Restaurant review: Salutorget

20 04 2012

Restaurant Salutorget, Scandinavian bistro, includes an unassuming dining room, bar and classic cafe with waitress services and terrace. Restaurant serves lunch and dinner but also brunch on Sundays and English style Afternoon Tea.

Salutorget is located by Kauppatori (Salutorget in Swedish and  Market Place in English) which is most known market or plaza in Helsinki. One can see that there has been financial institutions operating in the  same location earlier  as rest rooms are in old bank vault. Place has been renovated with craftmanship; 1800’s construction and pillars create a dignified athmosphere. Salutorget is part of Royal Ravintolat chain which has several fine dining restaurants in Helsinki. On Friday it was quite busy inlcuding bar.

Menu consists of traditional Finnish and Scandinavian dishes, such as Toast Skagen, Baltic herrings, raindeer and pike perch.  One can also choose lobster for starter or main course. Wine list is quite short; interesting to see that all wines are from European countries, mainly France, Italy and Spain.

Had to choose  Fried scallops with ceps, pine kernels and salsify puré with garlic for starter; being big fan of scallops. WOW, one of the best scallop starter ever tasted. Second choice was Broiled whitefish tartar with Jerusalem artichoke cream, good but cucumber might have been more flavoured.

For main courses ordered Tender braised reindeer shank with oven baked beetroot, bacon and almond potato puré.  Bacon was more like smalll pieces of  pork ribs and absolutely portion was best part of the kitchen. Reindeer smelted in the mouth and was tender. We also ordered  Roasted pike perch with champagne and pea risotto, fennel sauce but asked vegetables instead of risotto. Fish was absolutely prepared with professional way but vegetables were lightly boring. Suggest to keep with risotto.

Dessert was a ittle bit disappointment. We were prepared for chocolate cake  Chocolate cake with mango sorbet and one was ordered with ice cream. Unfortunately chocolate cake was more or less mousse. If it would have been real chocolate cake you could add + on Food Review.

Dining room and bar were almost all the time full of diners and people having drinks; both places worth of visiting.

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

http://www.salutorget.fi/en

more fotos: http://www.salutorget.fi/en/gallery


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Restaurant review: Food and Bar Kiila

8 04 2012

Food and Bar Kiila was opened on 2nd March 2012. Restaurant is open from morning until night offering breakfast, brunch on Sundays and public holidays, lunch, dinner and bar services. Kiila is owned by Noora Himberg and menu is created by Henrik Poulsen and it is situated in one of the best locations just opposite of  Stockmann and Vanha University House. Diners can watch how cook’s prepare meals in open kitchen. Before Kiila restaurant Kolme Seppää was operating at the same premises, so do not try to find it anymore. Large terrace was already in place in although it was still quite cold outside. On top of the terrace restaurant had an ad; breakfast only 3,90€. Brunch on Sundays is 19,90€.

One could choose from a la carte or fast food lists also in the restaurant tables. Fast food list is available in the bar.

When ordering waitress first told that 3 dishes from a la carte list were not available. She was unsure what side dishes portions included and checked it from the kitchen. Obviously restaurant has opened without trained waiters as so many things were so and so. On top of everything our green tea order was forgotten. Restaurant is too expensive compared to level it is at the moment; so suggest to wait at least a month to check how everything has been developed. Location and open space are best part of the restaurant; expect to see significant improvement in waitering. Food itself is promises of a better future. Also view from the window side tables is great; so remember to ask for table with a view.

For starters ordered Tiger prawn skewer with avocado and marinated cucumber (skewer shoud have been warm to make experience perfect) and Ginger marinated duck breast with sweet pea, nut salad (ordinary peanuts should have been replaced e.g. with pine seeds, duck meat was tender).

For main course had Roasted whitefish with chili sesame butter (portion also included barley; butter pat was too big as it made dish quite greasy) and Black Angus sirloin beef with pepper button (best part of the dish was sweet potato sticks which we have not seen anywhere else, worth to try again).

For dessert ordered combination which was not on the a la carte list. Good effort from the kitchen, but without green tea.

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

web site still under construction (8.4.2012) http://www.ravintolakiila.fi/


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Restaurant review: Strindberg

29 01 2012

Part of the modern Kämp Gallery, Restaurant Strindberg is located alongside and offers a fascinating view of the beautiful and historic Esplanade Park.

At street level, in the heart of Strindberg is internationally fashioned café where many delicacies are prepared. Just sit down and wait to be served, there is table service available. Mari cafe was opened at the same time after restaurant complex moved 50 meters from its original location.

On the second floor is Strindberg à la carte, where we had dinner, a restaurant which combines the ever-popular Nordic home cooking -“husmanskost”- with contemporary international flavours. The atmosphere at this high quality restaurant is urban, but at the same time pleasantly peaceful. From the Caesar’s salad to the crispy, yet juicy Rydberg steak, and from fresh domestic fish to the dish of the day – there is always plenty to choose from at Strindberg. Remember to ask for window table when making reservation!

The spacious Library bar, with its soft couches, has become a popular rendez-vous spot for many. Worth a visit!

For starters we had 1 x Goat cheese with pine kernels, salad and figs; 1 x Garlic snails;  2 x Shrimps with watercress and parsnip pyre

Kitchen had added sun-dried tomatoes in goat cheese starter and lavaret which we asked to serve without milk products. As tomatoes were quite bitter we would rather had seen portions without them. On the other hand Strindberg can really take into consideration possible food allergies. One example of that is suprise dessert from the kitchen. Shrimps were delicious but portion itself was quite small.

For main courses we ordered 1 x Duck with two ways and 3 x Lavaret with vegetables.

Unfortunately duck is not anymore on the menu because is was delicios. This was the second time eating same portion and again it was bulls’s eye. Duck drumstick and stew were so tender you would not have to bite. Lavaret was maybe a little bit too roasted.

For dessert we had 1 x French toast; 1 x Oatmeal apple pie with ice cream; 1 x Sorbet; 1 x Surprise from the kitchen.  French toast does not literally describe the dessert. Exact translation is “poor knights” but that might not encourage to order if you are not familiar with this dessert. French toast as so generous that it would have enough for two. Worth a try!  Apple pie was warm and tasty; ice cream completed enjoyment. Suprise from the kitchen was close to Pavlova including fresh berries, meringue and something very tasty we could not identify. Dessert was warmly welcomed as it proved kitchens know-how to comply customers wishes.

Our waitress did a great job but when her shift ended it was quite difficult to pay the restaurant bill.

Menu changed just after we visited restaurant.

REVIEW: Food 4/5 – Service 4/5 – Overall grade 4/5

http://www.strindberg.fi/en/restaurant


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Restaurant review: Blue Peter

27 01 2012

Blue Peter, established in 1976, is situated on the island of Lauttasaari in Helsinki, in the Helsingfors Segelklubb HSK yacht club area. The complete renovation of the restaurant was finished by the beginning of 2007.  Today, Blue Peter is more spacious than before, and it feels as if the sea has come closer to the premises. Vertti Kivi has designed the decor which makes Blue Peter one ot the most modern restaurants in Finland.
You’ll find the popular terraces of Blue Peter a wonderful place to enjoy the sun and the sea atmosphere, only a short hop from the city centre. Sun shines almost the whole day to terrace as it is in three sides of the building. You can get with bus number 21v close to restaurant; only 400 meters to walk down by the sea.

Regular visitors in the summer but now had dinner in the winter as Blue Peter is also open around the year.

For starters we had Garlic snails 9.5 € and Toast Skagen 10.5 € in the pictures above. Both were excellent; enough garlic with snails and on top of toast skagen whitefish roe which made the portion more or less gourmet. For main course we had Warm goat cheese salad 18 € and Fried perch with leek-butter sauce 24 € (in the picture). Salad was generous with two slices of grilled goat cheese. Fried perch was ok, but there was too much leek-butter sauce. For dessert we had our all time favourite Crepe, old time vanilla ice cream and jam in the picture.  If you have not ever tasted crepes taste it in Blue Peter. Wine list is enough wide for the food alternatives.

Blue Peter is quite quiet in the winter if there are no private parties like weddings, but in the summer it is one of the most sophisticated restaurants with luxorious terrace.

REVIEW: Food 4/5 – Service 4/5 – Overall grade 4/5

http://www.bluepeter.fi/articles/891/


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