Restaurant review: Brasserie Kämp – Kämp burger

26 04 2015

Brasserie Kämp - reijosfood.com

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.

Restaurant Brasserie Kämp offers a wide range of European food brasserie style. After building heated terrace four years ago you can dine “outside” all year around like in many brasseries in Paris. That is the place for enjoying Kämp burger.

Kämp burger consists of Black Angus beef patty, chipotle and bacon dressing, pickled red onion, cheddar, little gem lettuce between roll and pommes frites.

You can can choose the degree of maturity of the meat. Medium means that you get patty which is red inside. And patty is thick, thicker than you usually have seen and juicy. It is one reason for the price, 24€, but of course the milieu adds some value add. Fries are crispy as they should be and served with elegance.

With red wine, usually pinot noir, Kämp burger is perfect hunger killer for lunch!

Kämp burger - reijosfood.com

Brasserie Kämp is perfect location to observe passers-by on Esplanadi promenade and eat that famous Kämp burger. You can also watch swanky cars parked front of Hotel Kämp or driving to the hotel garage.

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

Ravintola Brasserie Kämp.


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Categories : Food, Food and Wine, Helsinki, Hotel, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Wine review: Matua Marlborough Pinot Noir 2012

19 01 2014

Matua Pinot Noir - reijosfood.com

I am not sure if THE NOSE lied but when wine was poured in to the glass it smelled first like butterscotch. After rotating the wine in the glass the scent changed totally! Any similar experiences with this wine?

Matua was the first wineyard in New Zealand to plant Sauvignon Blanc in 1969.  Their produced first bottle in 1974. However, this is not about Sauvignon Blancs, which is not our favourite grape. First wine review (not first wine enjoyed) 2014 concerns Pinot Noir.

Tested wine was Matua Marlborough Pinot Noir 2012. Wineyard claims that wine is it’s best Pinot so far.

THE LOOK

First of all the color of the label is different than usually on wine bottles, turquoise. Maybe that was the reason it caught my eye at Alko.

Wine itself is light red, close to mature cherry.

THE NOSE

This was surprising! Usually when tasting wines I do not smell the aroma of wine so carefully before rotating it. This time did and was surprised by the smell of butterscotch. The bouquet I did not expect to find from Pinot Noir. But it made the wine really fascinating and forced to focus on THE NOSE more specifically than ever.

After rotating the wine in the glass strongly, aroma changed significantly. Now we found cherry, more typical pinot noir characters and some tannins.

THE TASTE

Maybe tannins dominated, as acidity was quite low, because wine tasted a little bit acrid. Not that it hindered but that was the first feeling. Anyway, this wine was the most savory pinot noir ever tasted. As they are usually quite tawdry, Matua Marlborough Pinot Noir 2012 is not.

Facts and Figures:

Alcohol: 13,50 %
Extract : 30 g/l
Acidity: 5,4 g/l
Energy : 90 kcal / 100 ml (380 kJ / 100 ml)
Closure: metal screw cap

Tasted wine with asian food and match was perfect. Mixed flavors of strong spices and sweet seasonings are difficult combination for wines. Also paired well with pizza which was spiced with tabasco and jalopenos. Conclusion: wine suits better with spicy foods than avarage pinot noirs, mostly because of tannins.

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

http://www.matua.co.nz/en


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Wine review: Champagne Joseph Perrier Cuvee Royale Rose Brut, NV

11 07 2013

Rose Champagne

The rose wines of Champagne (also known as Pink Champagne) are produced either by leaving the clear juice of black grapes to macerate on its skins for a brief time (known as the saigneé method) or, more commonly, by adding a small amount of still Pinot noir red wine to the sparkling wine cuvee.

Champagne Joseph Perrier Cuvee Royale Brut Rose is the summer Champagne. Wine consists of two grape varieties; 25% Chardonnay and 75% Pinot noir. As amount of Chardonnay is so small, it also tells about the “quality” of wine. However, this rose wine was pleasant surprise.

THE LOOK

Orange/salmon rose, touched by light, an arresting sparkle. However, the amount of bubbles is modest which can clearly seen in the pictures.

BUT, take a notice of water like color when pouring the wine into the glass! No photoshopping, maybe it is due to sun shine.

Boat and ChampagneJP rose

THE NOSE

Scent of rasberries and blackberries, but really lightly. Not so usual champagne bouquet partly because of so slight odor

THE TASTE

Pleasant champagne taste with some orange and peach. Wine is really light because of lack of acidity and small amount of bubbles

Facts and figures:

Alcohol: 12,00 %
Extract : 30 g/l
Acidity: 6,7 g/l
Sugar: 10 g/l
Energy : 80 kcal/100 ml (330 kJ/100 ml)
Closure: natural cork

Grade is partly based on good company, sunny weather and strawberries which paired perfectly for this wine. Recommend to enjoy in the summer, other seasons might require a little bit more full bodied champagne. Excellent aperitif but also pairs with pasta, chicken, white meated fish and even with desserts although wine is dry (brut). Joseph Perrier Cuvee Royale Brut Rose, NV is not available at Finland Alko’s so you need to purchase it from tax free shops at the airport or ships cruising between Helsinki-Tallinn or Helsinki-Stockholm.

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

http://www.josephperrier.com/

Joseph Perrier rose


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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


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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


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Categories : Fine Dining at Home, Food, Recipes, Wine, Wine review


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