Inheriting the venue previously occupied by Frantzén’s Kitchen, Embla is Hong Kong’s newest fine dining take on contemporary Nordic cuisine. Marking the latest chapter for Chef Jim Löfdahl, who formerly acted as executive chef in its previous avatar in the very same location, the mint menu gives centre stage to fresh and seasonal ingredients.

Chef Löfdahl brings a strong foundation to build on, presenting two decades of culinary expertise amassed between Stockholm and Hong Kong. Having shadowed three-Michelin-starred Chef Bjorn Frantzen since 2008, and later partnering up with him to establish Frantzén’s Kitchen in Hong Kong back in 2016, Embla seems a natural progression.

As a born-and-bred Swede, Löfdahl designed a menu that speaks true to his heritage, conveying his passions to existing and new customers alike. Drawing on elements of new Nordic Cuisine, the carte makes the most of local and Scandanavian produce, harvested with environmental and ethical practices in mind.

The five-course Spring lunch menu begins at $588 per head, with items like the Yellowtail Gravlax and Beer-poached Brown Crab with Smoked Avocado and Horseradish, which showcases traditional regional cooking as well as an inventive use of ingredients.

Unique Western items less common to Hong Kong are introduced with inventive flair, like the Celeriac Fondant with Smoked Tea Aspic and Fermented Onion Nage and Sturgeon Caviar. Employing a broad range of cooking styles, the team leaves no influences unexplored in its quest to create a multi-layered palate.

Thanks to a renewal of the interiors, the space itself has been refreshed with a new, elegant design. Under the muted lighting, deep navy and grey tones are set against the glint of an ochre marble counter and earth-toned plates. Retaining its forerunner’s intimate ambience, the restaurant makes for a sumptuously cushy spot to become acquainted with top-shelf new Nordic cuisine.

Embla
11 Upper Station Street, Sheung Wan
(+852) 2559 8508