Video
Read full review
2011-01-10
71 views
The name of the restaurant, F.I.N.D.S., stands for Finland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden and it is natural to presume that it serves nothing but Northern European cuisine. Well, not exactly. Yes, you would most definitely find the usual Scandinavian ingredients such as herrings and reindeer in their menu but they offer so much more.Let's start with their chef. Executive chef Jaakko came from Helsinki, the capital city of Finland and has worked for the local two michelin star restauant Che
Let's start with their chef. Executive chef Jaakko came from Helsinki, the capital city of Finland and has worked for the local two michelin star restauant Chez Dominguez, which was ranked by "Restaurant" Magazine as the 23rd best restaurant in the world last year. We had the pleasure of visiting Helsinki in the summer of 2009 and were hoping to stop by Chez Dominguez for lunch but too bad that it was closed for summer holidays during the first 3 weeks of August. This time, we can finally taste Jaakko's magic.
Greenland shrimp soup with shrimp mousse and dill (Grade: 3.5/5)
We had no idea that's how shrimp soup was served in Greenland but it was good. Although the plate only held some 10-15 spoonful of soup, we much preferred quality rather than quantity. Tasted very much the same as lobster bisque, the soup was complimented nicely by dill and a soft shrimp mousse. It was also served with a small toast atop with baby shrimps and mayonnaise.
Salmon six ways (Grade: 4.5/5)
This was easily the best dish of the night. The salmon was cooked in six different ways including cold smoked, seared, mousse, pickled, gravad lax, and roe. I particularly enjoyed the gravad lax cooking style. The slice of salmon was "buried" under salt over a period of time making it taste like a salmon 'jerky'. Well, not as hard as a beef jerky but definitely additional texture.
Foie gras two ways (Grade: 4/5)
The pan fried portion of the foie gras was very crispy on the outside and soft on the inside but yet it was not oily at all. Not to be outdone was the terrine portion, which was marinated well with wine, giving its taste yet another dimension.
Poached silver cod, with spinach and potatoes (Grade: 3/5)
I am not a fish lover, never been and never will be but I do like codfish. Like any other codfish, the silver cod is best known for its rich fat content and natural flavour. However, this pales in comparison to the other more innovative dishes.
Venison tenderloin (Grade: 4/5)
When it comes to Scandinavian cuisine, reindeer seems to be more popular than venison but we were not afraid to give the venison tenderloin a go. This venison tenderloin was cooked using the slow cooking technique allowing the natural taste of the meat to be preserved. We especially liked the slight gamey flavour of venison and it was wonderfully matched with a thick black currant sauce.
The only knock about this dish was the fact that it was not served hot. Presumeably, our servers waited a while before bringing it to our table and the meat noticeably cooled off, especially during this cold winter time. Otherwise, it would have been perfect.
Overall
Although the atmosphere of the restaurant was unexpectedly disappointing (poor lighting in particular), we were certainly not disappointed with the food at all. Northern European cuisine itself may have scared some potential customers off but there were plenty more to offer here on top of the herrings and reindeers, such as pasta and steaks. I would personally recommend the three-course dinner set which was only priced at $298.
Post
