2_1_ScanMag_79_August_2015_Text.qxp_Scan Magazine 1 06/08/2015 17:07 Page 78
Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Finland
Restaurant of the Month, Finland
Handmade creative food to share The culinary philosophy behind Restaurant Bronda is simple: a meal is best enjoyed when shared with others. Social dining allows the guests to experience the food in the best way possible. By Nina Lindqvist | Photos: Wilhelm Rejnus/baraBild
Restaurant Bronda, with its 18 month anniversary just around the corner, is the newest restaurant created by Helsinki’s culinary super duo Tomi Björck and Matti Wikberg. Bronda, along with Björck’s and Wikberg’s four other highly successful restaurants Gaijin, Boulevard Social, Farang and Farang Stockholm, make up restaurant company BW-Restaurants, known for its impeccable, innovative food and first-class dining experiences. “We incorporate foreign, authentic influences in our dishes and each restaurant has its own, distinct style and type of food. Gaijin is known for its Korean and Japanese flavours, Farang for its strong Southeast Asian influences and Boulevard Social for its Mediterranean cuisine. At Bronda, we serve modern,
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brasserie style food in a relaxed environment. We want customers to feel at home here,” Wikberg explains. The entirely handmade food is always prepared from start to finish using the finest and freshest ingredients. Wikberg and Björck have drawn inspiration from their travels around Europe and France, Italy and Spain, known for their culinary exports, which stand out as the main sources of inspiration at Bronda. Maintaining the Finnish origin is also important for the duo and the kitchen uses Finnish ingredients when they are in season. A versatile space to compliment the food The impressive restaurant space, with its high ceilings and large windows, gave the duo an opportunity to bring their
newest vision to life exactly as they had imagined it. As locations go, the restaurant certainly hit the jackpot. Bronda is located on the beautiful Eteläesplanadi, moments away from the buzzing market square as well as the majestic Helsinki Cathedral. “Bronda is our biggest restaurant yet and such a big space requires a meticulous eye for design, to create a well-balanced and harmonious space. In the end, it actually turned out even better than we could have ever hoped for,” Wikberg says. The restaurant mixes high-end materials such as brass, oak, leather and marble to create a modern, yet timeless elegance. The man behind the interior design is Risto Wikberg from Futudesign, Matti Wikberg’s own brother. “The intricate floor of the cocktail bar, constructed like the Helsinki navigational chart, also provides an interesting topic of discussion for many guests,” Wikberg adds with a smile.