A discussion on alternative meat: Why beef over “fake” meat?

Keith Wong founded steakhouse Keef the Beef with his wife Jeanne. Here's his take on plant-based meat.

By Keith Wong / 11 Nov 2022

Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, November 2022 Issue

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The debate over ‘real’ versus ‘fake’ meat continues among meat producers and their plant-based protein disruptors. Caught in between are increasingly confused consumers swayed in different directions by the science and research of the day.

As climate change and food security concerns have increased, the meatless lobby led by the likes of Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods has gained momentum. Plant-based proteins are now available in most supermarkets and have quickly taken over fast-food and restaurant menus. Even the upscale Eleven Madison Park in New York City valiantly went vegan last summer when it reopened after it had to close because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thoughts on meat as a steakhouse owner

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Naturally, the meat industry and meat lovers are not taking the attacks lying down. ‘Ultra-processed imitations’ are bad for consumers’ health, say American meat producers, pointing to the additives and other artificially produced ingredients that make fake meat look and taste real, as well as its higher sodium content.

As the owner of a steakhouse and someone who has spent years trying to produce the most tender, most flavourful steak, you can’t blame me for wanting my beef red and real, grain or grass-fed. It’s hard to imagine anything more delightful than sinking my teeth into a melt-in-the-mouth Fiorentina or Wagyu, paired with red wine or sake.

However, even as I marvel at the wonderfully complex Maillard reaction that turns my meat brown and charred, I am also conscious of the carbon footprint of cattle farming and want to preserve the planet for my three toddlers.

Related: Love Handle opens Singapore’s only fully plant-based butchery

Photo: Athirah Annissa

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My conflicted soul finds absolution in the idea of the community. There is more to food than sustenance. At its core, eating together is a communal activity. From catching up over coffee to indulging in a Michelin-star degustation menu, food is an important social bond.

When family and friends eat together, they stay together. Let’s chill. The bond that binds is surely more important than the beef over plant-based alternatives.

Related: Nutrient-dense plant-based meat substitutes are the way to Singapore’s food security

Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, November 2022 Issue