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fine-dining restaurant. Both restaurants use Finnish ingredients and traditional Finnish cooking methods, such as curing, smoking and fermenting. The food is largely based on meat, fish, vegetables, dairy and eggs, and the recipes used at the restaurants have been passed down through generations. “Our dishes are based on the type of food that Finns would have eaten 100 years ago. We are inspired by Finnish home cooking and the brilliant inventiveness Finns showed when having to cook with limited ingredients,” says owner Timo Linnamäki. A sophisticated dining experience Finnjävel Salonki (The Salon) was awarded a Michelin star in 2021, as well as a Service Award for the best restaurant service in the Nordics. The restaurant offers diners a refined and intimate setting for fine dining. The menu, offering either five- or eight-course dinners, takes
guests on a culinary journey through Finland’s centuries-old food culture. Giving an indication of the slight tongue-incheek style of the place, the wine packages, served alongside the restaurant’s wine list, are divided into ‘good wines’ and ‘better wines’. On the other side of Finnjävel is Sali (The Hall), which is the place to enjoy a more casual – but still elegant – lunch or dinner. “We have dug deep into the past in order to create the future of Finnish cuisine. Finland’s location between Russia and Sweden has created quite a unique culinary culture, which differs from the other Nordic countries,” Linnamäki explains. The restaurants serve very traditional Finnish dishes – familiar to most Finns through the kinds of meals often served at school. On the menu are some of the most commonly loved or hated school meals, like ‘läskisoosi’, a traditional stew made from pork belly, fried with onions
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Restaurant of the Month
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Finland
and flour, and ‘tilliliha’, which is meat slowly simmered with vegetables and seasoned with dill, among other things. “Many Finns usually have a strong reaction when they hear of these dishes. We have taken these old recipes and brought them into modern times – and hopefully we can help people revisit their memories in a new light,” Tuominen explains. For international guests, Finnjävel offers an all-encompassing way to delve into Finnish culture. “We’re serving truly authentic Finnish food. This is as traditional as it gets. That, coupled with the unique setting and being surrounded with Finnish design, is the icing on the cake. It’s a must-visit when in Helsinki,” he concludes. Web: www.finnjavel.fi Facebook: Finnjavel Instagram: @finnjavelhelsinki
March 2022
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Issue 140
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83
