Helsinki: An Unusual Gourmet Holiday!

Don’t let tongue-twisters like Mustamakkara, Karjalanpaisti and Juustoleipä throw you off. Once you acquire a taste for their unique, sometimes even gory-sounding specials—blood sausages included—you’ll find Helsinki’s foodscape endlessly fascinating, what with fresh seasonal produce and an increasingly global outlook. Say ‘kippis’ and raise a toast to the contemporary and lush flavours of the fashionable Finnish capital, with sexy beaches and booming nightlife as an animated backdrop.

I thought I’d have to survive Helsinki by dipping shards of rye bread into reindeer soup, a concept that flew out of the window as soon as I got my first whiff of the Finnish capital city and its flavours. Surrounded by a sunny archipelago and blessed by all manner of nature’s goodies, Helsinki, which was named as the World Design Capital for 2012, is one of Europe’s hottest food destinations. The city may not enjoy the rarified gourmet status of its Scandinavian neighbour Copenhagen yet, but it is on a spree to gain its fair share of Michelin-star restaurants. However, it’s the wonderful, community-minded and ethically oriented cafés, plush lunch places and internationally themed luxe restaurants that are giving the city the food character it has earned a name for.

L’Officiel India DigitalRead L’Officiel India in the digital libraryEvery issue and every cover story, on TCG Media.Read now

Helsinkians, I learnt soon enough, are shy, but unerringly polite and friendly. A great way to get into the city’s groove is to make a daily morning appointment at Kauppatori, the buzzing marketplace, and grab a meat pie before chatting up with local organic farmers. Following the caffeine-addicted locals, I found myself visiting trendy cafés all day long, for way too many Kuppi Kahvias. While it’s impossible to list Helsinki’s must-visit food establishments (exciting concepts pop up every day, not including the quatra-annual Ravintolapäivä or Restaurant Day), here’s the beginner’s guide to luxury treats for your taste buds in Helsinki. Three top restaurants, three exhaustive menus, one drooling fan.

Yume: Asian fusion at its best!

Given its cult design status, Helsinki has always been influenced by the East, especially Japan. Booking a table at the city’s best-known Japanese restaurant, Yume, was the perfect excuse to watch this marriage at work.

A breezy evening stroll down the plush Kluuvikatu Boulevard worked up just the right appetite to indulge in Yume’s dimly lit charms. The restaurant is owned by the prestigious Kämp Group of hotels, which accounts for the crème de la crème of Helsinkian society diners. I began with finger-food style platters of Maki Roll, Yellowtail Sashimi, Butterfish Sushi, Whitefish Ceviche (dunked relentlessly into shiso and mayonnaise dips) and crunchy Vegetable Tempura. I ditched saké for a refreshing vodka-based fennel cocktail that my hostess suggested.

The most fun part of dining at Yume had to be their Hot Stone menu. Bite-sized pieces of beef, lamb and juicy tiger prawns were brought out with a boiling hot slab of lava stone and a platter of dips like coriander salsa, miso and ponzu sauces, to cook meat (or tofu) to your individual liking. They didn’t mind as I slapped the beef all over the stone with my chopsticks, eventually overcooking it and sheepishly requesting more. If you’re visiting this summer, I suggest you don’t miss their Tiong Bahru Tasting Menu which features sashimi, pork ribs, som tum salad, hot stone meat and passion fruit pudding.

Juuri: A posh date with Finnish sapas

I met Juuri’s exuberant owner Ilja Björs, one of the founding members of the Design District Helsinki, for a cookout at his trendy New York-style loft at Arabianranta. Judging by the Lamb-stuffed Cabbage Rolls, Mushroom Soup and Apple Pie he whipped up, I promptly booked a table at his restaurant, bathed in merry shades of red and yellow. Juuri (translated as ‘roots’ in Finnish) is popular for its sapas, bite-sized dishes, ordered in sets of four to seven. Flummoxed by the variety on offer, I let the friendly hosts take charge. They sent a flavour-packed army of sapas marching out to the table. Rainbow Trout with Egg and Anchovy Bread, Cocktail Sausages with Vodka Mustard, Smoked Lamb with Gooseberry Jam and Reindeer Liver Terrine. Big, bold and often addictive, these Finnish amuse-bouches sat lightly on the palate and accompanied a few choices from the main course as well.

I chose the native Arctic Char Braised in White-currant wine, and Jerusalem Artichoke Purée, served with Beetroot Sauce and Parsnip Chips. There was still room for some Almond Cranberry Chocolate Cake (they do a frothy cranberry foam, as well as a luscious carrot butter) before saying my goodbye, with a promise to Ilja that I’d get hold of his forthcoming cookbook on tweaking Finnish traditions. Clearly, it’s a game that the young Turks at Juuri are all too familiar with.

Ateljé Finne: Great food in a sculptor’s den

Just around the corner from my modish, centrally located Hotel Helka, Ateljé Finne came highly recommended by in-the-know girls, like blogger and candy-haired queen of recycled fashion, Outi Pyy and hipster boutique owner Minna Sarela. The rich-in-arty-ambience restaurant is not only unpretentious, it has an interesting history. Housed in the former studio of famous Finnish sculptor Gunnar Finne, the restaurant is full of character and retains many of the artist’s original works, along with some impressive local art.

Known for serving local cuisine with a contemporary international twist, Ateljé Finne is also known for the game on their menu. My starter, deep fried pork with Cauliflower Purée, didn’t turn out to be as weighing down as it sounded. The waiter brought me a small portion of their Cold-smoked Pike (the smoking dilutes its strong flavor) before bringing my choice of mains: I ditched Braised Pork Tongue with Celeriac Purée for a simple and juicy Rabbit Leg. Overall, a no-brainer venue for a pampering evening out with a raucous group of friends, savouring a modern take on Finnish flavours.

Season’s delights

Helsinki offers delicious and very special culinary treats for each season of the year. Try these specialties that are lighting up the Helsinkian tables right now!

• April: Lamb, mämmi (Finnish Easter pudding), pasha
• May: Perch, whitefish, pike-perch, sima (mead) and tippaleivät (May Day fritters), nettles
• June-July: Salmon, sausage, herring, strawberries, blueberries, cloudberries
• August: Root vegetables, crayfish, wild duck, chanterelles, apples

From the April 2014 issue of L’Officiel India.