PLAY | DINING
“ If more people eat vegetarian more frequently , it really could change the environment as a whole ”
Gary Yin Chef-owner of three Michelin-star King ’ s Joy , Beijing Turning the entire menu plant-based , bar milk and honey for tea and coffee service , was certainly a risk for such a high profile , highly acclaimed restaurant – but it was a punt that paid off with the restaurant retaining its three Michelin stars for the 11th year in a row .
Eleven Madison Park is not alone in its vision ; nor in proving that fine-dining veganism can succeed .
More and more Michelin-starred restaurants are ditching meat for plantbased dishes , recognising the impact meat especially is having on the planet , and proving that you can elevate plants to culinary heights .
When King ’ s Joy landed a coveted third Michelin star in November 2020 , the acclaimed Beijing-based restaurant became the world ’ s first vegetarian ( not vegan ) three-starred Michelin restaurant , not to mention China ’ s first Michelin Green Star for environmental and sustainable practices .
Like Humm , Canadian-Taiwanese owner-chef Gary Yin is on a mission , to promote a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle – and to bring vegetarianism to China , a country that consumes 28 % of the world ’ s meat and whose livestock is estimated to account for around 15 % of global greenhouse gas emissions .
“ If more people eat vegetarian more frequently , it really could change the environment as a whole ,” says Gary .
Using greens and seasonal produce only sourced from local , organic farms , Lin takes vegetarian cuisine to new heights , transforming tofu , wheat gluten and mushroom into inventive fake meat creations , with tasting menu highlights including sweet and sour money ’ s head mushrooms and hawthorn jelly and Comte-mountain yam rolls .
Around the world , restaurants are seeing green . Ranked the number one restaurant in the world in 2022 , Copenhagen ’ s three- Michelin-starred Geranium removed meat from its menu at the start of last year , although it still serves seafood options for discerning pescatarians .
Speaking about his decision to drop meat from the menu , co-owner chef Rasmus Kofoed – the first chef in Denmark to earn three Michelin stars – said he hadn ’ t eaten meat for the last five years at home , “ so to no longer use meat on the new menu was a logical decision and a natural progress for Geranium ”.
Now , the plant-powered menu includes infusions of grilled white asparagus , pickled elderberries , truffle , and crispy grains , as well as dark chocolate and Jerusalem artichoke reductions for dessert .
Motivated by the environmental impact of meat production , in 2018 , French chef Dominique Crenn ( the first woman in the US to be awarded three Michelin stars ) took a stand against factory farming and removed all meat from the menu of flagship restaurant – San Francisco-based Michelin-starred
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