Craving some delicious vegetarian food? Head over to SpiceBox organics in Mid-Levels for a refreshing lunch or dinner fix.
From the best dim sum, to tasty Indian restaurants and wonderful Hong Kong tea houses, there are so many things we here at Honeycombers Hong Kong love about all the great food offerings across the city. SpiceBox Organics is a health food store and deli in Mid-Levels that is particular about sourcing high quality and certified organic products. Not only will you discover a bunch of condiments, superfoods, raw seeds and nuts on the shelves, you can also grab a salad, snack or dessert to-go. So we headed over to give it a try.
Devour the rainbow at SpiceBox Organics
SpiceBox Organics is building healthy communities
Punam Chopra, the founder of SpiceBox Organics chats about how the company is changing the healthy living landscape in Hong Kong.
Posted by Honeycombers Hong Kong on Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Salad doesn’t have to be bland, and the team at SpiceBox Organics seems to understand this. First up for our lunch tasting was a bright and colourful quinoa salad that was seasoned with anti-inflammatory spices like turmeric and cumin. Mixed with a diverse range of sautéed vegetables, the salad was refreshing, nutritious and packed with mouthfuls of nutty flavour.
We all know that the queen of dark leafy greens – kale – can be bit difficult at times if not properly prepared. That’s why the kale salad at SpiceBox Organics is tossed in olive oil and apple cider vinaigrette to achieve a soft texture, thus becoming easily digested. It’s topped with chunks of juicy beetroot and cashews, and while it’s not the most filling salad, it’s easy on the stomach and loaded with fibre and vitamin K.
Getting the vegetable-based protein and healthy carbs
If fresh vegetables and salads can’t satiate your hunger, try the scrumptious vegan chili, featuring red, black and brown beans. They are slow cooked with roasted tomatoes, vegetables, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper, and with a squeeze of lemon juice, the dish packs a smoky punch with a subtle hint of tangy flavour. A warm bed of quinoa rice is served on the side to balance out the heat; It’s my kind of hearty comfort food.
One of the most requested items on the menu, the tandoori roti roll, is made with a whole wheat paratha wrapped around grilled cauliflower, deeply flavourful mint chutney and red onions. The size of the roll was a bit smaller than expected, but it tasted really delicious!
The samosas are made with mashed sweet potatoes, green peas, ginger and coriander paste, but unlike your typical version that is deep-fried and sinfully fatty, this offering is a much healthier baked variety. The pastry is also made of whole wheat flour, delivering a pleasant earthy taste.
A sweet finish
I had had my eyes on the dainty vegan desserts from the very beginning. The raw brownie is made with cacao powder, which is higher in antioxidants than typical cocoa powder, and is sweetened with dates – for even more fibre! Blended walnuts and pecans give the brownie a rich and silky smooth texture, and, the whole team thought it was delectable.
A work in progress, the new vegan carrot cupcake was the only item that fell short of expectation. While the cinnamon and turmeric topping on the frosting gave it a lovely tartness, the cupcake itself was a tad dry. I hear they’re working on tweaking the recipe, so hopefully a more spongy and decadent version will be mastered by the time I next go back.
SpiceBox Organics – Mid-Levels, Shop 1, 137 Caine Road, Golden Valley Mansion, Caine Road, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong, p. 2559 9887, 半山堅道137號金谷大廈地下1號舖
