Restaurant review: Tchaikovsky (Estonia)

29 09 2012

It takes only 2 hours with shuttle boat to enjoy of Estonian athmosphere.  In Tallinn there are lots of restaurants with different flavours. This time decided to dine in old town at Restaurant Tchaikovsky which is at hotel Telegraaf.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer whose works included symphonies, concertos, operas, ballets, and chamber music. Some of these are among the most popular concert and theatrical music in the classical repertoire. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally, which he bolstered with appearances as a guest conductor later in his career in Europe and the United States. One of these appearances was at the inaugural concert of Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1891. Tchaikovsky was honored in 1884 by Tsar Alexander III, and awarded a lifetime pension in the late 1880s. (Wikipedia)

Restaurant Tchaikovsky is in the old town of Tallinn, Estonia and presents a symphony of Russian cuisine. In 2011, Flavours of Estonia has ranked restaurant cuisine as Estonia’s 2nd best in the fine dining category in its annual 50 best Restaurants in Estonia Award.  Tchaikovsky’s Chef de Cuisine Vladislav Djatšuk was world’s top gastronomy contest Bocuse d’Or Europe finalist in 2009.  The restaurant seats up to 55 diners and in the summer you can also sit at the terrace.

Every Tuesday and Saturday evening, starting from 19:00, you can enjoy of classical live music. So do not believe web site, no live music on Friday.

Dinner started with greetings from Kitchen. Mainly consisting of Roe and cucumber, nice combination. Also crackers and sticks were good with salted butter.

For starters ordered ROYAL BLINI WITH CLASSICAL GARNISHES AND CHOICE OF CAVIAR (30g.) with White fish roe and  Roasted scallops with beetroot, blackberries and lemon espuma. Blini was a little bit dry because egg white and yolk were too dry. Usually portion is moist due to frying in butter.  Scallops were delicious as portion was partly made by special request, beetroot is always tasty but seldom you can see it on restaurant menus.

Kitchen served some food melters before main course. Sorbet is the best melter known as well as this time also.

Decided to order for main courses  Rosted deer fillet with parsnip puree, marinated rowan berries and beetroot sauce and Grilled Cod fish with lemon cream lentils, salsify and mussels sauce. Deer smelted smoothly in mouth, it was so tender. Also all side dishes were perfect. Fish was over cooked, as usually in most of the restaurants. Otherwise portion was delicious as it was prepared by special request.

For dessert decided to taste sweeties like Pavlova à la Tchaikovsky and Crème brûlée with cranberry sorbet. Pavlova was further modified by request and it tasted delicious. As well as Creme brulee which was fresh due to berries and sorbet.

After delicious desserts coffee and green tea were served with kitchens greetings. No need for filling belly anymore but definately had to taste marmelade and pink macarones.

Restaurant Tchaikovsky is one one the best restaurants in Tallinn and maybe the best in old town. Must check Bocca and Ribe and some other restaurants…..Service was excellent and you can be sure you are taken in count.

REVIEW: FOOD 4,5/5 – SERVICE 5-/5 – OVERALL GRADE 5-/5

http://www.telegraafhotel.com/restaurant-tchaikovsky

http://www.facebook.com/restaurant.tchaikovsky





Hard Rock Cafe Helsinki opening soon

23 09 2012

Hard Rock Cafe Helsinki opening soon

Click the link above!

Hard Rock Cafe Helsinki daily opening times already available and sign of the HRC can be seen on the wall of the building Cafe is located. HRC Helsinki address is Aleksanterinkatu 21, 2nd floor. Propably it still takes about 4 weeks before the Opening Ceremony date.





Restaurant reviews: Soup Kitchen and Cheese bistro

22 09 2012

Wanha Kauppahalli (Old Market Hall) has been opened 1889 and today it hosts about 30 merchants and bistro owners. You can eat sushi, soups and cheeses at small bistros or have a cup of coffee at one of the cafes. You can also buy delicious Finnish “smörrebröds” for instance rye bread with spiced salmon.

Because most of the merchants sell delights or groceries which are not available in ordinary stores, there is even Alko (wine store) at Wanha Kauppahalli.

Decided to have lunch at two of the so called bistros. Both places were almost all the time full of tourists. Actually think that no one was Finnish when we had cheeses at Cheese bistro.

Bouillbaisse at Soppakeittiö (Soup Kitchen)

Soup Kitchen serves three different soups every day. This time alternatives were White bean soup, Goulash sopu and Bouillbaisse soup. Ordered Bouillbaisse soup which included salmon, shrimps, mussels, vegetables and garlic mayonnaise. Soup was extremely tasty and two kinds of bread with basilica oil complemented well ensemble. And price – only 9 euros!

http://www.wanhakauppahalli.com/WanhaKauppahalli_Soppakeittio.html

Cheese plate at Juustobistro (Cheese bistro)

Cheese bistro serves also soup, sandwiches and pastries. You can also order wine and other liquors if you like. After delicious soups walked 5 meters from Soup Kitchen to Cheese bistro, they are side by side at Old Market Hall.

Cheese plate included cheeses from cow, goat and lamb milk. Fourth cheese was blue cheese. Also Tuc biscuits and white bread was served together with cheeses. Price for plate was 7,50€ and with glass of house wine 12€. Cheeses can vary on daily basis which means that you can drop by often.

http://www.wanhakauppahalli.com/WanhaKauppahalli_Juustobistro.html

This time no grades because both places differ so much from “real” restaurants. If you have time to visit Old Market hall, can recommend both. On Saturday at lunch time you may have to wait for free table ot desk.





Restaurant review: PureBistro

17 09 2012

PureBistro is a modern bistro and bar at the Market Square in Torikorttelit area. Restaurant serves uncomplicated but handmade and modern bistro food. PureBistro is owned by Michelin star restaurant Luomo chef”s Jouni Toivanen and Mika Mattila. Dining room is quite small as well as tables. Ask for window table and you can enjoy sea view and watch what happens at Market Square. At 8PM restaurant was full and you could mostly hear english and swedish; well marketed to hotels or travel agencies.

As the core value is fresh materials, the menu is short, but there is changing daily specials available. There might be for example a whole bird, fish or shellfish to be shared. This time restaurant had lamb as daily speciality. If it would still be summer you could enjoy lunch or dinner at one of the terraces.

Fresh bread is served in paper bag with caramelized butter. Unfortunately butterscotch taste did not match so well with white bread served, maybe it would have with rye bread.

Three courses cost 44€, if you order dishes separately bill would be 50€. During this visit prices were a little bit high compared to the level of portions.

For starters ordered SKAGEN and DUCK IN JAPAN. Skagen included brioche, shrimps, whitefish roe and chili mayonnaise. Not so typical brioche and chili could have tasted more. Duck in Japan was duck leg and foie terrine, bacon dashi and miso mayonnaise. Terrine was really delicious but could not found the taste of Japan.

For main courses ordered daily speciality LAMB MOROCCO STYLE and SALMON CONFIT ‘APIACEAE’. Lamb was too greasy and without taste of Morocco. Salmon was stewed in olive oil and should include set of flowers.  Fish was stewed perfectly as it was still partly red inside but set of flowers remains mystery. As pyre was asked to left out oufit was close to soup but no spoon available.


For dessert had QUEEN rasperry and blueberry and BANANA SPLIT. “Queen” was fresh but more like a juice. Banana Split was daily speciality but quite ordinary dessert.

Suggest to order from a la carte list instead of daily speciality. Hope PureBistro uses more spices because oriental names of the dishes make believe they are well flavoured. However, the location is perfect and athmosphere casual for chatting groups.

REVIEW: FOOD 3-/5 – SERVICE 4/5 – OVERALL GRADE 3,5/5

Restaurant website may be a little bit shocking… http://www.purebistro.fi/

http://www.torikorttelit.fi/fi/cat/ruoka-ja-juoma/





Restaurant reviews on Facebook

15 09 2012

Restaurant reviews (reijosfood) now also on Facebook. Some additional information and pictures but all reviews are written on this wordpress blog.

Most of the reviews are from restaurants in Helsinki, Finland. Sometimes one can find reviews from other locations.

Bon Appetite! Bon Appetit! Buen provecho! Guten Appetit! Приятного аппетита!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reijosfood/341033185986831

 





Restaurant review: Copas y Tapas

8 09 2012

Restaurant Copas & Tapas started at Esplanad but luckily their previous landlord decided to use all premises by themselves. Means that you can always sit on half empty terrace at Cafe Aschan. But if you want to taste delicious tapas or even dine prepare to book table beforehand. Restaurant is not so easy to find but it is worth it.

You can choose Tapas assortment of 3, 4 or 5 tapas and continue with main course. This time daily selection were whitefish, duck or black angus steak prepared on “horno brasa”. Means charcoal grill. For dessert assortment of 3, 4 or 5 cheeses or sweets. Most of the wines come from Torres wineyards including 20 and 30 year old Torres brandies.

For tapas got Zucchini soup, Filled capsicum and  Pork neck mousse on rye bread. Recommendation was to start with cold soup which was good and suitably salty. Next ate capsicum which was filled with cream cheese and crayfish, excellent. Overripe organic pork neck mousse was scrumptious. Could have eaten 5 of them. On top of tapas were two pieces of licorice which suited well for salty mousse.

Chose for main courses Whitefish with fennel pyre, beurre blanc sauce, season vegetables and chantarelles. Asked one portion without milk products and restaurant managed to meet the request perfectly serving fish with sweet pepper sauce. Both portions were delicious, would say achieved gourmet level. Fennel pyre was relish, onions so sweet and it always makes difference when food is prepared on charcoal grill.

Would say that service was also admirable. Lots of useful information about portions, wines and brandies.

Copas y Tapas is not traditional Spanish tapas restaurant because it uses Finnish foodstuff and also tapas are prepared partly Finnish way. What makes it extraordinary are fresh tapas which are prepared at the restaurant. With some modifications to the dining room (too much echo), it will be one of the most successful concepts.

REVIEW: FOOD 4,5/5 – SERVICE 5-/5 – OVERALL GRADE 4+

http://www.copasytapas.fi/





Anthony Bourdain visited Finland

6 09 2012

Anthony “Tony” Bourdain, American chef, author and TV personality visited Finland in January 2012.

Mr. Bourdain is well known for Travel Channel‘s culinary and cultural adventure programs No reservations and The Layover. These programs are also shown in channel Jim in Finland. http://www.jimtv.fi/ohjelmat/anthony-bourdain-maailmalla/etusivu

Anthony Bourdain – No reservations 2012 Finland was shown in Finnish TV on the 2nd September, 2012.

Hey really, Finns and Finland are not at all like that! Finns like clean sauna’s at home a lot, but they seldom drink vodka and never take “treatments” shown. English is the first foreign language for Finns in the schools, so that went also wrong. Must now reconsider watching No reservations, if all episodes are so much far from the truth.

http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/anthony-bourdain/photos/no-reservations-finland-pictures
http://www.anthonybourdain.net/

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Not so nice videos….be careful!





The Culinary Team of Finland at Kamppi 10th of September

3 09 2012

The new National Chef Team of Finland has been appointed after a long and demanding process. The team consists of 13 members and is led by Mr Tapio Laine. Next Olympics are in October in Germany but the Team aims to win gold at the Olympics in 2016

The Team will be better known at the latest when they have presented their “cold table” at Kamppi shopping center on the 10th of September 2012.

http://www.kamppi.fi/en/stage/get-to-know-the-lions-of-the-culinary-team-of-finland-%E2%80%93-chef-lions-at-kamppi-september-10th

http://www.ctof.fi/

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Note: picture below is not “cold table” created by the Team. It is home made Cold Table.





Restaurant review: Virgin Oil Co.

2 09 2012

From nice dining to stage diving!

This is how restaurant Virgin Oil Co. describes briefly itself – http://www.virginoil.fi/

In real life Virgin Oil Co. is american italian restaurant which serves maybe the best pizzas in Helsinki. Have several times ordered delicious pizzas which are prepared in wood oven and they have always been excellent. Restaurant and bar are in the first floor and terrace in the summer front of the entrance. In the 2nd floor there is a popular Club where you can enjoy live music and performances. Decor tries to imitate taverna or trattoria style with few peculiarities like painting/picture on the wall and roof lamps.

Imagine that at the end of August restaurant already sells Christmas Party events!

At 5PM on Friday evening restaurant is still quite empty, but could not make table reservation two days earlier. Usually you get table right away or in half a hour if they said it is full. At 7PM it actually was full.

For Primi Piatti or Antipasti ordered this time Gamberetti con Barbaforte Crayfish tails marinated with horseradish, Carciofi Marinated and grilled artichokes and Salsiccia Piccante Hot and spicy salsiccia-type sausage, grilled. Crayfish was OK but one could not taste horseradish. Artichokes were also OK but should have been longer in the grill. Salsiciccia sausage was as it should have been, salty and greasy.

For Primi Secondi had Chevre Chicken Grilled breast of chicken, potatoes à la Virgin, grilled goat cheese, blackcurrant sauce and vegetables and Chicken Fulmini
Grilled breast of chicken, linguine (pasta) in a creamy sauce with chilli, oil with herbs, parmesan and pine kernels. Grilled chicken breast
was a little bit dry but chevre well grilled and smooth. Linguine was also a little bit over cooked but chili sauce tasted perfect. Sauce reminded carbonara but without egg.

For wine ordered wines from barrels which usually are simple but drinkable. Maybe wine had stayed too long in the barrel because it was a little bit stale. All bottle wines come from Italy and USA; for american italian restaurant an obvious choice!

Virgin Oil Co. is perfect place to eat pizza with friends because of central location (near Stockmann on the Mannerheim Street) and relaxed athmosphere. For pizza would have given at least 4 for food, if comparing to many other pizzerias.

REVIEW: 3+/5 – SERVICE 3,5/5 – OVERALL GRADE 3,5/5

http://www.virginoil.fi/in-english/menu/








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