FINDS: seasonal Scandinavian dining in Tsim Sha Tsui

FINDS, Hong Kong’s only Nordic restaurant (the name stands for Finland Iceland Norway Denmark Sweden), made the bold move over to ‘the dark side’ a while ago. Unfortunately, I never actually visited it when it was right on our doorstep in LKF Tower, so won’t be able to make any comparisons with the old FINDS which I know was always very popular; however, I can tell you that the new FINDS, now located in the very trendy boutique hotel, The Luxe Manor, is definitely something special and well worth the oh-so-treacherous journey across the harbour!

The fun, curvy lime green and wood interior entices, giving a fresh yet warm atmosphere, accentuated by the big projected image of a burning wood fire. The retro wooden beams are beautifully contrasted with the modern lime green and multi-coloured Missoni print chairs. Having visited before for lunch, I liked the décor the first time round… but somehow, it felt even cosier in the evening. I was informed that the reason for the wooden beams and almost tree-like design was that they wanted to bring the outside world inside.

FINDS changes its menu seasonally, with only the freshest ingredients sourced by Head Chef Jaako Sorsa himself. I was invited to try ‘The Nordic Autumn’ menu, a five-course menu tasting extravaganza and a perfect reflection of the cooler weather we’ve been enjoying recently.

The meal kicked off with a King crab and beetroot starter – light and delicate, a mouth-watering contrast between the juicy beetroot, the soft fleshy crab and the crunchy toasted walnuts and white asparagus. Beautiful.

Jaako then had a little surprise up his sleeve for us that wasn’t on the menu. He brought out his “salmon trolley” and carved up three different types of salmon for us to share: regular smoked salmon, beetroot infused smoked salmon, and one called ‘pastrami’, which in fact has nothing to do with pastrami as we know it, but is coated in a pepper crust. To complement these delicious cuts of salmon, a smoked salmon mousse and a dill and mustard sauce were also offered to us. FINDS is famous for its smoked salmon, going through over 6,000kg in a year, and now I can understand why it is so popular.

Next up was a slow-braised wagyu cheek and smoked wagyu tongue. The thought of eating tongue has never particularly appealed to me and nor was I overjoyed by the flavour. However, provided I didn’t think about it and provided I didn’t look down and see the ridges and bobbles I know to associate with a tongue, it wasn’t too awful. The cheek, on the other hand, was delicious; a wafer-thin piece beautifully paired with tarragon carrots and spiced apples.

The poached North Sea cod fillet was light and comforting, matched perfectly with the rich and earthy flavours of porcini and green lentils.

The star of the show was hands-down the venison tenderloin filled with wild mushrooms. ‘Tender’ loin is an understatement as the venison was perfectly pink and simply melted in the mouth. There was definitely silence around the table as we all devoured it.

Just in case we were still hungry, we were served a fresh pear and raspberry terrine with caramel ice cream, a cloudberry crème brulée and a shot of Godiva liqueur. Wow, wow and wow.

As the ‘cooler’ days draw in and you start to crave some rich, warm comfort food, be brave, cross the harbour and go and try some of Jaako’s seasonal treats!

FINDS Restaurant & Bar 1/F, The Luxe Manor, 39 Kimberly Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
2522 9318 www.finds.com.hk/

www.finds.com.hk

 

Read more about Alejandra’s adventures through food (and love of yum cha) in Hong Kong on her fab blog, The Dim Sum Diaries!