Have your cake and eat it too at Singapore’s Mezza9. Keep your environmental impact at bay whilst making no compromise in taste or luxuriance.
An experience for all the senses
Located on the mezzanine floor of the Grand Hyatt, you will find Mezza9. Spacious, yet cosy and lively, the restaurant’s concept revolves around nine sections (now the name should make sense). Seafood, grill, steam basket, sushi, Thai and patisserie stations offer a limitless choice of high quality cuisine in the 400 seat restaurant and if you’re not ready to go home, a martini bar, a gourmet shop selling breads and cakes and a party room specialising in gin and tonic will be waiting to tempt you on your way out. The venue is one of the best in Singapore and offers a truly classy and international experience, with exceptional food. However, what makes Mezza9 noteworthy is found not only in the tastes, fragrances and aesthetics found front of house, but behind the scenes.
Mezza9’s slogan, ‘Food. Thoughtfully sourced. Carefully served.’, reveals the restaurant’s seemingly simple core values, and hints towards something we hear about very often today in the world of food: sustainability. Sustainability is far from being a new concept in this arena and due to its ambiguous definition the term is thrown around pretty freely. Mezza9 have used a great deal of initiative in sculpting their own meaning of sustainability, coming to a very thorough and very impressive set of principles and practices.
Food for thought
Revamping their menu in the past few years, Mezza9 has chosen not only to incorporate responsible sourcing, but they seem to have actually moulded their service around sustainable ingredients, showcasing their culinary showmanship to produce honest, quality driven food. Mindful sourcing is at the heart of the restaurant’s dedication to sustainability; organic herbs are handpicked from the hotel’s rooftop garden and fruit and vegetables are sourced from select farms in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia.
Farm collectives such as Weeds and More, working with ethical smallholder farms to grow cold climate European produce, are brought into the supply chain, resulting in a whole lot of economic support for local farmers and communities. Plus, choosing to go local has reduced the hotel’s total carbon footprint by an estimated 130 times in food shipment, comparative to a scenario where vegetables are flown in from Europe. Where animal produce is concerned, animal welfare is also of priority and so you’ll find that the restaurant only cooks with free-range chickens and cagefree eggs as well as grass fed cows. The only seafood you’ll find at the sustainable seafood station, is that certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) or the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), meaning that it is sustainably farmed or from a thoughtfully managed fishery.
Vegan-friendly menu
Those with a vegan diet among us will also be generously catered for. Mezza9 has become a pioneer in introducing plant-based meat alternatives to Singapore and plant-based options on the menu can include vegan pork, vegan eggs, vegan sausages, and vegan burgers.
Teaming up with Beyond Burger, the restaurant has added two new vegan burgers to its menu more recently. Beyond Burger – if you don’t already know – makes burger patties from ingredients such as pea protein and beetroot, and they have been widely commended for being identical to regular beef patties. No compromise needed. Choosing the vegan burger at Mezza9 makes for the same indulgent foodie experience, but you’ll be opting for the soy, hormone, cholesterol and antibiotic free choice. Healthy for the body and guilt free for the soul. Consuming responsibly is no walk in the park for any of us but Mezza9 showcases that vegan dining can be luxurious, self-indulgent and easy.
Reducing food waste
Dining buffet-style is deliciously satisfying and appeals to many for one simple reason: you get to try everything. However there’s no doubt that operated a buffet can result in an abundance of food waste. With a third of all food being wasted across the globe, food waste is becoming an increasing concern and the Grand Hyatt has rightfully decided to ensure that leftover food from Mezza9 isn’t wasted. When it is, it is dealt with in a way that reduces environmental impact. Guests are welcome to take home leftovers when the rush comes to an end and the evening slows down, then once the restaurant has been emptied the hotel converts food waste into pathogen free organic fertiliser within 24 hours. Compost is used for landscaping as well as for the rooftop organic herb garden. Of course this also reduces plastic consumption hugely. In one year, the hotel’s in-house waste management system slashes the use of trash bags by 55,000.
Sustainability can be applied to endless aspects of a restaurant business and to implement sustainable practices well requires a great deal of dedication. From responsible sourcing and vegan friendly options to circular food waste management and reduced use of plastic, Mezza9 seems to cover the basics painstakingly well, paving the way for other restaurants who should aspire to follow suit. Mezza9 is the perfect example of a venue demonstrating that consumers don’t have to compromise on taste or luxury to reduce their environmental impact.
Where?
Website: www.hyatt.com
Address: 10 Scotts Rd, Grand Hyatt, Singapore 228211
When?
Monday – Saturday | 12 – 2.30pm and 6 – 10.30pm
Sunday | 12 – 3pm and 6 – 10.30pm
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