Green is the new luxury with JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong which recently unveiled an all-encompassing green approach for stays and meetings, where a variety of green initiatives are proactively executed.
Copthorne King’s
Hotel Tien Court
Restaurant
Embraces “Ugly”
Vegetables In Its
Teochew Delicacies
In recent years, the spotlight has been fixed on the food industry’s carbon footprint. According to the United Nations, food systems generate around a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, higher than the global aviation sector. Restaurants and grocers across the island are increasingly trying to go green in creative ways that serve both the environment and diners.
Tien Court at Copthorne King’s Hotel Singapore is proud to be the first Chinese restaurant in Singapore to embrace and repurpose imperfect foods that would otherwise be discarded. Through a groundbreaking partnership with Green Grocer’s Ugly Vegetable Programme, Tien Court is leading the way in sustainable dining.
A Tradition of Sustainability
For appetisers, there is Chilled Marinated Cherry Tomato with Plum, made with tomatoes from local produce brand Greengrocer’s Ugly Vegetables programme.
Sustainability has always been at the heart of Tien Court’s culinary philosophy. Even before the advent of the Ugly Vegetables Programme, Tien Court utilised offshoots of vegetables to create rich soup stocks, showcasing a commitment to minimising food waste. This philosophy is deeply rooted in traditional Teochew cuisine, which emphasises the use of all parts of vegetables and animals – from offal in the iconic Pig Stomach Soup to off-cuts of plants in broths and sauces.
At the restaurant, you will find impeccably plated Teochew delicacies laden with premium ingredients – Sri Lankan crab, fish maw, Irish duck, white teat sea cucumber and the like.
But peer a little closer and you might notice some bits that do not always make it to the dining table. For instance, the Irish John Stone Dry-Aged Beef Rib, which was added to the main menu in April, is braised with offshoots from carrots, celery, tomatoes and other vegetables and served in a red wine reduction sauce.
Tien Court’s sustainability efforts have propelled the restaurant to explore sustainable options, leading to partnerships with innovative farming initiatives such as the Bia Bord Origin Green Sustainability Programme members, Silver Hill Duck and John Stone Beef for dishes like the Braised Sliced Silver Hill Irish Duck and Irish John Stone Dry-Aged Beef Rib in Red Wine Reduction. Tien Court honours the heritage of Teochew cuisine by pioneering environmental responsibility.
Green Grocer’s Ugly Vegetable Programme
Tien Court’s partnership with Green Grocer’s Ugly Vegetables Programme aligns perfectly with the restaurant’s ethos. The programme rescues misshapen and oversupply vegetables from landfills, integrating them into delicious and innovative dishes.
Currently, Tien Court features one permanent menu item utilising these repurposed vegetables: the Frozen Marinated Cherry Tomato with Plum. This dish highlights cocktail truss tomatoes and cherry tomatoes that are "out of size" and typically discarded. These juicy tomatoes are marinated in a special house brew of honey, whole salted plums, and yuzu, creating a refreshing and flavourful bite.
Raised in Hong Kong within a family of celebrated Teochew chefs, Master Chef Lui
Wing Keung, the youngest of seven, naturally gravitated towards the fine art of Teochew cuisine. While surrounded by the dominant Cantonese culture, his unique upbringing endowed him with profound insights into Teochew culinary traditions—known for their simplicity and
delicate flavours—which ignited his passion and shaped his career path. With over thirty years of experience, Chef Lui's driving force remains the joy of customer satisfaction.
Lui Wing Keung, a master chef at Tien Court, shared that “Despite the appearance of these vegetables, they do not taste different from their more conventionally attractive counterparts. They are plated and used in the same way,”
On the restaurant’s decision to use rejected vegetables, he adds that the restaurant’s approach to food is driven by tradition: “Not wasting food is rooted in Chinese culture. As a traditional Teochew restaurant, Tien Court has always embraced using all parts of vegetables and animals – a philosophy passed down in Teochew cuisine, such as using offal parts and organs to craft the iconic pig stomach soup.”
Commitment to Sustainability
The Ugly Vegetables Programme is a natural extension of Copthorne King’s Hotel Singapore’s dedication to sustainability. As part of the Millennium Hotels and Resorts group, the hotel is committed to embracing sustainable practices and integrating them seamlessly into the guest experience. The use of repurposed foods not only reduces waste but also sparks important conversations about sustainability in the culinary world.
Looking Ahead
Tien Court’s pioneering efforts in sustainability represent a bold step forward in the culinary industry. By participating in the Ugly Vegetables Programme, Tien Court not only enhances its menu with unique and flavourful dishes but also contributes to a more sustainable future.
