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Restaurant reviews in Helsinki 2013 – breakthrough of “gourmet” bistros

10 01 2014

Year 2013 ended up too soon. Did not have time to visit all those restaurants had planned. Anyway, breakthrough of “gourmet” bistros highlighted the year.

Bistros are relaxed, unformal dining spots with decent service and food.

In Helsinki, there has been established during couple of last years “gourmet” bistros, which compete with unique decoration, good service and well designed, delicious dishes. They also have short a la carte list and one or to menu alternatives. We could call some of these bistros restaurants, but part of them do not use that naming.

Example of “gourmet” food can be found from picture below which is taken at Spis. Whole portion consists of fresh vegetables but also of fish, which is uniquely prepared.

As we were not able to visit all “gourmet” bistros in Helsinki, results were as follows:

1. Spis 13,50

2. Gastrobar Emo and Grotesk Winebar 13,25

3. Glogatan 4, Meche and Muru 13,00

4. Farang 12,75

From these restaurants I would say Spis, Gastrobar Emo, Grotesk Winebar, Meche and Muru are so called “gourmet” bistros. Add also PureBistro which got 12,50 points and we can really call year 2013 “year of bistros”. 4 of the restaurants above have link to Michelin star restaurants, can you guess how?

Glogatan 4 is more restaurant than bistro and Farang serves asian gourmet kitchen, which you can not miss.

How Spis differs from other “gourmet” bistros? It serves greetings from kitchen between courses which others do not. That is one reason why it took the first place this year. It also has longer menus than others (full review at reijosfood.com)

Why Grotesk Winebar succeeded although it is quite new? It serves rare delicacies which you do not get in other bistros. It also provides professional wine pairings with dishes (full review at reijosfood.com)

Why Gastrobar Emo earned 2nd place although it is one of the newest restaurants in Helsinki? It is partly owned by Pekka Terävä who owns Michelin star restaurant Olo. Olo might be the next 2 Michelin star restaurant as Chez Dominique closed down it’ doors. (full review of Emo at reijosfood.com)

Year 2012 results can be found from blog page Restaurant reviews – rankings.

Year 2014 will continue with review of “gourmet” bistro or tapas bar Goce which was opened in November 2013. We also might visit some of the most prestigious restaurants although “gourmet” bistros have modified restaurant field a lot.

Thanks for following my blog, commenting posts and liking at least some of them!

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Tags: 2 Michelin stars, Bistro, Chez Dominique, food, Gastrobar Emo, Grotesk Winebar, Helsinki, Michelin star, restaurant, restaurant review, Spis, Travel
Categories : Food, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Restaurant review: Pirate Helsinki – Christmas buffet

20 12 2013

Traditional Finnish Christmas buffet usually includes freshly salted fishes, roes, Christmas ham, casseroles and rosolli (beetroot, pickled cucumber, apple, carrot and whipped cream). Restaurant Pirate Helsinki did not serve casseroles but instead of that many rare delicacy traditional dishes.

Pirate Helsinki served 5th time Christmas buffet in cozy and vivacious athmosphere. Silent Santa Claus welcomed guests next to the entrance.

Menu is unfortunately only in Finnish but it includes for instance herrings, roes, smoked fishes, game dishes and different type of roots. For dessert you can choose Finnish cheeses and sweet desserts.

Only dish served to the table, first on the menu, was chestnut soup, which was delicious. Mulled wine, however was not the best one tasted, as it was partly based on Wana Tallin liqueur.

All other foods and dishes were on the buffet tables. Because of the wide selection of dishes available, I am not going to bore you by writing detailed description and review of each piece of food tasted. Instead, picture is worth of a thousand words.

Buffets can be insidious, you can eat too much and you notice it only after you have finished dinner. But if you decide just to taste small pieces of each food, then you can survive.

First plate: roes, freshly salted fish and herrings

Second plate: not picture but included warm fish dishes

Third plate: raindeer and elk with parsnip pyre and boletus stew

Fourth plate: Finnish cheeses

Fifth plate: gingerbreads, gingerbread cupcake, macaroni, marmalades and chcolates

Pirate manages well in serving Christmas buffet dinner. In the summer time going is more simple but as relaxed. Chef Markus Maulavirta was helping in the kitchen which could be seen in the high level of buffet. One + more for the overall grade if wine list would have been as luxorious as buffet. Three white and red wines do not necessarily pair with all available savory foods.

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

http://www.pirate.fi/index.php?pinc=1&lng=joulu

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Tags: buffet, Christmas, Christmas buffet, christmas ham, Finnish Christmas, Helsinki, Lauttasaari, Pirate Helsinki, Ravintola Pirate Helsinki, restaurant, Restaurant Pirate, restaurant review
Categories : Bar, Food, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Wine review: Hewitson Baby Bush Mourvèdre 2011

16 12 2013

Baby Bush vines are thrived in the cool vintage of 2011 that saw a slow and even ripening period. The later maturing nature of Mourvèdre grapes meant ripening occurred in sunny and warm conditions compared to the cool and rain of earlier in the vintage.
After hand picking and fermentation on skins, the wine completed its maturation for 16 months in the very same barrels used, when new, for Old Garden Mourvèdre. During this period the barrels experienced batonnage, where wine was mixed the fermentation lees with the new wine by rotating barrels on little wheels built into the racks.

As title tells, Hewitson Baby Bush is made 100% from Mourvèdre grape. Mourvèdre is not so common grape, at least for me, which made the tasting really fascinating.

THE LOOK

Typical Hewitson label, white background and certain color of letters.

Wine itself is ruby red, some brownish although vintage is quite young 2011.

THE NOSE

Depending on glass, even liquorice-chocolate, but blackberry and boysen berry raised from both glasses. As wine is almost as strong as Amarones’s aroma of alcohol felt more strongly in bigger glass.

THE TASTE

Full-bodied a little bit spicy but tender taste. When wine opens up, flavor becomes even better.

Facts and figures:

Alcohol:	14,50 %
Extract:	29 g/l
Acidity:	4,6 g/l
Energy:	90 kcal / 100 ml (370 kJ / 100 ml)
Closure:	metal screw cap

Wine is excellent, well balanced and tannins do not interfere too much. Suits perfeclty with red meats but also with spicy foods as it has some character. I would not forget it either on cold winter days although we have not seen them yet in Helsinki.

REVIEW: OVERALL GRADE 4+/5 – BANG FOR THE BUCK +++ /+++

http://www.hewitson.com.au/page.php?section=791&mId=1511&catid=779

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Tags: Australian wine, Hewitson Baby Bush Mourvèdre 2011, Hewitson wines, red wine, Wine review
Categories : Fine Dining at Home, Food, Helsinki, Wine, Wine review

Restaurant review: SPIS – pure Nordic cuisine

1 12 2013

What is Nordic cuisine? It is delicious fresh food with lots of vegetables, good service, pleasant athmosphere and Nordic/Finnish background music!

Restaurant Spis is cozy 18-seat Nordic, maybe the smallest fine dining restaurant in Helsinki. It is open only in the evenings from Tuesday to Saturday. Because of the size and popularity, you have to choose to dine early at 0530PM/0600PM or to eat at later table setting at 0830PM. Spis serves two tasting menus, there is no separate a la carte list available.

Visited first time Spis over a year ago and experience was impressive. Restaurant got 13,25 points which is as good achievement as this years leaders have been able to get. Or maybe we have been more picky this year?

Dinner started with snacks; several of them which differentiate Spis from many bistros in Helsinki.

First we were served crispbread with sauerkraut mayonnaise. After crispbread we were served root fireworks! You started from right with potato, carrot, striperoot and ended up to turnip. Not sure if striperoot is right translation for raitajuuri, but it is like beetroot. Each Finnish delicacy, which were eaten with fingers, included right seasoning or herb. Forget potato chips and peanuts, offer this type of snacks also at home.

Greeting from kitchen, which was brought to the table by one of the chef’s, was vorschmack with sour cream. Good example of Finnish traditional food but prepared totally different way than usually. Minced meat was not so salty and greasy as it usually is and taste of anchovis was in balance.

For starter we got vitamin bomb which included beetroot and yellowroot. As snacks alread included one relative root you really have chance to try many Finnish fresh and good tasting roots.

First warm main course was salmon with dried carrots and carrot spaghetti. Salmon was almost raw but it was not at the same time. Probably it had been steamed as it was so soft but there was no frying or roasting marks. Carrots had been first dried for 6 hours and then boiled. Prepared that way sweetness of carrots came to prominence and complimented salty (not too much) salmon well.

Between main courses we got apple sorbets, nice way to clean the mouth.

Spis served for second warm main course lamb ribs with potatoes. Best part of this portion was French red wine which paired perfectly with lamb. Unfortunately meat was too greasy for us and potatoes reminded too much of those you can get from frozen food lockers. But the sauce was scrumptious and it saved a lot.

Intermediate dessert consisted of pear cake and meringue. Auts, it was so yammy you could have continued eating for ever. But as you might guess, portions are not so big…

Actual dessert was silver toffee ice-cream which made you hesitate thought you had when eating previous dessert. This one you could continue to eat forever…. Silver toffee (hopeatoffee) used to be favourite candy in the childhood and now you can again get it from the supermarkets, excellent! Using silver toffee in dessert is big proof that you are eating in a genuine Nordic/Finnish restaurant as this type of toffee is available only in Finland.

Spis also takes care of food allergies, therefore one dessert was sorbet.

Dinner ended up with tea and espresso. But as you are able to taste Ålvados which is calvados from Åland you have to do it. Take a look at the bottle, there is glass apple inside. And with dessert drinks still some sweets. Great way to end the dinner.

Restaurant Spis would have earned 5- for food if the lamb would not have been so greasy (most people would have liked it that way). Service was professional; contents of portions were explained well and suggestions for wines were one of the most succesful so far.

The food itself is excellent and probably one the healthiest you can eat at the restaurants. Background music was mainly new Finnish and Swedish sounds which is also quite unique.

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

And last but not least, take a look at Marimekko Unikko towels in the restroom! If we are not in THE Nordic restaurant, then where? SPIS is now new leader with 13,50 points!

Home

Restaurant review: Spis

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Tags: Finnish Scandinavian restaurant, food, healthy food, Helsinki, hopeatoffee, lamb, Nordic restaurant, Ravintola Spis, restaurant review, Restaurant Spis, Salmon, silver toffee, Spis, well-being food
Categories : Food, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Red wine glasses – does the size matter? (Part II)

27 11 2013

In part I we tasted Faustino VII with one result we did not write about. Right glass improved both aroma and taste of this affordable red wine. In Part II we tasted Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Vieux Lazaret 2010, which should be full-bodied with tannins, dark berries, cherry, spicy, hint of oak, nuanced regarding to Alko. Grapes in the wine are Grenache Noir, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault which is challenging combination.

We used the same glasses as in Part I with tasting results below:

Glass 1: Sommeliers Bordeaux GC (Riedel, Austria)

Huge 27 cm high glass with capacity of 0,86 litre. Could take the whole bottle! Glass maker Riedel recommends it to be used with following wines/grapes: Bordeaux (red), Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chablis, Fronsac, Graves rouge, Listrac, Margaux, Médoc, Merlot, Moulis, Pauillac, Pessac Leognan (Rouge), Pomerol, St. Emilion, St. Estèphe, St. Julien

TASTING NOTES: Glass is still too big for tasting because spinning the glass is quite clumsy. Huge size makes you careful which does not help in the tasting. However, practice makes you master and this time wine spinned more easily. Both results of NOSE and TASTE tests were in balance. Wine opened nicely and aroma was pleasant despite of tannins. WINNER OF THE TEST!

Glass 2: Vinum Bordeaux (Riedel, Austria)

Typical 22,5 cm high red wine glass with capacity of 0,61 litre. Recommended by Riedel to use with following wines/grapes: Bordeaux (red), Carmenère, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zweigelt

TASTING NOTES: Part I winner was not so impressive as it was in previous test. Somehow sniffing the bouquet made you cough. However, result of THE TASTE was as good as it was with the winning glass.

Glass 3: Essence (Iittala, Finland)

23 cm high with capacity of 0,45 litre and designed by Alfredo Häberli for Iittala in 2001. No recommendations for wines or grapes. In Finnish Iittala web -site also classified as beer glass.

TASTING NOTES: Shame on Iittala! Again LOSER OF THE TEST! Same problems with the NOSE, alcohol and with THE TASTE, tacky and lackluster.

Glass 4: Basic tasting glass

These glasses are usually used in basic wine tastings. This glass was brought on from Barcelona Estacio Enologica 100-year celebration but glass type has also been used in Finnish Wine Fairs several years ago.

TASTING NOTES: The bouquet for the THE NOSE was tender but THE TASTE was a little bit tacky and acid. Part I and Part II tests proved that basic tasting glass is excellent for the THE NOSE part of tests.

Conclusion

Size matters, at least when it comes to Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Vieux Lazaret 2010! Although none of the grapes of this wine are not mentioned by Riedel for preferred ones for Sommeliers Bordeaux GC glass, glass won the test. Wine with tannins need to get ogygen in order to open. Glass itself is like decanter which improves the experience.

But as written in the beginnng of the post, cheap and lackluster wines improve more in the right shaped glass. Best example are cognacs, do not use traditional glasses for them because you get blind due to the alcohol vapor. Buy cheaper cognac and enjoy it from flute-shaped aroma glass.

Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: Alko, Bordeaux, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Vieux Lazaret 2010, Decanter, Iittala, Mulled wine, red wine, red wine glass, Riedel, Wine, Wine review, wine tastings
Categories : Fine Dining at Home, Food, Helsinki, Wine, Wine review

Restaurant review – Minos, piece of Greece in Helsinki

21 11 2013

Restaurant Minos is over 25 years old restaurant which serves traditional Greek food. For example you can get Tzatziki, Pita bread, Moussaka and of course Ouzo for aperitif. You can also here Greek spoken as waiters speak it to each other.

Minos has pleasant covered terrace which can be used also in winter time, as it is heated. We always choose to dine there because you can observe by-passers at the same time. In the summer Minos has it’s own spot in popular Kamppi shopping center terrace area. Note that restaurant is not open on Sundays.

Starters usually are the best part of the dinner which was true also this time. We ordered tsatsiki, marinated olives and dolmades (vine leaves stuffed with rice and herbs). But of course ouzo Plomari for aperitif; with ice it is perfect appetite initiator; Jamas!

Tsatsiki was excellent, be careful you do not eat a full stomach with fresh bread because it is just so delicious. Dolmades were warm as they should be and again with tsatsiki, perfect. Olives as starter may sound simple but the marinade made them juicy and appropriately salty.

For main courses ordered Catch of the day, grilled fresh fish which was Dorada and Tiger shrimps on skewer with garlic and lemon sauce. You can choose from 4 side dishes to supplement the main course. Alternatives are Baked potato wedges, potato gratin, rice or seasons braised vegetables. Also ordered Grilled pita bread which came after second request.

Gilt perch (Dorada) was palatable as it tasted like just caught from Mediterranean sea. Just a little bit over grilled but not too much as it did not bother. Tiger shrimp skewer was the weakest part of the dinner, a little bit too salty and vegetables were in fact the same as you could order separately as a side dish. Luckily chose potato gratin which was ok.

Then for desserts Halva and Tiramisu with Metaxa brandy + Metaxa brandy.

Halva for dessert is interesting delicacy but as there are not so many options without lactose, tasted it. And if you like Halva, you would have liked this one also. Tiramisu is Italian dessert but Minos moistened it with brandy, that transforms it Greek dessert. But of course had to make sure that there would be enough moisture and therefore ordered just in case glass of Metaxa brandy.

Restaurant Minos really is the piece of Greece in Helsinki! Even wine list consists of Greek wines which is partly good and partly not so good thing. Enjoyed white wine; 2009 Petra, Kir-Yanni. As you can see in the picture vintage is 2012, not 2009. Greek white wines pair perfeclty with Greek starters but for fish they are challenge due to lacking character. However, if you want to enjoy complete Greek package, it must include local wines.

Service was quick and polite. You might want to check menu before hand because waiters start asking for order soon after your arrival.

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

http://minos.fi/

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Tags: dorada, food, Greek restaurant, Halva, Helsinki, Kamppi shopping center, Minos, olives, ouzo, Pita bread, Ravintola Minos, restaurant, restaurant review, tsatsiki
Categories : Food, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Why Helsinki’s restaurant scene is as its hottest right now?

15 11 2013

Great article about Helsinki restaurants!

http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/why-helsinkis-restaurant-scene-hottest-now-224400031.html

Can recommend both restaurants mentioned in the article. Reviews can be found by using search.

SPIS

GROTESK WINEBAR

Again good reason to visit Helsinki!

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Tags: food, Grotesk, Helsinki, restaurant, restaurant reviews, Spis
Categories : Bar, Food, Helsinki, Restaurant, Travel

Restaurant review – Slow food at Teatterin Grilli

8 11 2013

Late dinner in Helsinki? Typical time to start dinner in Finland is 6PM – 8PM. If you want to enjoy dinner “the Southern European way” and start it, for example 10PM, you have to choose restaurant carefully in order not to be forced to eat in rush. And I do not mean hot dog stands or McDonald’s.

As a pleaseant and interesting surprise noted that restaurant serves Slow food until 30th of November. You could choose from separate list Finnish delicacies which you could never usually eat. Meats and other rare foodstuff are purchased from small producers directly without middlemen.

Restaurant Teatterin Grilli is situated in Esplanade Park (Espa) behind Swedish theatre. Restaurant (dining room) is open until 1AM on Saturday but if you want to continue in the Night Club, it is open until 4AM.

Decided to order one starter from Slow food menu Broiled lampreys from Ulvila, mustard dressing and roasted archipelago bread and one from ordinary menu Cold smoked Baltic herring tartar, poached quail´s egg and vendace roe.

Never eaten lampreys. Sometimes you can get those at markets but in Helsinki restaurants I have not seen lampreys before. A little bit crisp and chevy at the same time. Closest food might be vendaces but in this case mustard dressing made the experience totally different. Herring tartar was delicious but amount of roe could have been greater.

For main courses again Slow food 2x Rosè-roasted grey partridges, creamed sugar beet and gravy-velouté.

Partridge is a rare fowl bird which can be hunted for a short time in the autumn. Breast fillets were rose as the name of the portion promised but bird legs were dry. Never seen sugar beet to be offered as side dish, as it is usually raw material for sugar. Anyway, worth to order and maybe not possible to repeat in the near future. The outlook of portion was not so attractive as it could have been at this price level.

Wine suggestion for partridges was Luna del Sur Pinot Noir from Bodegas Callia, Argentina. It paired perfectly with the bird.

Two desserts were available on Slow food menu but decided to choose desserts from traditional menu; Cranberry crumble with baked apple ice cream and TG- dessert trilogy; White chocolate mousse, arctic cloudberry soup and Granny Smith sorbet. Crumble was a little bit tart due to cranberries but soft ice-cream hided it nicely. Mousse was really sweet, almost too chunky and sorbet did not fit to the triangle so well.

Restaurant Teatterin Grilli does not let you down. Food is always delicious and it serves best gourmet burger in Helsinki. At 10PM when we arrived dining room was almost empty which is a proof tht Finns eat early. Waitering was still at good level dispite the late time.

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

Ravintola Teatterin grilli

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Tags: Espa, Esplanade Park, Helsinki, Lamprey, Partridge, Restaurant Teatteri, Restaurant Teatterin Grilli, Slow food, Teatterin Grilli
Categories : Bar, Food, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Restaurant review – Gastrobar Emo

1 11 2013

Gastrobar Emo is easy to step in to enjoy easygoing service and good food. Emo (Dam in english) was opened on the 21st of August 2013 in the same place where Michelin star restaurant Olo used to be. Owners are partly the same which should be a proof of excellent food experience.

There is also separate wine bar which provides opportunity to enjoy an aperitif or glass of wine. With drinks you can order snacks from bar menu. We visited wine bar after dinner, there is narrow corridor between dining room and bar but it also has separate entrance.

Quite soon after you arrive you will get some snacks and fresh bread with celery butter which was really tasty. Brown paper bag is one way to serve bread but it would have been easier to take bread from bread basket.

You can choose your dinner from 3 “starters”, 4 “main courses” and 3 “desserts” up to assemblage of 6 foods. Our group decided to go for 3 courses and ordered first 2x FINNISH VENDACE’s and 2x WILD DUCK WITH RED CABBAGE AND APPLE.

Name Finnish vendaces might be misleading; we got Finnish fish but the way it was prepared was actually better than traditionally fried vendaces. Frying in oil instead of frying in a pan with butter made vendaces more crispy but not so greasy. On top of that side dishes were a perfect match.

Next courses were 3x GREENLAND HALIBUT WITH POTATOES “GOBBAS GÅRD” and 1x WILD DUCK WITH RED CABBAGE AND APPLE.

Halibut was bull’s eye. Cooked to a turn and two different ways to serve potato complemented fish nicely.

If you take wild duck for starter it is served on stone plate, which is clever idea to convert “main course” to “starte”r. There was three different ways to serve duck and again duck paired perfectly with cabbage and apple.

And for dessert 3x EUROPEAN CHEESE SORTIMENT and for me second main course 1x GREENLAND HALIBUT WITH POTATOES “GOBBAS GÅRD”

There were 3 different cheeses on the plate: blue cheese, cow and goat cheese. Apple and onion conserves supplemented taste of cheeses nicely.

One kind request; please make portions a little bit bigger 🙂 Or maybe intention is to eat at least 5 portions which hopefully are not too small. Otherwise Emo manages food part fine and earns a place as laid-back little brother of Olo.

We asked recommendation for dry riesling and waitress suggested MAX FERDINAND RICHTER MülHEIMER SONNENLAY RIESLING ZEPPELIN 2012 MOSEL from Germany which we ordered. After tasting, as wine seemed not to be dry, asked for the amount of sugar. 35g for “dry” is quite a lot, but wine itself was basically OK. A positive thing is the pricing of wines; most of them were less expensive than they usually are in a fine dining restaurants like Emo is.

Waitering was thoughtful and professional but we could have managed without overflowing twitter.

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

http://emo-ravintola.fi/en/

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Tags: Cheese, Emo, food, Gastrobar Emo, Halibut, Helsinki, Michelin star restaurant Olo, Olo, riesling, Vendaces, wild duck
Categories : Bar, Food, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Wine, Food & Good living 2013 -event – what went wrong?

27 10 2013

Wine, Food and Good living -event is now in turning point. Either it has to find larger hall to take all “private” visitors on Saturday and lower prices or focus on business visitors.

First you have to line up to give your coat to checkroom (2.50€ per person). Then you queue for tasting class (8€ – 5€ = 3€ when you return your class) and tasting tickets (2,50€ each). All tasting -seminars are fully booked up well beforehand the event starts; so no guided tasting this year.

Of course vintage champagnes are expensive but it is odd that you have to pay 6 tasting tickets (15€) for 4cl of noble drinks in the picture. Of course Dom Perignon Vintage 2004, which had arrived to Finland 2 days ago, is rare and valuable drink but if we think that Taittinger Brut Reserve (2 tickets) tastes better you do not attract customers to purchase this vintage champagne.

To crown it all, most champagnes ran out of the champagne bar 1/2 hours before event closed. From about 20 champagnes about 4 of the most non-drinkable wines were left. What a waste for the tickets.

To summarize, too crowded and too expensive. Only way to carry on is to modify Saturday; either expand floor space on that day or try change visitor profiles. Hopefully the first one because event itself is marvelous experience on a rainy autumn day.

PS. Forgot to mention that entrance costs 18€. As we had free tickets did not remember that cost at once.

http://www.messukeskus.com/Sites1/Viiniruokahyvaelama/en/Pages/default.aspx

http://viinilehti.fi/tapahtumat/viini-ruoka-hyva-elama/

http://www.domperignon.com/

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Tags: Champagne, Dom Perignon, Helsinki, Messukeskus, Taittinger, Viini, Viini ruoka ja hyvä elämä, vintage champagnes, Wine
Categories : Bar, Food, Helsinki, Travel, Wine, Wine review

Restaurant review: Blue Peter

18 10 2013

Restaurant Blue Peter is situated on Lauttasaari island 4 km from Helsinki city centre. In the summer time it is really popular due to large terraces and HSK sailing club members. Restaurant is open all year around hosting private events also in the winter time. Suggest to try it instead of hotel meeting rooms.

We had dinner outside of busy season.

For starter had Crayfish Skagen, which has always been excellent. Thick and juicy crayfish tails are better than basic shrimps and combined with well prepared topping, it is really mouth-watering delicacy. And the massive heap of crayfish is really prestige.

For main course we ordered Salmon with dill-potato smash and herb oil. Fish was perfectly roasted but sweet potato (correction: it must have been pumpkin) did not match as well as carrots which the portion usually included. Balancing sweetnes for salty fish was missing.

For dessert, of course, Crepe with Old fashioned ice-cream and strawberry jam. It would be convenient to have at least one choice of lactose-free or low-lactose ice-cream because suggested sorbet does not pair with delicious crepe. We also paid normal price for the portion although decided to order it without ice-cream. Crepe is propably best in Helsinki as mentioned in earlier post, but would also value if both of us could really enjoy it with all side dishes.

Blue Peter is THE summer restaurant and therefore after busy season it might feel a little bit quiet. After combining bistro and a la carte menus, selection of portions have decreased. Sometimes it is good to focus on fewer choises, but now only warm fish available in seaside restaurant are vendaces. This may be partly because of game season as you can enjoy of elk and rabbit.

Waiting already for the next summer, sunshine, cold drinks and cheeese burger at the terraces and maybe surface renovation of the chairs at the dining area.

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

http://www.bluepeter.fi/articles/632/

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Tags: Blue Peter, crayfish, Crayfish Skagen, crepe, Helsinki, Helsinki city centre, Lauttasaari, Restaurant Blue Peter, restaurant review, Salmon
Categories : Bar, Food, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review

Restaurant review: Grotesk Winebar – but not grotesque at all

11 10 2013

Name Grotesk for restaurant may sound odd especially in Swedish, but regarding reader’s votes in local wine magazine, Viinilehti, it has the best wine bar in Helsinki and 2nd best in Finland.
After this review we also have new reijosfood.com leader in Helsinki, rankings can be found on page “Restaurant reviews – rankings”.

Restaurant Grotesk is fine dining restaurant with affordable prices and relaxed athmosphere located in Ludviginkatu 10. Guide Michelin has granted Bib Gourmand -rating to Grotesk Meatbar as a proof of good value for money and it is partly owned by same the chef’s as Michelin star restaurant Demo.

Instead of Meatbar we visited Grotesk Winebar, which has 3 small dining rooms and enjoyed 8 tapas dishes with wines chosen by sommelier Pekka Koiranen. And what a fireworks; you seldom see so many rare prestige delights one after the other.

First two portions were served with semi-dry Chenin Blanc 2007 from Loire. Was a little bit skeptic about semi-dry white wine but it did not differ much from dry. Perfect choice for both two first portions.

Dinner started with Oyster with tapioca and pomegranate. Oyster was easy to eat and had enough citrus acidity. Then we were served Foie gras with briosse, beetroot pyre and mustard ice cream. If you happen to like foie gras (it is not everyones favourite for many reasons) you would like this combination. Mustard ice cream was excellent realization.

Next two portions were served with dry Riesling from Austria. Totally different sense of taste due to minerals and acidity but well chosen white wine for next dishes.

Smoked scallop with quinoa plate was brought in covered by smoking glass vase which was upside down. When the vase was lifted enjoyable smell of smoke surrounded plate. Pity that I was not prepared to take a photo. Whitefish with red pepper crumb smelted in mouth, it was like mince as it was so soft. Both portions were superb!

First red wine served was Pinot Noir; medium-bodied with light red color.

Next delicacy with Pinot Noir was Sweetbread with black trumpet mushroom and shiitake. Sweetbread was perfectly cooked and fungus paired nicely with it. After that came Pork belly with cabbage. Some at the restaurant really did eat the pork lard but we did not, otherwise portion was excellent.

Forth wine and second red wine was full-bodied andwell balanced Garnache from Spain. Again perfect choise to complement the taste of pleasure.

Quail legs were eaten with fingers. It would have been impossible to remove delicious and crisp meat with fork and knife. Tapas dinner was ended with Chicken liver which was yammy and well prepared. 8 tapas is not too much and they cost 44 €, affordable compared to quality and layout of portions.

Grotesk Winebar earns 5- for overall grade because of ambitious set of voluptuous portions with affordable prices. Portions are really small but give you a chance to taste eats which usually are available in Michelin star restaurants but at much more higher prices. Our dinner took 3,5 hours, so restaurant is not fast food place. You really have time to enjoy the food and the wines or the wines and the food depending how you want to stress your dinner.

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

http://www.grotesk.fi/en/winebar-2/

Comments : 7 Comments »
Tags: Bib Gourmand, Demo, food, Grotesk, Guide Michelin, Helsinki, Oyster, Pork belly, quail, Restaurant Grotesk, restaurant review, scallop, Sweetbread, tapas, Whitefish, Wine
Categories : Bar, Food, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine, Wine review

Wine review: Louis Roederer Brut Premier

28 09 2013

Louis Roederer Champagnes were established 1776 in Reims and they still are a independent family owned company. Wineyard produces also one of the most precious champagnes in the world, Cristal.

Tasted champagne with crayfish was Louis Roederer Brut Premier. Grapes in this champagne are 40% Pinot noir – 40% Chardonnay – 20% Pinot Meunier. Amount of chardonny raises the value of this champagne.

THE LOOK

Bottle box is elegant with simple patterns.

Wine looks pale yellow with some greenish shade. It is lighter than champagnes usually are.

THE NOSE

You can distinguish scent of fruits like apple and pear. Bouquet is elegant without yeast which unfortunately can be smelled out in too many champagnes.

THE TASTE

First taste feels a little bit sticky with big bubbles. Second taste brings out pleasant flavor without savors.

Fact and figures:

Alcohol:	12.00 %
Extract :	29 g/l
Acidity:	7.7 g/l
Sugar:	11 g/l
Energy :	80 kcal / 100 ml (330 kJ / 100 ml)
Closure:	natural cork

Louis Roederer Brut Premier pairs with white fish and white meats and escecially with crayfish. For aperitif it is also perfect choice. You could choose this champagne to be enjoyed from starter to dessert.

REVIEW: OVERALL GRADE 4-/5 – BANG FOR THE BUCK (you can not value the price of a present)

http://www.champagne-roederer.com/

Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: Champagne, crayfish, Cristal, food, Helsinki, Louis Roederer Brut Premier, Wine, Wine review
Categories : Fine Dining at Home, Food, Helsinki, Wine, Wine review

Helsinki, most honest city in the world

26 09 2013

Welcome to Helsinki, Finland!

Regarding to CNN, Helsinki is the most honest capital city in the world. Reader’s Digest (Valitut Palat) dropped wallets in 16 cities and in Helsinki, Finland, 11 out 12 wallets were returned.

Read the whole story behind link below:

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/24/travel/least-honest-cities/index.html?hpt=travel_hp_row1left

So, it is also safe to dine at excellent restaurants we have in our city.

Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: CNN, Finland, Helsinki, Reader's Digest, Travel
Categories : Helsinki, Restaurant, Travel

Restaurant review: Fishmarket

22 09 2013

Fishmarket, restaurant for seafood lovers! Could be the best of the best fish restaurants in Helsinki, if………

Restaurant Fishmarket was re-opened in May 2013. It serves wide selection of sea and fresh water cucine like fish, roe, lobster, craysfish, oysters and shellfish. If you like to eat meat choose some other restaurant because there is no single meat food on the a la carte list.

Fishmarket is located in Torikorttelit next to the Market Square (Kauppatori) on the ground floor of the same building as restaurant Sasso (see Sasso review by using search). New decor is modern and luminous after change in ownership and property renowation.

You could choose from different kind of seafood platters and even eat those at seafood bar and kind of recommend to do that.

We decided to choose “basic” fish portions which meant this time long waiting times. We chose one Helsinki Menu consisting of Finnish fish goodies; for starter Baltic herring, cheese from sour milk and whitefish roe, for main course Grilled pike perch from Inkoo, pumpkin, sage dressing and for dessert Chocolate fondant, black currant with vanilla ice cream. Another menu included for starter Finnish vendace roe with brioche, sour cream and onion, for main course Catch of the day with a price of the day which was Smoked trout with carrot and salvia sauce and for dessert mixed combination of milkless products which was not so easy task for the restaurant.

Dinner started with kitchens greetings Whitefish tartar which was excellent and served in small glass jar. Unfortunately starters were served right away after we got the jars. So we had to keep them in our hands while plates were put on the table. Timing mistake from the restaurant.

Sweet archipelago bread and home made yeast bread with salted butter were awesome.

Both starters were perfect. Baltic herring was not too salty and side dishes complemented the flavor well. Same but odd way to set the food on the edge of the plate as was in Sasso. Finnish roes always require black pepper which now had to be asked as it was not served with portion.

Main course dishes were prepared with skill, not overcooked and hot. Pumpkins with pike perch matched well, in the future must use pumpkin more ofter when cooking at home. Think waiter said that with trout there should be carrot pyre but maybe it included milk and was left out.

Helsinki Menu chocolate fondant was scrumptious. Double the size and you are there! Waiters were not exactly up to date which kind of milk was used; therefore mixed dessert for one of us. Again food was set on the edge of the plate.

One extremely positive thing is the wide selection of riesling wines. Too often you have to choose from few alternatives because chardonnays and savignon blancs dominate wine lists, but at Fishmarket you really can celebrate with rieslings. Chose Gun Metal Riesling Eden valley 2009 from Hewitson because of two reasons. First reason was the name Gun Metal which describes the grey-coloured stone amongst the vineyard, nothing to do with guns. Second reason was that Hewitson is more known of it’s red wines, not whites. But think Hewitson should stay in red wines because this riesling was too “soft” lacking acidity.

Fishmarket has all prerequisites to be the best seafood restaurant in Helsinki. Food was excellent but maybe one waiter was missing because waitering took so long time. Therefore it might make sense to order platters for starter or main course because you can pass the time by opening crabs.

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

http://www.fishmarket.fi/en

Comments : 5 Comments »
Tags: chocolate fondant, crayfish, Finnish food, fish, food, Helsinki, Helsinki Menu, Hewitson wines, Kauppatori, Lobster, Oysters, Pike Perch, Restaurant Fishmarket, restaurant review, riesling, Roe, Seafood, seafood platters, Torikorttelit, Trout
Categories : Bar, Food, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Reijosfood

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Restaurant review: Fishmarket

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