate F&B, entertainment, and "phygital" activities – a combination of physical-digital experiences.

Tokyo-based restaurant Den was hailed as the best restaurant at Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2022. Japan leads with 11 entries, followed by Thailand and Singapore with nine and seven restaurants respectively.

In its 10th year, the list was revealed at simultaneous events across Asia in Tokyo, Macau, and Bangkok. The ceremony was hosted by William Drew, Director of Content at Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, and Hong Kong actor Marcus Kwok. 

According to online travel agency Booking.com, 74 per cent of Hong Kong tourists prefer to travel more sustainably. 

The results show 86 per cent of tourists confirming sustainable travel is important, with half of the respondents (56 per cent) citing that recent news about climate change has influenced them to make more sustainable travel choices.

Plant-based food is booming. Over the years, people have also begun to make more informed food decisions, driven by increased awareness of the impacts of animal agriculture on the environment, health, and animal welfare. Plant-based dishes have made their way onto menus at restaurants and fast-food chains worldwide, and now we're beginning to see the transition in hotels.

Wakuda will serve Tetsuya's innovative interpretations of Japanese classics on a diverse menu including original Wakuda’s unique style of appetisers, sashimi, sushi, tempura, and small plates of grilled items, rice bowls and cold soba. All the dishes are made using seasonal harvests from Australia, Europe, Japan and New Zealand.

Global food chains Carl's Jr and Marugame Seimen have ceased their operations in Bangkok.

The two restaurants will join the ranks of thousands of stores affected by the pandemic and the restrictions imposed worldwide in recent years.

According to Statista, the global organic food market was worth US$168 billion in 2020 and is tipped to reach $369 billion by 2027, representing a cumulative annual growth rate of 12.4 per cent from 2020 to 2027.

Jeong Kwan, a South Korean monk who grew up on a farm, ran away from home at 17 and joined a monastery at 19, has won an Icon Award as part of this year’s edition of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards program.

For years, Robusta has been the poor relative of Arabica coffee. But with climate change impacting supplies – and a concerted effort by at least one leading Vietnamese coffee industry tycoon – could that be about to change?