April 3, 2014
This special Slow Food Hong Kong dinner had been on our minds ever since the success of our first sustainable seafood dinner at FINDS in the autumn of 2012. That year, Chef Jaakko Sarso had created a wonderful, innovative and memorable treat for us, and he did so again at our second gathering. We dined on a seafood feast that is rare to find and hard to match in Hong Kong.
Almost 20 people showed attended, all eager to try out the wonderful fruits of the sea. The ingredients were prepared with much care and creativity, delighting all our senses: the eye, the taste buds. We tasted the sea, the freshness and experienced the plump, firm textures of Jaakko’s carefully selected variety and combination of seafood delights.
Jaakko also spoke to our group about the role of chefs as one important gateway to sustainability. Chefs decide what to offer on our plates. As a native Scandinavian, it comes naturally to him to choose seafood responsibly. Education still needs to happen, not only on the restaurant side, but also on the consumer side. Understanding the long-term benefits of protecting our seas and its foods is essential, especially since there are different cultures that feel differently about the subject. But if somebody starts this, then others will follow by supporting “sensible sustainability” in order that future generations can still enjoy those jewels of the sea, as we did at FINDS.
The evening and its theme made this not only a culinary adventure, but also an educational dialogue as most of members and guests enthusiastically got engaged in discussing the subject. It was just wonderful, and we shall definitely be back at FINDS!