Restaurant review: Sasso

25 05 2013

Sasso

Sasso, we have dined there before reform, but never have had so conflicting opinions as we had this time.

Royal Restaurants Ltd make up one of Finland’s largest private enterprise in the restaurant field with 27 restaurants in 21 locations. One of them is North Italian kitchen restaurant Sasso which Palace-Kamp Group sold to Royal Restaurants early 2013. After restoration Sasso was re-opened on 1st of May for May Day lunch.

Sasso chef Eero Vottonen, chef of the year 2012, was hired from Michelin restaurant Luomo. Ambitious objectives for the kitchen, obviously. Restaurant and its widened terrace are located in Pohjoisesplanadi 17 in Torikorttelit. Restaurant Fishmarket downstairs has same address.

Dinner started with Campari sodas and some bread. Butter or margarine had really salty olive groats on it.

Campari Soda

For starters ordered Mortadella di coniglio con ciliegie e pistacchio and Spigola marinata con olive verdi e basilico. Rabbit was confusing because of bitter cherries and salty olive paste, it did not taste at all. Seabass was great, it was ripe although waiter said it would be raw. This portion could also be main course if bigger with new crop potatoes.

For main courses had Salmone all’olio di oliva con carciofi e limone and Vitello ai ferri con asparaghi e pomodori. Again fish was well prepared and tasty. See the position of veal, is the new trend to place food on the other side of plate? Did something forgot from the plate? Veal was like entrecote, too greasy.

??????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????

Because of small portions we had plenty of space for desserts; Tiramisu and Rabarbero all’arancia con latte di mandorle. Tiramisu was a relief for meat course, delicious and sweet with soft biscuits. Again, see the new trend in placing the food on plate! Almond milk was replaced with sorbet because of milk. Remember that in Spain we got almond milk without cow’s milk.

???????????????????????????????Dessert

Because of totally different views we had to judge meals (meat and fish) separately. Overall grade is 4 because of location and window table we had; opportunity to watch Havis Amanda statue and  Market Square. WInes are mainly Italian but moderately priced. Got first too warm white wine which was replaced without asking, polite gesture.

REVIEW for FISH: FOOD 4/5 – SERVICE 4/5 – OVERALL GRADE 4/5

REVIEW for MEAT: FOOD 2+/5 – SERVICE 4-/5 – OVERALL GRADE 4/5

http://www.sasso.fi/etusivu (website is still unfinished and only in Finnish)

MantaRestaurant SassoMarket Square


Comments : 6 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Food, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Wine review: Bouchard Bourgogne Pinot Noir

18 05 2013

Bouchard Bourgogne Pinot Noir

Noticed that I have not tasted French red wine for ages.

This time chose from Alko Bouchard Bourgogne Pinot Noir (100 % Pinot Noir) which comes from Vineyard Bouchard Père & Fils.

Created in 1731, the Maison Bouchard Père & Fils has assembled, over several generations, one of the finest domaines in Burgundy. Moreover, installed since 1820 at the Château de Beaune, it benefits, on this site classed “Monument Historique”, from ideal natural conditions for leaving its precious bottles to age.

THE LOOK

Brilliant cherry red. Reminds of really dark rose or Beaujolais Nouveau.

Pinot Noir

THE NOSE

Red fruit aromas, cherry and kirsch. As wine is quite young aroma is also light.

THE TASTE

Obvious Pinot Noir, quite light with some acidity. Red berries, but again dark rose would not be far.

Red wine

Facts and figures:

Alcohol: 12,5% by volume
Extract: 23 g/l
Acidity: 5,5 g/l
Energy: 80 kcal/100 ml (330 kJ/100 ml)
Closure: natural cork

Bouchard Bourgogne Pinot Noir is suitable for almost every food because it is quite light for red wine. However, for red meat you might want to choose more full-bodied wine. As we had file or beef fried with butter and rosemary, wine was a little bit too thin. Can recommend this wine also as aperitif.

REVIEW: OVERALL GRADE 3,5/5 – BANG FOR THE BUCK ++ / +++

http://www.bouchard-pereetfils.com/home/

Steak


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Categories : Fine Dining at Home, Food, Wine, Wine review

Restaurant review: König

11 05 2013

This review is exceptional! If you want to know why, please continue reading…..

Tommy Hillfiger shop

Karl König was the very first owner of restaurant König and gave it his own name. Since that the name “König” has remained – in different floors with different kind of concepts , sometimes succcesful – sometimes not. Today, König serves variable menu, lunch buffet, karaoke, grooving bar and grand athmosphere? Excellent location, on pedestrian street Mikonkatu 4, opposite are Tommy Hilfiger shop and Galleria Esplanad. In the past years König had quite popular terrace, remember eating there several times.

But after Center-Inn sold König and few other restaurants to S-Group, would say it is time to say goodbay for efforts to serve anything else than fast food.

Dropped by in König restaurant & bar without knowing about the downturn it has faced. Arrived at 5PM on Friday, only one table in use. That should have ringed alarm bells!

A la carte menu did not include actual starters so decided to order only main courses.

Ordered Salmon salad Asian style salmon salad with fresh lettuce, grilled salmon, marinated vegetables and chili vinaigrette and as there was Asparagus weeks from special a la carte list Asparagus, lavaret and shrimps White and green asparagus, fried lavaret, shrimps, potatoes and vegettables.

Salmon saladLavaret and asparagus

What a dissappointment! Salmon piece was small and salty and salad wet. Marinated vegetables were mushrooms and onions! Maybe old salad was tried to hide under vinaigrette?

Lavaret had not seen salt (maybe salmon had it all) and asparagus were, how should I say it, interesting…Only positive thing was that fish bones had been removed from lavaret. Price for asparagus speciality was way too high considering the quality level. Can not remember when we had to leave restaurant eating only half of portions and had to eat again at home.

Salmon saladGreen asparagus

As König is part of huge bar complex with famous summer temptation “mummotunneli” (not so polite to translate), choose some other place for dining. It is not anymore what it used to be. We have not given so low grade before, but it is also partly because of price level which does not match with the bar type of dining room and quality of food. On top of this all wine bottles are over 40€’s which in this restaurant is odd. Had glass of Cono Sur Bicicleta riesling which partly saved the dinner.

One suggestion for the restaurant; please change the name….

Restaurant König

REVIEW: FOOD 1/5 – SERVICE 3-/5 – OVERALL GRADE 2-/5

http://www.center-inn.fi/konig/en/home

PS. Luckily Finland won Russia in Ice Hockey World Championship game 3-2 and leads now Preliminary round in Helsinki (half of the games are played in Stockholm)


Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Food, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

King prawns with Asian flavour

9 05 2013

For shellfish lovers easy and quick portion to prepare for lunch or dinner. But also really tasty and healthy!

King prawnsKing Prawns

Recipe

King prawns (enough for each person)

4 garlic cloves

1 chilli

1/2 -1 fresh ginger (depending on size)

Oil to fry

Asian mint

Baby salad or similar

Lime slices

Low fat Yoghurt

Whole-grain rice  for side dish

(Soy sauce)

Cooking instructions:

If king prawns are frozen defrost them in cold water and dry on paper. If you have shells on prawns, take them away.

1) Chop garlic, chilli and ginger in small pieces and cut 2 lime pieces for each person

2) Put the water to boil for rice and rice to pot when water is hot (takes 10 minutes to cook, ready cooking instructions from package)

3) Pour youghurt in small scoop and set salad leaves, lime pieces and scoop on the plate

4) Put oil on frying pan, heat it and add garlic, chilli and ginger in order to glaze them

5) Add king prawns and fry 1-2 min from both sides (depends on the size of prawns)

6) Take rice out of water and set it on the plate and add some soy sauce (if you like it)

7) Set king prawns on salad leaves which are already on the plate

8) Garnish with Asian mint

9) Enjoy with good white wine!

Ingredientsking prawns

Perfect wine due to Asian spices is KungFu Girl Riesling which was reviewed 12.1.2013.

Bon Appetit! Hyvää Ruokahalua!


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Fine Dining at Home, Food, recipe, Recipes, Wine, Wine review

Wine review: Champagne Henriot, Brut Souverain

4 05 2013

Henriot Champagne

Since 1808, Champagne Henriot, one of the last independent and family-owned houses in Champagne, has pursued a tradition of excellence – a fragile balance between delicacy, intensity, and purity. For seven generations, the family has selected only the very best vineyards, concentrated on the purity of chardonnay and has upheld the utmost respect for time in order to ensure the cuvee has an opportunity to reach its full expression.

On May Day Eve you have to have bubbles, so we tasted Champagne Henriot, Brut Souverain which consists of two grapes; Chardonnay (40%) and Pinot Noir (60%), not so typical ratio to non-vintage champagnes. Brut Souverin is “basic” champagne from Champagne Henriot.

Henriot

THE LOOK

The colour of this champagne is a light-straw gold. Lacked almost all bubbles which made wonder if this wine lacks also acidity or if it was bad wine

Henriot

THE NOSE

Fruits like apple and pear but also some citrus

THE TASTE

First feeling, fills your mouth which means that acidity is quite strong and bubbles were hidden.  To be honest a little bit stale taste.

Henriot Brut Souverain is not available at Alko’s, so you need to purchase it from cruise ships between Helsinki – Stockholm or Helsinki – Tallinn. Champagne suits best with  fishes and white meats. Must be really cold if you like to enjoy it for aperitif. Not exactly our favourite; should invest a little bit more for Henriot Champagnes…

REVIEW: OVERALL GRADE 2+/5 – BANG FOR THE BUCK + / +++

http://www.champagne-henriot.com/actus.php


Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Fine Dining at Home, Food, Recipes, Wine, Wine review

Restaurant review: Brasserie Kämp

1 05 2013

Vappu at Brasserie Kämp

Hotel Kämp is a historical hotel in Helsinki. The hotel was originally built in 1887 by Carl Kämp. The building was demolished and the facade was rebuilt in 1965. The headquarters of the bank KOP were situated in the building for almost three decades, until 1995. A major restoration project, started in 1996, culminated in the reopening of Hotel Kämp in 1999. A shopping centre, Galleria Esplanad, was also opened within the same city block.

Brasserie Kämp offers a wide range of European food brasserie style and Kämp Bar offers you the unique cocktails; in fact mainly champagne, wine and beer which customers usually order. Bar is also very popular on Friday and Saturday evenings. You can also enjoy Sunday brunch at Brasserie Kämp. After building heated terrace two years ago you can dine “outside” all year around like in many brasseries in Paris.

May Day (1st of May) is typical day for enjoying lunch buffets. Had May Day lunch served to the tables at Brasserie Kämp. A la carte list was short which made ordering easy; two starters, two main courses and two desserts. Foccacia and bread were grea compliments to start lunch.

Starter

Starters were QUAIL & SPRING CABBAGE & APPLE Quail terrine, poached egg of quail, poached spring cabbage, apple compote, apple purée, apple “ donut “ and ASPARAGUS & SHRIMP & KUMQUAT Sitrus- marinated white asparagus, green asparagus, kumquat, smoked shrimps, shrimp crème and cress

Both dishes were ok, but dissapointment for taste was obvious. Quil was tender and tasty, BRAVO! Shrimp starter was difficult to understand, what was the clue? Small portions but tasty….Unfortunately we did not understand all flavours of dishes, especially aspargus was not as we expected.

DSC03843

Main courses were LAVARET & NEW POTATO & PARMESAN Roasted lavaret , new potatoes, peas, radish, spring onion, zucchini, caper, parmesan veloute and DUCK & MOREL & POMEGRANATE Duck confit,, baked potato filled with morels, potato, shallot and chives, shallot crème, pomegranate and pomegranate-duck stock.

Cooking of lavaret was excellent; basic fish flavours. Duck confit was delicious, really well cooked. Could have eaten much more…..

LavaretDSC03845

Tried both desserts CHOCOLATE & DRIP BREAD Araguan- chocolate mousse, drip bread ice-cream and RHUBARB & STRAWBERRY & MEAD Marinated rhubarb, strawberries and mead sorbet.
Both desserts were great; Sauli Kemppainen and his team had really made their best. But using of milk was not so clear,,,,

StrawberryChocolate

Brasserie Kämp is perfect location to observe passers-by on Esplanadi promenade. You can also watch swanky cars parked front of Hotel Kämp or driving to the hotel garage. Latest celebrity visitor at Hotel Kämp was Justin Bieber on 25th April!

BUT; May Day is a little bit difficult occasion to compare restaurants and dishes. Because of 1st of May we decided to be modest. Unfortunately we would give only 3+ for food if this would be normal lunch. Anyway, were were able to listen nice male choir singing for us.

Choir

DSC03857DSC03874

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

Normal lunch, only 3+ for food! But we like international athmosphere…..

http://www.hotelkamp.com/brasseriekampbareng


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Food, Helsinki, Hotel, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine


%d bloggers like this: