Restaurant of the Month, Finland
Bringing happiness in a bowl to Helsinki diners Fat Ramen’s restaurants have proved a hit with discerning diners in Helsinki. The first venue was opened in 2015 by entrepreneurs Marcos Gois and Otto Sarpaniemi and the company now boasts three centrally-located venues in the Finnish capital, offering food that is entirely hand-crafted using quality ingredients and seasonal produce. By Philip Denvir
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Photos: Fat Ramen
“We have three noodle restaurants in central Helsinki. Our concept, ramen, is relatively niche in Finland and even in Helsinki. We are local but feel global. Being multicultural myself, with a Finnish-Portuguese background, I truly embrace different cultures and feel like a world citizen,” explains Gois. Gois’ love for international cuisine comes from his global travels and his childhood memories of his grandmothers’ cooking. His early culinary career was spent working in fine-dining restaurants in 80 |
Issue 153
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April 2023
Helsinki followed by a three-Michelinstar restaurant in Piedmont, Italy, and several pop-ups in cities from Tokyo to New York. But it was a trip to London in 2014 sparked his love for ramen. “I had my first proper tonkotsu ramen in an East London ramen joint. The balance, complexity and delicacy of a hot bowl of noodles was otherworldly!” says Gois. A craving for ramen In 2015, Gois and Sarpaniemi spotted a gap in the local restaurant market and opened Helsinki’s first ramen shop in the
Hietalahti Market Hall. “As young entrepreneurs we wanted to bring something new to the restaurant scene. What would sell better than a hot bowl of noodle soup in cold and gloomy Finland? Otto and I were pioneers back then and I dare say we brought ramen to Finland,” says Gois. “Since then, many more noodle-driven concepts have emerged. The competition is a good thing as it offers customers options and keeps us on our toes. We are constantly striving to improve our product and be the best” “Ramen might seem like simple dish, but it’s actually very complicated. We serve thin hakata-style noodles and specialise in two types of soups: a rich pork broth called tonkotsu and a vegan mushroom dashi. We put a lot of effort and time into what we do. Each noodle