Life is hard, that’s a fact, and there’s no getting around it. Taxes, deadlines, dating, traffic – it’s all unavoidable, and it’s all kind of terrible. Thankfully, this world has a few saving graces that make living worthwhile, namely the French fry.
Also known as ‘chips’ or, if you happen to be stuck in a 2001 time-loop – ‘Freedom fries— these humble batons of deep-fried potato goodness are the eternal solution to all of life’s woes. That is, of course, until you remember they’re laden with empty calories and saturated fats. Which brings us back to square one: life is hard.
But what if you could have the delicious, satisfying crunch of a fry, without the guilt? No, this isn’t a far-fetched fantasy – it’s an easily within reach reality. Here are our favourite guilt-free, healthy (ish) French-fry substitutes.
Lotus Root Chips
It’s a pretty good rule to live by in Hong Kong that if you want something healthy, you go to Grassroots Pantry. The homey-vegetable-forward restaurant is out to prove that nutritious food can taste good too. Check out their crispy Lotus Root Chips, served with Yunnan cashew ham and truffle mayo, as a French fry-substitute. They’re served alongside their limited edition Beyond Burger, and only available through the end of January. If you’re in the Wan Chai neighbourhood, Bread & Beast also serve amazing lotus root chips with a fu yue aoli and spring onions.
Grassroots Pantry, 108 Hollywood Road, Central 2873 3353 www.grassrootspantry.com
Bread & Beast, 3 Swatow Street, Wan Chai 2237 1868 www.breadandbeasthk.com
Check out our interactive map of all the places to get a Beyond Burger here.
Kale Chips
Another rule to live by is this: if you’re craving potatoes, kale is not a decent substitute. But rules were meant to be broken, which is why we’re throwing Nood Food’s kale chips in here. The Krispy Tomato Cheeze-flavoured bites may not hit that exact french-fry spot, but they have a good crunch and are surprisingly moreish. They’re dairy-free and guilt free, and a great pick-me-up after a session at Pure (or a few too many steak dinners).
Nood Food (various locations) www.allnood.com
Zucchini Fries
Osteria Marzia, one of Hong Kong’s newest restaurants, whips of the elevated French fry substitute of your dreams: Zucchini Fritti (aka zucchini fries). They come to the table dry and crispy with just the thinnest coating of batter. For a heartier version, head to SoHo’s Posto Pubblico, where they come with nduja aioli. True, they are battered (and fried), but zucchini is a solid source of antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium and B-vitamins, so they make the cut. Both portions are meant to be shared, but we won’t blame you if you take them all for yourself.
Osteria Marzia, G/F Fleming Hotel, 41 Fleming Road, Wan Chai
3607 2253 www.osteriamarzia.com.hk
Posto Pubblico, 28 Elgin Street, Central 2577 7160 www.postopubblico.com
Check out our exclusive first dinner at Osteria Marzia here.
Sweet Potato Fries
No ‘healthy’ French fry list would be complete without a shout out to sweet potato fries, the trendy-hipster cousin of the regular variety. Though they are often deep fried, chips made from sweet potatoes are lower in calories and higher in a number of vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, potassium and iron. Also, they’re just delicious. When at all possible, you should order them. If you like them classic, head to Beef & Liberty or Honbo, a great new and independently owned classic burger shop (it’s actually owned by a doctor, so it has to be healthy(ish) right?). Maison Libanaise is the place to go for substantial roasted wedges served with a mix of chilli, fennel, lime and toum. Finally, if you’ve got a sweet-tooth you can’t go wrong with Morton’s The Steakhouse’s Maple Glazed Sweet Potato Fries, an ode to America if we ever saw one.
Beef & Liberty, 3/F California Tower, 30-32 D’Aguilar Street, Central 2450 5778
www.beef-liberty.com/hk
Honbo, 6-7 Sun Street, Wan Chai 2567 8970 www.honbo.com
Maison Libanaise, G/F 10 Shelley Street, Central 2111 2284 www.maisonlibanaise.com.hk
Morton’s The Steakhouse, 4/F The Sheraton Hotel & Towers, 20 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui 2732 2343 www.mortons.com/hongkong
Pita Chips
Okay, this one is kind of a stretch. Pita bread is still bread, so it’s not the healthiest option out there, but if you don’t get it deep-fried, it’s still better than chips! Maison Libanaise makes the ‘healthy french-fry alternative’ cut twice for their pita, which is baked fresh daily. Also, pita tends to be low in fat, rich in fibre and contain minerals like thiamine and riboflavin, so pita it up!
Maison Libanaise, G/F 10 Shelley Street, Central 2111 2284 www.maisonlibanaise.com.hk
