Cheering patients with tasty and nourishing meals

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▲ Ho Yin (left) gave the tasting session full marks and said his favourite dish was candied lemon chicken wings. His father was impressed by how the hospital valued patients’ opinions.

Earlier, some patient families were invited to a “restaurant” converted from a conference room at HKCH, where they were served a variety of Chinese, Western and Japanese dishes and desserts. It was in fact an initiative to collect feedback on patient meals which helps the hospital plan menu items that are both nutritious and welcomed.

▲ Sixteen dishes were served at the tasting session, including popular items like steamed egg custard and chocolate pudding cake, as well as new items like mini “pun-choi” and chicken leg with mashed potato.

Menus catered to kids’ liking

Having good meals during hospital stay complements the medical treatment to benefit patients’ physical and emotional wellbeing. The Catering Service conducts annual surveys and tasting to constantly improve the patient menus and develop new dishes. Earlier, some patients and parents were invited to a tasting session. They gave ratings to the presentation and taste of the dishes, and excitedly expressed how they felt.

One parent felt surprised by the arrangement, and appreciated the hospital for valuing patients’ opinions and experience. Another parent said that having to stay in the hospital is never a good thing, so being able to enjoy some good food is very important. He believed hospital meals should cater to children’s tastes rather than adults’.

▲ Choi Yee's father (middle) realised that his daughter's taste was completely different from his own. He believes the hospital's menu should cater to children's tastes first.

▲ A patient once said in a survey that he wanted to eat curry. The team worked hard to refine the recipe, and announced that a new dish - Japanese curry fish fingers rice bowl - will be introduced later this year.

Balancing taste and nutrition

Miscelle Kwok, General Manager (Administrative Services) and Janet Tang, Senior Hospital Administrator shared that HKCH is the first hospital to develop patient menus based on a children-friendly concept. The meals are designed to be both appetising and nutritious. “We pay special attention to the selection of ingredients, avoiding pickled or fermented food. We work with dietitians to adjust the content according to patients’ age and clinical needs, while chefs work their magic over taste and presentation. We hope our meals are well loved by children, and could meet their nutritional needs.”

Besides, the hospital offers various special meals, such as vegetarian, halal, shredded, clear liquid and neutropenic meals, to meet patients’ specific needs. To spread festive vibes and cheer patients up, festive foods are prepared during Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival and Christmas, etc. For example, a mini “pun-choi” was just introduced this year.

▲ Patients, parents, hospital management and healthcare staff participated in the food tasting, joining hands to improve patient experience.

Click to watch video of the meal tasting session