Jaakko Sorsa’s favorite food memories are from his childhood. As a youngster he would visit his grandmother Ida in the “Lakeland” of central Finland. There he would watch her take the wild mushrooms, berries and fish from her island home and turn them into the traditional dishes he loved so much. From that young age, watching his grandmother, he knew his fate was sealed.

Jaakko refined his skills working under a series of Finnish and Swedish master chefs and eventually became a corner stone in the success of Chez Dominique which with his help, would go on to receive two Michelin stars and became Helsinki’s fine dining destination. Following Chez Dominique Jaakko worked for ten years at the presidential place in Finland preparing state meals for visiting dignitaries. After conquering the heights of cuisine in Finland it seemed natural to go out into the world.

His travels took him across three continents and to islands in the Pacific and Caribbean. He worked as a peacekeeper/ chef with the UN in South Lebanon, at luxury resorts in Fiji and Bermuda and served several stints in some of the finest seafood and gourmet restaurants of Vancouver.

Finally, he settled in Hong Kong and has remained here for over seven successful years. In Hong Kong, as the Executive Chef of FINDS, he developed his signature “Nordic Bistronomica” style combining the casual approach of bistro dining with an emphasis on the fresh, homemade artisanal ingredients integral to Nordic cuisine. In Hong Kong he has also reinvented himself as a successful culinary consultant working with a number of businesses ranging from a French brasserie to a Mediterranean restaurant. In 2008 he was named president of “The President of Disciples Escoffier Hong Kong” and wrote a cookbook, Scapas Dining, which was nominated for ‘The Best Hardcover Cookbook’ in ‘Le Cordon Bleu International Food Media Awards’ in Australia.