A day trip to Sweden: Lund and Malmo

Quaint structures at Lund

 We took a one-hour regional train from the Copenhagen central station to cross the Øresund bridge over to Sweden. We were so close after all that we could actually hit another country in this trip. We went first to Lund, which was farther out.

one of the buildings at Lund University

 This university town was on the sleepy side. It was very quaint with some traditional houses along the way to the Botanical Garden, which was our first stop after going through Lund University. We did not have time to explore Kulturen which is an open-air museum of traditional and historic structures, but this can be an option for you to explore. We went to the greenhouse of the Botanical garden, which opened for Spring just days before we arrived. It was a lovely garden but we had to make our way to the Lund Cathedral to catch the 15^th century astronomical clock, Horologium mirabile Lundense, chime at noon. 

Lund Botanical Garden

It was a short show and not at all fancy. However, keeping in mind that it was from the 15^th century, it was still a nice thing to watch (and catch as it only chimes at noon and at 3pm).

Lund Cathedral

Horologium mirabile Lundense

 We then headed to the Saluhallen Lund (food hall) where we had our lunch. Hubby had some meatballs (can it still be called Swedish even if these were from the Sweet and Spice, North African place?) while DD#2 and I shared couscous. Grandma had a most delicious Thai Red Curry chicken at Thai Way and DD#1 had a nice shrimp, cheese and bread dish from Malmstens Fisk and Kök. It was an unexpectedly nice meal that got us set for the rest of the afternoon.

Saluhallen Lund

Moroccan couscous meal

 

Moroccan meatballs in Sweden :P = Swedish meatballs?

shrimp dish at Malmstens Fisk and Kök

After a quick stroll at Stortoget, including a stop at Åhléns department store, we headed back to the train station to go to Malmö, about 15 minutes away by train.

Malmo Central Station

Malmo Central Square

 Malmö had a different feel from Lund. It was more vibrant and more modern. Even while we spent less time here (and hence, less pics as you may have noticed), I would pick Malmö over Lund, if I can only visit one city. It is, after all, closer to Copenhagen. We just walked to Södergatan, which is a pedestrian shopping street where Grandma had coffee at Espresso House. We also had to check out H&M, but decided there were better sales at home. After a whirlwind visit to Sweden, it was time to head back to Copenhagen. If you can manage it, I would definitely recommend checking out Lund or Malmö as a day trip from Copenhagen. While the vibe of both countries are similar, you still know you are in a different place.

New Nordic dining at Vaekst

 

Vækst, Copenhagen

We wanted to try some New Nordic cuisine and made reservations to go to Vækst, in Sankt Peders Stræde in the middle of Copenhagen’s old Latin quarter. It was also close to our hotel and the greenhouse-inspired décor was lovely. There were so many places to choose from, but Vækst was also in the Michelin guide and had great reviews, so we needed no further convincing.

We had an early dinner where they started us off with a crepe with fresh vegetables and cheese. It was served with peas. Then, we had warm bread and herbed whipped butter. We also got an appetizer of cheese foam on top of foam with crunchy rye at the bottom. A delight for our palates, these apps truly whet our appetites as we looked forward to the rest of the meal.

vegetable and cheese crepe at Vækst

bread and herbed whipped butter at Vækst

cheese foam, potatoes and rye at Vækst

Hubby, Grandma and I had the set dinner meal, minus the wine pairing (leaving our server to take away the 15 wine glasses on our table). We had Salted Scallops with green gooseberries, apple and hazelnut. It was a nice starter with dice raw scallops and very flavourful. The presentation was also delightful as our server poured the sauce onto the bowl.

Salted Scallops at Vækst

 For mains, we had Fried Cod which was garnished with radish, pureed peas, trout roe and beurre blanc. The cod was perfectly fried, slightly crispy on the outside and tender and flaky inside. The trout roe popped in our mouths as we took a bite of the cod with the beurre blanc and pureed peas. The radish on the side provided the nice contrast to the sauce.

Fried Cod at Vækst

The girls had Danish Beef Tenderloin with grilled spring onions and truffle sauce. They were also served mashed potatoes. I got to try some from DD#2. It was perfectly medium rare and oh so tender. One of the best steaks we’ve had in a while. The grilled spring onions matched perfectly to balance the truffle sauce.

Danish beef tenderloin at Vækst

For dessert, we had Rhubarb Sorbet with white chocolate and chamomile, topped with meringue. It was a wonderful palate cleanser.

Rhubarb sorbet at Vækst

We really enjoyed our food with most of the dishes having a wonderful play on textures of light cream, sauce or foam and crunch or pop. The flavours complement each other very well and were refreshingly new to our taste buds.

The place was packed by the time we left, a testament to the wonderful cuisine they have to offer.