Home cuisine: Asian style whitefish

23 02 2014

Asian style whitefish - reijosfoo.com

Whitefish, one of the best Finnish fishes, can be prepared in a myriad of ways. This time made whitefish with asian style, one of our favourite cuisines.

First of all you need fresh whitefish. If you want to take a shortcut, purchase scaled and fish bones removed ones. Less messy and it saves time.

Whitefish - reijosfood.com

Recipe:

1 whitefish fillet for each diner

Rice (used whole grain instead of white)

Sauce: water, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, lime juice, cane sugar, red chilli, ginger, fresh mint and coriander

Salad: carrot, cucumber, sweet pepper, fresh mint and coriander, balsamic vinegar

Riesling - reijosfood.com

Instructions (30 minutes preparing time, step 1 not included)

1. Take whitefish out of the fridge 1 hour earlier, add salt and pepper for both sides

2. Prepare sauce by mixing all ingredients depending how spicy you want to make it. You might want to add more sugar but tasting is important.

3. Prepare salad in separate bowls by using peeler in order to get thin chips and add sweet pepper and herbs

4. Boil water and add rice according to instructions on package (boiling time 10-12 minutes)

5. Put whitefish in the oven for about 15 minutes, 220C degrees (depending on the size of fillets)

6. Serve immediately; first rice on the warmed plate, then fish fillet and herbs. Pour sauce on top of the portions at the table.

Whitefish and rice - reijosfood.com

This dish is healthy and palatable. It is your choice how spicy food you like. This can be really spicy if you add plenty of chilli, ginger and herbs. It also can be dilute without those spices.

Suitable wine for this dish is white wine from riesling grapes. Tried Cono Sur Single Vineyard Block 23 Riesling 2012, which has enough acidity and character; therefore it paired perfectly. Wine review will follow later.


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Categories : Fine Dining at Home, Food, Food and Wine, recipe, Recipes, Wine

Restaurant review: Blue Peter – all year round open yacht club

2 02 2014

Blue Peter - reijosfood.com

Blue Peter, covered by snow and ice, is a restaurant in Lappland…….Not exactly, but snowfall during the past 24 hours made me imagine so.

Blue Peter - reijosfood.com

Actually Blue Peter is situated on Lauttasaari island by Gulf of Finland 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. On the evening we dined, there was a private party for 140 people. Not bad at all for summer restaurant.

For starters decided to order Smoked salmon mousse with malt bread and Thai-salmon soup from Soup and Salad menu, which ended the same day we dined.

Smoked salmon was more like hash than mousse because it was quite dry. Otherwise tasty starter. To add asian style spices to salmon soup is brilliant idea and must try also at home.

Smoked salmon mousse - reijosfood.comThai-salmon soup - reijosfood.com

Main courses were Reindeer fillet with game sauce and potato gratin and Whitefish, soy-ginger sauce and jasmin rice.

Reindeer was soft and tender and perfectly prepared. Potato gratin, I think, might have been more or less convenience food or not. Whitefish could have been fresher than it felt and sauce seemed to be more soy than ginger based. But whitefish is always delicious, choose it always if it is available in restaurant you eat.

Reindeer at Blue Peter - reijosfood.comWhitefish at Blue Peter - reijosfood.com

For desserts had to order the favourite one; Crepe with strawbarry jam and vanilla ice-cream. As the only lactose free dessert was sorbet we asked if kitchen could prepare something else and they did; Chocolate muffin with vanilla ice-cream.

Crepes are best in Helsinki, as I have stated in previous reviews, and can confirm it again. But pimped dessert was bull’s-eye, just baked muffin with ice-cream was really a sweet. We even suggested that restaurant should add it to their a la carte list. Let’s see if that will happen.

Crepe at Blue Peter - reijosfood.comMuffin and ice-cream at Blue Peter - reijosfood.com

For wine we had Weingut Liebfrauenstift Riesling QbA Trocken which is guaranteed safe choice. Suitable amount of acidity and minerals.

As you will get Geisha and/or Fazerin Sininen chocolate with coffee and bill that might be enough for dessert. Or nice take away to pamper yourself later.

Wine at Blue Peter - reijosfood.comCeisha chocolate - reijosfood.com

Blue Peter is especially summer restaurant but it does not mean that in can be cozy also in the winter time. Evening we visited there were decorations from past DTM, German Touring Car Masters, race in Helsinki. Wonder if there was some kind of remembrance earlier on coming next weekend?

???????????????????????????????Fireplace at Blue Peter - reijosfood.com

Desserts earned 4+ for Food but unevennes in starters and main courses dropped points. Our waitress forgot one of our orders, but as we got espresso and green tea for free, it corrected the event.

But it is great that there is stylish dining place outside of Helsinki centre because it is not easy to survive all year round. Especially in the summer one of the restaurants you should visit.

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

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


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Restaurant review: Grotesk Winebar – but not grotesque at all

11 10 2013

Foie gras - reijosfood.com

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.

Grotesk Winebar - reijosfood.com

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.

Oyster - reijosfood.comFoie gras - reijosfood.com

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!

Scallop - reijosfood.comWhitefish - reijosfood.com

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.

Sweetbread - reijosfood.comPork belly - reijosfood.com

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.

Quail - reijosfood.comChicken liver - reijosfood.com

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/


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Categories : Bar, Food, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine, Wine review

Restaurant review: Muru

26 07 2013

Restaurant Muru

Muru, most popular fine dining bistro in Helsinki and Finland?

Restaurant Muru is a small bistro style restaurant located at Fredrikinkatu 41, Helsinki. Muru’s idea is to offer fresh food from the ingredients available daily without stiffness. Therefore menu is written only on blackboard on the wall and you just let the waiters and waitresses guide you.

You have to choose from 4 available starting times for dinner, first one at 5PM. Means that you have to be ready in 2 1/2 hours but if you take menu of the day, period of time is almost too short.

Muru menu

Since opening restaurant Muru has had tables reserved 2-3 months beforehand especially on Fridays and Saturdays. Also on Tuesday when we dined restaurant was full. Muru was chosen restaurant of the year 2011 which of course added popularity and in addition, chef’s and sommeliers are celebrities in Finland hosting food programs in TV. When we dined Henri Alen was in the kitchen and Samuil Angelov served in the dining room.

Decided to order menu of the day with wine pairings.  First we were served fresh bread with olive-artichoke tapenade which had a little bit too much citrus flavor.

Muru bread

For starter restaurant served Salmon-Roach ceviche with avocado creme which was tasty but maybe again a little bit too much flavor of citrus and acidity. Roach is Finnish white meated small fish which you seldom get in restaurants; 5 points for using it. Avocado creme softened acidity and was brilliant idea to combine with ceviche.

Salmon-roach chevice

For main courses we had Veal entrecote with vegetables, chanterelles and hollandaise sauce and Roasted whitefish with globe artichoke, scalded tomatoes and fish broth.

Veal was tender and did not include fat as entrecote usually does. Sauce suited well with meat and fresh vegetables completed portion, no need for some potato serving.

Whitefish was roasted perfectly and broth suited well creating the impression of bouillabaisse.

veal entrecoteWhitefish

18 months old Gouda cheese was served before dessert with Cherry compote. As cheese was not so salty compote did not need to be so sweet. Quite simple but worked well.

Cheese in Muru

For dessert menu included Cake made from almond flour, berry sauce and ice-cream or sorbet. Delicious ensamble which melted in your mouth, could have eaten at least three of these portions. You could find the taste of almond which of course was a big plus.

Cake

Can tell only briefly about the wines because did not write down the names except one.

Ciclope Rosso Toscano 2008 was served with the veal and it comes from Italy, Candialle winery owned by Finnish Jaakko Peränen. Paired well with meat and actually with gouda but because of amount of Merlot grape 50% would not recommend for aperitif. Unfotunately not available in Alko’s.

For ceviche, Italian white wine. For fish the choise was Savignon Blanc which is not our favourite grape. With dessert had glass of sweet wine, which paired perfectly with cake.

WinesRed wine

No wonder Muru is popular. Excellent food and service plus cozy and relaxed athmosphere. If wines would be more affordable overall grade would be 5 and exceed food and service grades also partly because of unique business idea.

However, with these points, Muru goes directly to shared first place 2013. Rankings can be found on page Restaurant Reviews.

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

http://www.murudining.fi/ravintola/in-english

http://www.candialle.com/english/winery.html

PS. Name Muru means Sugar or Crumb in English.

MuruMuru


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Categories : Cafe, Food, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Restaurant review: Saari

7 07 2013

Restaurant Saari

Restaurant Saari is located on the island Sirpalesaari about 1 km from the centre of Helsinki. Saari provides Finnish delicacies of the season from land and sea as well as stunning views and genuine maritime atmosphere.  A boat serves the island every hour and half from the Saari pier located on the shore of Merisatama close to Cafe Carusel. The crossing takes only a couple of minutes. Also a few berths are available for guests arriving at the restaurant aboard with their own boats. You can dine either in the dining room inside, in the “Captain’s Cabin” of the private room Sampo or on the outdoor terrace.

Restaurant Saari

Restaurant Saari

 

Because have enjoyed restaurant starter speciality couple of times before decided to compare portion to previous visits. Starter is called The secrets of Sirpalesaari island An assortment of Saari’s best appetizers (served 2 or more person).

Quite expensive starter but you do not necessarily need to eat main course if you are not starving. 4 person portion included this time spiced salmon, two herrings, pork loin, elk sausage, duck breast, new potatoes, salad, cheese, marinated onion and mushroom salad. Again cheerful assortment which did not let down. Whole serving was tasty and well prapared.

Restaurant Saari

For main courses ordered Fish catch of the day and Entrecôte of Åland lamb braised in rosemary stock warm salad of summer vegetables and marjoram sauce.

Fish was whitefish with barley risotto and mushroom sauce. Fish was a little bit over cooked and risotto included too much leek. Lamb was better than entrecote because there was almost none grease. Meat was really tender and side dishes matched well with the lamb.

Whitefish at SaariLamb at Saari

For desserts had An assortment of cheeses from small Finnish cheese producers with Åby manor’s crisp bread and season’s fruit or berry compot and Saari’s traditional pine tar ice cream home-made blueberry and raspberry jam, oat bisquit (classic dish since 2000). Peltola Blue cheese (similar to roquefort) was the best piece of cheeses which also included goat cheese and gryerere with buckthorn compot. Ice cream was pimped by request and jam was replaced with fresh strawberries, really tasty.

CheesesIce cream

Be sure not to anger connection boat driver, if you come with your own boat. Because of variable weather restaurant had decided not to serve outside which was a little bit dissappointment. At least starter would have been nice to eat at the terrace, but rain would have interrupted dinner later. However choose Saari instead of Saaristo if you want to enjoy good food in a relaxed athmosphere. Especially starter we had is worth to try.

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

DSC04052

http://www.asrestaurants.com/EN/restaurants/saari/presentation.html

You can also find summary of island restaurants via https://reijosfood.com/2012/07/04/island-restaurants-in-helsinki/


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Restaurant review: Saaristo

22 06 2013

Restaurant SaaristoKlippan

Restaurant Saaristo (Archipelago in English) is located on the Klippan island. You can see the Empire-Helsinki skyline in the North and walls and bastions of King Gustav style Suomenlinna in the South. Jugend style villa that was built in 1898 but you can still admire the crafty and romantic Jugend style wood cuts and wood-carved animals in the beams and balconies.

Restaurant SaaristoRestaurant Saaristo barShip

Saaristo’s menu offers delicacies of Scandinavian cuisine. A connection boat serves from the Saaristo’s pier located south of the Olympia terminal, next to the Peace Statue. Summer restaurant which is open from May to September, is one of the rare places open on Midsummer’s Eve. Other restaurants are closed because most of the Helsinki residents rush to their summer cottages. Maybe Saaristo should also be closed in Midsummer because there were few diners and head waiter was sort of displeased. We had to wait 10 minutes while he served customers it the bar.

Saaristo boat

For starters had fresh local fish which are always refreshing especially in the summer. Ordered Whitefish à la ice-cellar whitefish roe and cauliflower prepared in two ways and Slightly cooked salmon cured with sugar and salt herbs of the House and fennel seed marinated cucumber. Both portions were excellent! Whitefish was really crisp and cauliflowers suited well with it. Roe was maybe needless because it did not match so well to ensemble. Salmon was also really high quality fish and wholeness perfect.

Ice cellar whitefishSalmon at Saaristo

For main courses had Sirloin of reindeer roasted with herbs truffle potato and dark porcini sauce and Arctic char smoked with Pihlajavesi alder Jerusalem artichoke ravioli and lobster butter. Reindeer was maybe the weakest link although it was crisp. Meat was ordered as medium but it was almost raw. Arctic char was smoked with skill and kithen could take well into consideration wishes we had.

Reindeer at SaaristoArctic Char at Saaristo

For dessert ordered An assortment of Nordic cheeses nut bread and honey seasoned with Saaristo’s lavender and waiters recommendation with it RIVESALTES AMBRÉ 2000, Cazes, AOC Rivesaltes, France. Cheeses were from Finland, Denmark and Sweden; Nordic ensemble. All of them were really tasty and sweet wine paired perfectly with them.

Cheeses at SaaristoSweet wineSweet wine

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

Restaurant Saaristo is good choice of those about 5 other island restaurants in front of the Helsinki. It is expensive if we take into account sizes of portions and price of 1 minute water taxi trip. Service in the table would have been 4/5 but happenings from restaurant door to the table dropped points.

http://www.asrestaurants.com/EN/restaurants/saaristo/presentation.html

One nice thing to watch after dinner were the sea birds with their cubs. Seagulls and Barnacle gooses had just got addition to their families and were taking care of them.

Seagull


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Asian style whitefish and whole-grain rice

3 03 2013

This ASIAN STYLE WHITEFISH WITH WHOLE-GRAIN RICE is propably easiest and quickest to prepare, least messy, really healthy and on top of all one of the most delicious fish foods ever! Two important things to succeed; tasty marinad and right baking time in oven. Whitefish (lavaret) is popular fish in Finland, fish meat looks like Sea bass but usually size of the fish is smaller. This time we were able to find quite nice pieces from Stockmann Helsinki department store.

WhitefishWhitefish and rice

Recipe (2 portions)

400 g whitefish (scaled and fish bones blucked out)

Thai basilica

1 Red chili

1 Lemon

Salt, sugar and pepper

Teriayki soy sauce

Vegetable oil

Instruction: Prepare marinade by mixing squeezed lemon juice, vegetable oil and teriayki soy sauce. Chop chili and thai basilica and add them to marinade. Add salt, pepper and enough sugar to marinade so that it is not too bitter due to fresh lemon. Pour 3/4 of marinade in baking dish, put fish slices on marinade skin side up and pour rest of the marinade on top of fish.

Bake fish in the oven for 15-20 minutes depending on the size of fish pieces. Remember not to over cook! If fish lays on marinade a littke bit longer it has begun to mature due acids in lemon.

Cook rice in a pot according cooking instructions on the package while fish is in the oven.

WhitefishCitron and chili

Preparing time for portion is less than 30 minutes if you can get whitefish, which is already scaled and even bones plucked out. No fat, not too much salt because of other spices.


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Fried whitefish and parsnip puree

24 02 2013

FRIED WHITEFISH WITH PARSNIP – GOAT CHEESE PUREE AND SPINACH

Really quick and easy portion to prepare. You do not even need too many foodstuffs. Suggest to prepare puree first because fish needs to be just fried.

Whitefish

Recipe for whitefish (4):

600 g whitefish (lavaret), scaled and fish bones plucked

salt, pepper

oil and butter for frying

Instruction: Make few knife cuts on fish skin. Fry fish skin side down in oil and butter mix for about 4-6 minutes

Recipe for puree (4):

500 g parsnip

80 – 100 g soft goat cheese

salt, pepper, butter, milk

Instruction: Boil peeled parsnips in salt water. Puree parsnips and add goat cheese, butter, milk, salt and pepper.

Instruction for spinach: Defrost frozen spinach in microvawe oven (shortcut)

ParsnipWhitefish pieces

Would say most difficult part is frying the fish. Whitefish skin is quite thin and it comes off too easily.  You could also add some potato to puree if you do not like the taste of parsnip; makes it softer.

White wine enjoyed with whitefish paired well, review coming in the near future……


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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/


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Restaurant review: Spis

10 08 2012

Restaurant Spis is small 18-seat Nordic restaurant in Kasarminkatu, Helsinki. It is open only in the evenings at least at the moment. Because restaurant is small and very popular you have to choose to dine early at 5PM or later at 730PM or 8PM. Spis provides surprise menu only later in the second sitting, otherwise a la carte list is available. The walls of restarant were left original, one wall looked like it was still under work.

Restaurant was a month ago part of the 36 hours in Helsinki story in New York Times travel edition with topic: “New-Nordic nosh” http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/travel/36-hours-in-helsinki-finland.html

To start with we were suggested to try French dry pear cider (Jean-Paul Brun Charme Blanc de Blanc) which was the best cider ever. Finland is the country of ciders, but all local ciders are apple juices with different flavours, not real ciders. As we decided to taste surprise dinner and wines we let the kitchen lead the way. All dishes were also in the a la carte list. Restaurant is also specialized in breads, first was served wheat bread, then dill bread and lastly onion bread. Also peas cand be found in almost every dish.

First suprise were chips which started the dinner. Second one was greetings from kitchen, Perunaa ja voita “Potato and butter“, so simple but always delicious. It is common to eat this combination with fishes but actually it does not need any side dishes, it is a dish.

Then kitchen brought first real food so called Kesäkeitto “Vegetables and milk” which is traditional Finnish food. This time the soup was without stock and it was really cold, almost frozen. It included milk ice cream, snow pyre, peas, cauliflower, carrot and salad leaves. Wine was medium dry Pinot Blanc which suited quite well for the dish. However, mixed feelings but main courses were bull’s eyes!

So called main courses started with Siikaa ja lehtisalaattia “Whitefish and lettuce”. Really enjoyable; fish was boiled up to 42 celcius degrees which made it really soft. It is rare that fish is prepared by boiling not roasting or frying. Also side dishes were delicious and complemented taste of fish perfectly. This time wine selection was not so succesful, maybe it was due to Muscat grape.

Between main courses kitchen served Lonkero sorbet with grape fruit. Lonkero is traditional Finnish mixer you can not get anywhere else. It consists of gin and grape lemonade and was introduced in Helsinki olympic games 1952, 60 years ago.

Next main course was Kukonpoikaa ja fenkolia “Cockerel and fennel”. Cockerel was served with two ways, piece of breast and great ragout. Ragout was excellent and suited well with fennel and small fried potato pieces. Wine selection was from Beaujolais and match was excellent.

Dessert was peculiar as it included also peas; Hernettä ja pannukakkua “Peas and pancake”. However, it was scrumptious. Pea soup was sweet; pancake did not look like traditional as it was green, more like pastry. Asked one portion without pea soup and ice cream and that was taken in count well. Portion included sorbet and strawberry soup. Dessert wine was Riesling, which is not so common grape for sweet wines but perfect match for desserts.

Spis offers one interesting speciality; rum from Åland! Had to taste it with coffee and can recommend. Taste is mixture from calvados and rum. Kitchen’s greetings also with coffee.

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

Food and service are excellent, hope Spis finds bigger dining room in the future.

http://spis.fi/


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Restaurant review: Brasserie Kämp

7 08 2012

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 as a Luxury Collection property of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. A shopping centre, Kämp Galleria, was also opened within the same city block. All rock and pop stars spend their nights in Hotel Kämp. Last week Bruce Springsteen, the Boss, was there.

Dining at Hotel Kämp gives a possibility on a culinary journey from East to West. Eastern food is offered in restaurant YUME , where you can enjoy modern Asian hawkers- and finger food with a Modern Asian Temptations -concept. 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 a year ago you can dine “outside” all year around like in many brasseries in Paris. In the 2nd floor there used to be a la carte restaurant Signe for almost one year but it did not seem to exist anymore.

A la carte list is short which makes ordering easy, if you find suitable dish. Recommend to order gourmet “fast food” like salad or hamburger which is really luxorious. Especially French fries are maybe the best in the city.

Wanted to challenge kitchen and decided to order for starters ARTICHOKE RISOTTO Goat Gryere flavoured artichoke risotto rucola and SALMON CARPACCIO AND SCALLOPS Red Grapefruit vinegrette flavoured Salmon Carpaccio and fried Scallops with Asparagus salad and Le Grûyère AOC cheese. Taste of risotto was ok but quite mild. Main problem was wetness, it was like soup which risotto’s usually are not. Smelt cheese or lots of olive oil; difficult to taste. Scallops were perfectly fried as they were not like gum ball’s. Unfortunately not any more hot as they shoud be.  Salmon carpaccio is always delicious.

For main courses ordered CATCH OF THE DAY Fresh Fish of the Day which was Whitefish and season vegetables and Cord-fed Chicken Grilled Corn-Fed chicken served with Pumpkin puree and Barley, Madeira Sauce. Whitefish was roasted with professional way which enabled to eat also skin of the fish. Almost half of the season vegetables included lentils, maybe not so seasonal. Chicken was great, not too dry and pumpkin puree was delicious. Barley should be used more often in dishes as it was used in Wanha Makasiini few days earlier.

You could order cakes from the cake trolley but was too full. Green tea and coffee served from luxorious set of dishes ended dinner with glamour.

Brasserie and Cafe 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.

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

http://www.hotelkamp.com/brasseriekampbareng


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Restaurant review: Wanha Makasiini

4 08 2012

Restaurant Wanha Makasiini may be the best privately owned restaurant in Lappeenranta. After two experiences it earns recommendation; if you visit Lappeenranta dine at Wanha Makasiini! Old building itself is worth to see as it is “Old Storehouse”, pictures on the walls describe briefly the history of the building. Restaurant is located in the harbour near Sand Castle which is built each summer to attract tourists to Lappeenranta. You can dine inside or at the terrace depending on the weather. Although restaurant has fine dining menu you can also order pizzas which makes Wanha Makasiini versatile place.

Arrived to the restaurant at about 7PM and it was full; at 930PM it was empty; early dinner. Only Finnish diners this time although in Lappeenranta there are many visitors from neighbor country, Russia

For starters ordered again delicacy from the visit last time, no letdown this time either. Smoked vendace toast, smoked vendace mousse and roasted rye bread. Very simple but so delicious could have eaten 3 portions. Soft and suitably salty mousse blended in with rye bread roasted with butter tasted out of this world. Turkey pastrami, turkey on herb salad bed, marinated red onion and walnut vinaigrette was also simple dish. Turkey was tender; not too dry as it usually is.

Again fish for main courses. This time chose Fried salmon with spinach-pearl barley risotto and season vegetables. Chose this one because wanted to taste and compare barley vs rice as risotto ingredient. Taste and look was almost the same; a little bit bigger pearls but definately worth of trying, can recommend. Roasted whitefish and grilled prawns with lime sauce and grilled vegetables was the weakest link. Fish was over roasted and lime or bearnaise sauce not so attractive. Also prawns were quite small. Last year whitefish portion was excellent and roasted perfectly.

Because main courses were so generous decided to taste ice creams with tea and espresso. Home made Rasberry sorbet and Baileys ice cream ended the dinner appropriately. Next time have to try Mud cake because usually it “separates wheat from the chaff” when it comes to competence of the kitchen.

Because of easy-going athmosphere, renovation of the old building and location in the harbour, Wanha Makasiini earns 4 as an overall grade.

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

http://www.ravintolawanhamakasiini.fi/

http://hiekkalinna.lappeenranta.fi/en/

Some figures from Sand Castle below.


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Restaurant review: Kappeli

14 07 2012

Restaurant Kappeli – “the pearl of Espa” –  was opened to the public 1867 as summer restaurant but since 1970’s it has been open all year round. Latest renowation was in autumn 2011 still keeping same traditions in building structure. In the summer one can also dine at the outside terrace which is at the end of the building behind main terrace. If one wants to sit in the middle of the main terrace but inside, ask for oriel window table for two. It is small but charming and one can even watch bands and singers on stage opposite the restaurant.

A la carte consists of menus honoring famous Finnish artists or writers like Eino Leino, Sibelius and Juhani Aho. It also includes Finnish traditional fish and meat dishes. Wine list is artless and expensive which provides opportunity for the restaurant to improve it. Service needs some experience, forgot to serve us bread and no towel or cloth for Prosecco bottle.

For starters ordered Kappeli’s fish assortment – smoked salmon mousse, cold smoked Baltic herring skagen, smoked whitebait, cold smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and Caesar salad and chicken. Fish assortment was diverse but skagen was too salty.Wonder also why scrambled eggs were included? Caesar salad was as it should be.  Even the chicken was much better than last year, without skin and fresh. Great improvement!

For main courses had Grilled whitefish with spinach, Hollandaise sauce, potatoes with dill, butter and onion and Smoked salmon with creamy false morel sauce, potatoes with dill, 
butter and onion, baked tomato and zucchini. Whitefish was a little bit over grilled but potatoes in their butter onion sauce were excellent in both portions. Salmon was also a little bit too much smoked. Good achievement was that both portions were warm, almost hot.

In the summer the terrace of Kappeli is always crowded. Most of the diners inside were tourists; heard Spanish and German in nearby tables. Because of historical building and athmosphere Kappeli earns 4 as an overall grade.

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

http://www.kappeli.fi/index.php?id=frontpage


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Restaurant review: Teatterin Grilli

1 05 2012

Restaurant Teatteri is one of the most popular places to spend evening in Helsinki night life or to relax at the terrace on warm summer day. Complex consists of dining room Teatterin Grilli, night club, two bars (Kellobaari and Teatteribaari), popular terrace and self-service wine & deli cafe. Decor is modern including pictures/paintings; one can catch a glimpse of those in picture below.

Decided to dine this time on Labour Day or 1st of May Eve instead of having lunch on May Day which is typical lunch and picnic date for celebrating spring and studies.

Teatterin Grilli a la carte list is tempting; many savory dishes which makes difficult to decide what to order. Think I have eaten here best hamburger ever, TG burger, which includes chilli flavoured shrimp mayonnaise and country style potatoes. Would also say it was worth of price 19,10€.

This time ordered for starters Starter selection Creamy langoustine soup, salmon roasted with black pepper and slightly smoked deer which is well qualified combination of single starters and Salmon roasted with black pepper, marinated fennel and avocado crème.
Soup was best part of the selection of 3 starters, otherwise quite ordinary tastes. Nicely arranged on the plate, however.

For main courses ordered  Fried whitefish, puikula potatoes mashed with lemon butter and vendace roe sauce and Grilled halibut, fried salsify and parsley sauce.
 Both fishes were well prepared and cooking time was rightly calculated. One needs to take Side orders for these portions like Country style potatoes, otherwise one might stay hungry. Mashed potatoes were replaced by vegetables; kitchen is ready to make changes if needed.

For dessert had Cheese Plate; manchego, gouda and Peltola blue. Portion could have included fig or fig jam because it was quite dry but Peltola blue is always savory and glass of port wine made it easier to enjoy dining.

Teatterin Grilli is always popular, need to make table reservation in advance. Got email reply in few minutes which might be the record in confirming reservation. Little bit focus on taste of food and restaurant would earn full 4, because all other elements are in good shape.

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

http://www.teatteri.fi/gallery

http://www.teatteri.fi/teatterin-grilli


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