From rice cookers to Japanese knives, Hong Kong chefs reveal their must-have kit for a tiny kitchen
In a world divided, there’s at least one thing we can all agree on: kitchen space is sacred. In crowded Hong Kong, with our notoriously small flats (and non-existent storage), it’s easily the most valuable commodity. One must be ruthless in determining what is worthy of a coveted place on the counter. It’s not enough to simply spark joy or be beautiful. No, each must earn its place by being both versatile and irreplaceable. Forget about fussy thermometers, overly-niche equipment (looking at you, avocado slicer) and cluttered cabinets – because an expert’s kitchen is carefully stocked with
just a few essentials.
To find out what every kitchen truly needs, we turned to five of Hong Kong’s top chefs. Read on to find out which five items they can’t live without, you might be surprised by how simple they are.
1. Rice Cooker
“Obviously, a rice cooker makes rice perfectly, but essentially it’s just a pressure cooker – so you can use it to make all sorts of things. At Belon we braise pine nuts for our risotto, but at home I’ll use it to cook beans and lentils. I became a convert when I was living in New York, that’s probably when I started eating a lot of Asian food. Then, when I was living in Paris and my apartment was a shoebox I had to choose between a microwave or a rice cooker—I picked the latter. It’s always one of my first purchases when I move to a new city, mine is from Muji.” – Daniel Calvert, Belon
Similar rice cookers can be found here.