Innovative Eco-Friendly Restaurants Around the World
Here is our pick of the resourceful chefs redirecting the supply chain at innovative kitchens all over the world. These restaurants are striving to spotlight locally-grown produce on zero-waste menus and oversee initiatives to address inequalities in food and social justice – with delicious dishes we can’t get enough of.
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Diego Arenas Gosende HAOMA, BANGKOK
CLOSED-LOOP DINING IN THE THAI CAPITAL
After stints in hotel kitchens and a roving food truck, Indian-born chef Deepanker Khosla turned his home on a leafy Bangkok backstreet into a restaurant that’s a modern ode to the flavours of his motherland. Feasts start with a tasting tour of the back garden, which is filled with large, spacious seafood tanks – home to main courses in the making – that feed nutrient-rich freshwater into reclaimed-wood planters and vertical hydroponic farms growing herbs, edible flowers and vegetables. Kitchen scraps return here, too, either as fish food or fertiliser, while rainwater is collected for later use. What doesn’t come from these grounds Khosla sources from his organic farm in Chiang Mai and carefully vetted suppliers around Thailand – but not without having personally inspected and tested their soil first. The signature nine- and 13-course menus cover a pan-Indian potpourri of curries, dahls and chutneys – deconstructed, infused, compressed or jellied, and served on seashells, coral or tree trunks. Expect to try Haoma in a Bite, a fishy roll-up of which every single component, from the Nile tilapia to the dashi and herbs, has come from the garden. With South-east Asia’s growing waste problem, it’s brazen chefs such as Khosla who are taking action and ushering in serious change in a city that needs it.
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Cory Smith AMASS, COPENHAGEN
NOMA’S FORMER HEAD CHEF IS LEADING THE LOCAVORE CHARGE
California-born Matt Orlando founded his restaurant in 2013 in a bleak industrial zone on the outskirts of Copenhagen, where he prioritizes sustainable practices. Refshaleøen has since become one of the city’s coolest and most interesting quarters, and Orlando’s inventive take on the New Nordic tenets is at the heart of this shift. A true pioneer, he was reducing food miles to zero from the off; he has worked hard to minimize water usage and turns any organic waste into mulch. The menu blends Nordic game, seafood, and plants with an innovative American approach to further-flung ingredients. Expect dishes like herb-infused oils and potato peels or unique pairings such as habanero dulce with brill and preserved-cucumber juice.
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Tommi Anttonen BLUE HILL AT STONE BARNS, NEW YORK STATE
THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL FOOD-WASTE ADVOCATE KEEPS ON CAMPAIGNING
Dan Barber, known for his work to improve American nutrition, launched WastED in 2015 to demonstrate how to creatively use leftovers. Blue Hill at Stone Barns, set on a sprawling organic farm, will host events featuring diverse chefs impacted by the pandemic, encouraging them to use ingredients sourced from the farm itself. Expect a menu that reflects cultural diversity while championing sustainable practices.
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Gustavo Vivanco MIL SACRED VALLEY, PERU
A MOUNTAIN RESTAURANT PRESERVING THE COUNTRY’S NATIVE INGREDIENTS
Virgilio Martínez’s restaurant Mil focuses on sustainability by exploring the diversity of Peru’s produce. The menu features eight courses representing ecosystems at different elevations, incorporating native ingredients while telling a gastronomic story that extends beyond the plate.
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Carol Gherardi CORRUTELA, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL
WINNING OVER MEAT-LOVING DINERS WITH A SOLAR-FUELLED, VEGETABLE-CENTRIC MENU
Chef César Costa at Corrutela emphasizes seasonal, organic ingredients while maintaining a locavore approach. The restaurant is committed to sustainable practices, with a menu that transforms underappreciated ingredients into vibrant dishes, all while working towards reducing waste through composting.
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Francis Kokoroko / @accraphoto MIDUNU, ACCRA, GHANA
INDIGENOUS GOODS AND SELL-OUT SUPPER CLUBS IN WEST AFRICA
Selassie Atadika’s Midunu champions local ingredients such as sorghum and millet, which adapt well to the local climate. Through community pop-ups and a focus on traditionally underused crops, Atadika is redefining Ghanaian cuisine while promoting sustainability.
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SAINT PETER, SYDNEY
A SEAFOOD BUTCHERY LEADING AUSTRALIA’S GILL-TO-FIN MOVEMENT
At Saint Peter, sustainable seafood practices are followed meticulously by chef Josh Niland. He creatively minimizes waste at his restaurant, ensuring that nearly every part of the fish is utilized, thereby defining a new standard in seafood dining.
