Specialising in light meals such as sandwiches and salads, Grove is a three-star EatSmart Restaurant (ESR) that has always strived to bring healthy and natural foods to customers since its establishment. Quintin Ng, Operation Manager of Grove, pointed out, “If you pay more attention to the methods of cooking vegetables, you will find that Hong Kong people don’t actually dislike vegetables. If we can skilfully disguise the “grassy taste” which many Hong Kong find unacceptable and prepare flavourful vegetables, customers will gradually take more vegetables.”

In Pursuit of Great Taste

Vegetables are seasonal ingredients, and the texture and flavour of vegetables from different origins vary. The Grove team spares no effort in looking for ways to increase customers’ acceptance of vegetables, such as choosing hydroponic vegetables that do not come with an earthy taste or roasting pumpkin over low heat until it is thoroughly cooked to remove its grassy taste. Quintin said, “We are constantly exploring various cooking methods to ensure that the vegetables taste delicious and refreshing. We even spent almost two months to prepare some of the recipes!”

Salad Variations to Expand Customer Base

Apart from the taste of vegetables, Quintin noticed that a reason why many Hong Kong people dislike eating vegetable salads was that they find them cold and not satiating. In view of this, Grove added vegetables that are rich in carbohydrates and dietary fibre, such as pumpkin and carrot, to their salads which helps increase customers’ satiety. After several attempts, Grove launched a warm salad, namely “Roasted Vegetable & Fresh Fruit Yoghurt”, which has become the most popular dish of the restaurant. The efforts of the Grove team have paid off. In addition to young people, the restaurant has successfully attracted elderly and children customers.