2_1_ScanMag_80_Sep-Oct_2015_Q9_Scan Magazine 1 15/09/2015 16:54 Page 24
Scan Magazine | Culinary Feature | Restaurant Heinätori
The idyllic Restaurant Heinätori is situated in the heart of Tampere and welcomes more and more visitors every year.
Finnish culinary simplicity at its best Once you discover something that works, keep it and embrace it whole-heartedly. This is exactly what Restaurant Heinätori did, and eight years on they are stronger than ever.
tion the restaurant’s classics with a fan base of their own: Vorschmack and fried liver with bacon, mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.
By Nina Lindqvist | Photos: Restaurant Heinätori
The southern Finnish city of Tampere, home to Restaurant Heinätori, is the most populous inland city of the Nordic region. It does not take long to figure out that there is an endless supply of competitors eager to welcome dinner guests with open arms. So among this sea of options, how does a restaurant stand out? Lauri Väänänen, co-owner and co-founder of Restaurant Heinätori, knows how. A former engineer with a background in cooking, Väänänen founded Heinätori together with his wife nearly a decade ago, and not much has changed since. As it turns out, that is exactly why the restau-
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rant has enjoyed such long-lasting success. “Simplicity is key for us at Heinätori. It’s all about choosing the best and freshest ingredients, creating a winning menu and standing by and believing in your concept,” Väänänen confirms. And he is not exaggerating. The à la carte menu has remained very much same the since Heinätori welcomed its first customers back in 2007. With dishes such as mushroom risotto, roasted breast of guinea-fowl with Madeira sauce, and smoked salmon prepared to order in the Heinätori kitchen, it is no wonder that customers demand no change. Not to men-
“Heinätori is a classic Finnish restaurant that values quality and service over fancy tricks and gimmicks. The taste should come from the actual raw ingredients, not from spices used to cover them up. At Heinätori, we are true to ourselves and we don’t try to be something we’re not,” Väänänen says firmly. In addition to the set à la carte menu, Heinätori offers visitors a seasonal menu that changes every other month. Delicacies can, for instance, include smoked reindeer soup, duck breast, Arctic char and pike perch. When that sweet tooth comes knocking, the panna cotta with rose hip syrup or the house