Explore ideas for transforming food waste and seasonal ingredients into special menus

Explore ideas for transforming food waste and seasonal ingredients
into special menus, adding value to new creations with the campaign
"Too Good To Waste" by Ajinomoto

Ajinomoto Co., (Thailand) Ltd. has carried on the idea of turning food waste and plentiful seasonal ingredients into new value-added dishes with other restaurants. The second restaurant with this decent concept is “Ivory Coast Almond Restaurant & Chill Bar”, which offers two menu concepts: “The overripe ingredients usage menu” and “The whole ingredients usage menu”.

The first menu is Crispy fried soft-shell crab with fried betel leaves in coconut milk curry. The idea comes from the signature southern Thai classic curry that emphasizes a mellow spicy flavor, followed by sour and sweet flavors, combined with vegetables and fruits that are often discarded because the leaves or fruits are damaged and discolored, even though the taste and quality are still good. The restaurant selects vegetables and fruits with a sweet and sour taste, such as santol, to be cut into ingredients for making curry. This menu uses ingredients that are "Overripe; not pretty but still tasty" to create a menu that goes well with crispy fried soft-shell crab and fried betel leaves.

The second menu is Chujai Grilled Cauliflower. This menu came from the idea of what to do with cauliflower in abundance without wasting food during this season. The restaurant therefore boils the whole cauliflower, from the floret to the stem, which is difficult to eat, in milk until soft. Then grill it to bring out the color from the flower to the stem. The result is grilled cauliflower that is crispy, tender, easy to eat, and has a milky aroma, aligning with the concept “Whole ingredients usage menu; to make every part edible.” It is then served with grilled scallops, topped with French Beurre Blanc sauce, and mixed with salad dressing.

The idea for reducing food waste and creating new menus not only changes the perspective of the journey of uneaten but still edible ingredients, but also shows that the value of a dish depends on the creativity of the cook, the beautiful arrangement of the dish, and the story presented before it becomes the main dish that we eat on the table. It is an answer to pass on to everyone who believes there are still ways for ingredients close to us to be consumed and used in the most worthwhile way, instead of being thrown away.

Besides “Ivory Coast Almond Restaurant & Chill Bar”, Ajinomoto would like to invite everyone to try 2 menus that are both good for the heart and good for the planet from each restaurant. Whether it be “Oakland Café x Restaurant”, “Jirakaan” and “Penlaos (Rama 2)”. The campaign activities will be updated via the Ajinomoto website and Facebook fan page: “Ajinomoto กรีนได้ กินดี”, and “Starvingtime" from now until the end of February 2025.