While many establishments within the food and beverage sector are just now finding themselves adopting more environmentally friendly ethos, modern Cantonese restaurant John Anthony has been eco-driven from its very start. Giving a whole new meaning to green-thumbs, Executive Chef Saito Chau isn’t the only wiz when it comes to whipping up sustainable veggie dishes, as John Anthony’s mixology team composed of Katelyn Ix and Suraj Gurang, are also ensuring that the bar menu is a thing of zero-waste too.
Drawing inspiration from the ancient Silk Road, John Anthony has crafted four house-infused Gin & Tonics and nine new Signature zero-waste cocktails all made from sustainable and locally foraged ingredients. Being home to one of Hong Kong’s largest collections of gin – over 400 and counting – bar goers can gaze aweingly at the four 12-litre transparent tubes that sit at the centre of the restaurants bar, which contain house-infused gins of shiso, strawberry, sun dried tomato and rhubarb.
Among those worthy of trying are the Bay of Bengal which has been infused with coconut washed gin, aveze, cardomom bitters. sandalwood tincture, spiced mango, lemon and Indian tonic – and is garnished with black pepper and a chickpea cracker. Clearly not your average drink, the cocktail’s taste is just a mighty as its ingredients list, as it perfectly balances its fruity flavours with the woody and floral notes from the sandalwood and spiced mango.
Also making our list of favourites – Uprooted – made with the combination of pandan vodka, tea-smoked ginger, lime, passion fruit honey and kaffrir lime tincture. The tea-smoked ginger proves to be the standout ingredient and it’s to no wonder as the plant has long been a flavour beloved for both its medicinal and culinary contributions in both Chinese and Indian culture. The pandan vodka also proved to offer something quite unique, a sure favourite for any adult with a still lingering sweet tooth.
John Anthony Hong Kong, 1 Sunning Rd, Causeway Bay, (852) 2898 3788