Kylie Kwong is a wellknown celebrity chef in her native Australia, known as much for her food as she is for her concern for the environment.

Her professional cooking career took flight as head chef of Sydney's Rockpool, owned by Neil Perry, and she also headed the kitchens at Bill Granger's two cafes in Sydney, bills and bills2. In 2000, she opened her own place in Sydney, Billy Kwong.

She has also authored four award-winning cookbooks and has completed three successful TV series. I caught up for a chat with Kylie when she was last in Hong Kong.

Which of your many roles - chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, television presenter - do you enjoy most?

I don't know...I like them all but not at the same time, I like the diversity and that they fit together.

If I had to choose I would say a restaurateur as I like being the ideas and visionary person...I like directing the restaurant's style and menu and the promotion side. I also enjoy the training aspect of the role.

You haven't acted as the head chef at your restaurant for four years do you still consider yourself a chef?

I am still a chef, just not at the restaurant. I chef on TV, when I am writing the cookbooks, and at home. All the aspects of being are chef are still constantly on my mind. 

Why do you think there has been an explosion of chefs doing TV cooking programmes in the past few years?

This is a good question and I am not sure. From my viewpoint it was not my intention to go on TV, I fell into it after being approached by the national broadcaster ABC in 2002. I was attracted to the multicultural aspect of the programme they wanted me to do.

It does increase cookbook sales dramatically and I think that is the major reason why some chefs get into TV...and of course to become famous.

I think that TV can be a great tool for good. For me it is an opportunity to share my knowledge with the public, and a higher profile has given me the chance to use this "being known" factor to give out the right message, for example sustainable living. In a sense I use my "celebrity" status to give back to the community. Similar to my favourite TV chef Jamie Oliver, he gives back to the community, has strong morals and principals...I have a lot of respect for him. There are celebrity chefs like Jamie and then there are ego celebrity chefs.

You are very passionate about the environment and sustainability, having taken many proactive steps* as a restaurateur to do your part, describing your outlook as your spiritual or philosophical backbone. In Hong Kong the philosophical/spiritual backbone of most Hong Kong restaurateurs is making money, why do you think that your Hong Kong counterparts are much less green?

It's a very personal choice and about asking yourself what do I want my life to have stood for...philosophically I want deeper meaning in my life more than I want money. My outlook and practical steps regarding the environment sustain me and hopefully the work that I do will inspire others.

It really comes down to the type of person you are...when you chase money you never have enough, it is artificial nourishment. So to answer your question it is because they are making a personal choice.

What is the secret to writing an award-winning cookbook?

Recipes that actually work, which is not always the case. Plus, giving the user lots of information, facts and figures..for example it may also include travel information. And, personal stories or notes, people love the personal story, it really grabs them.

Of mine, I particularly enjoy the latest one, My China: A Feast for all the Senses, it is very special to me and is such a personal journey.

Other than your own restaurant, which restaurant in Sydney would you recommend?

Sean's Panaroma in Bondi. It is a small, intimate, casual, very Aussie restaurant by the beach. They use fantastic ingredients and create wonderful comfort food, like Roast Chook (Aussie for chicken), Blue Swimmer Crab with Aioli, and Heirloom Tomato Salad. A lot of Sydney chefs hang out there on a Sunday.

What is your favourite comfort food?

Roast chook with rosemary served with a fresh salad that includes radicchio, lemon and sea salt. It is all I want after having eaten Asian food for weeks on end.

How does Chinese food in Hong Kong compare to Chinese food in Sydney?

The Chinese food in Hong Kong is streets ahead. Hong Kong has some of the best Cantonese food in the world.

I especially love the wonton noodle dishes, and I also like the Sichuan cuisine available in Hong Kong. A particular favorite is Yellow Door Kitchen, I always eat there when ever I come to Hong Kong. Also places like Yung Kee, we don't have those in Sydney.

The one thing that Sydney does have is that the quality of the produce is higher. At my restaurant (Billy Kwong) all our produce is organic from sustainable sources, and much of it is also biodynamic.

All in all the food in Hong Kong is fantastic and I always put on weight when I visit.

*Green Steps

In addition to serving sustainable organic and biodynamic food Billy Kwong is also Carbon Neutral, achieved through the carbon-offsetting company Climate Friendly. The restaurant purchases renewable energy credits from a wind farm in the Chinese province of Hebei. Diners can also play their part by paying an extra $A1 to offset the carbon emissions embedded in their meal. The money collected is given to Climate Friendly.

Billy Kwong's philosophy "To leave as small and light an environmental footprint as possible ... to think globally and act locally."

Kylie is the Ambassador for the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand (FTAANZ), and patron and spokesperson for Oxfam Australia. She is also associated with a number of sustainable produce and organic produce associations.

For more info on Kylie Kwong visit www.kyliekwong.org

Click here for Kylie's recipe