Finnish Sapas

Sapas is the equivalent to Tapas or appetizers in Helsinki, and the best place to get these amazing Finnish treats is in Juuri. Authentic Finnish cuisine in small handmade traditional culinary delights. The place is loved and highly recommended by Finnish people or should I say Helsinkiläinen the Finnish take on Helsinkiners. I went for dinner one night and realised they were completely full, the only table they had was at a quite strange time two days later, my desire to eat in the place was so big that I couldn’t care less and took the reservation. 

Juuri

A nice local beer

Juuri

The menu has plenty of options, 14 sapas, 5 mains, and 6 different desserts. My objective was tried as much as I could so I went for the Sapas. First the seasoned mushroom soup and Jerusalem artichoke foam, the soup was nice, delicate, an excellent start for the meal. Then the smoked Baltic herring pate with red onions, one of my favourites, sausages a la Juuri with vodka mustard, simple but excellent. Egg cheese spiced with oregano baked on top of straws, nice. Roasted beetroot with chevre from Saloniemi and dill bread, delicious. And to get a little bit more substance, organic pork glaze with pickle cauliflower and to finish duck liver terrine on a toast with vanilla syrup, the pork was good as the rest but the duck liver was superb the star of the night. 

Foam Soup

Herring 

Sausages

Egg Cheese 

Roasted Beetroot 

Pork Galze

Duck Liver

Busy place, great food, nice local beers, and only 4.30 euro per sapa. Go Yankees! Or Come on Chelsea! If you are around is a must. 

Local Beers

Sapas Menu

The Bar

Duck reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Couch” 

Kramer: Anyway, Jerry and Elaine felt very badly about what happened to you, and they wanted you to have this. 

Poppie: What's this? A bottle of wine and a five-alarm chili? They're trying to kill Poppie? 

Kramer: Why, what? 

Poppie: Don't they know I have a gastro-intestinal disorder? If I would have any of this, I would die. Then Poppie's no good to anyone! This is a sick, sick joke on Poppie. How could you be friends with those two? 

Kramer: Well, we're not very close. 

Poppie: They owe me for those ducks. They were flown in from Newfoundland. 

Kramer: Oh, they got good ducks there, huh? 

Poppie: Oh, very good ducks.

Juuri

T: +368 9 635732

Finnish Cuisine

Neighborhood: Kaartinkaupunki

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A typical Finnish Supper

My first experience with Finnish cuisine was a really late diner. I was catching up with a friend from my MSC and he asked me to go with him to move his boat from one marina to another one at the opposite side of the city. When we arrived to the other marina it was basically midnight, good thing that there are late restaurants in Helsinki and when I say late they keep their kitchen open until around 3am. 

Marina

The restaurant we went was a traditional one as per my request. Manala in the heart of the city between the National Museum, the Parliament, and the Rock Church (Temppeliaukio). I went for hard core local cuisine, Salmon soup and Reindeer. 

Manala

The place

The Lohikeitto (salmon soup) I immediately felt in love with it, amazing flavour the creamy based soup with the salmon is a perfect match. As a main Poronkäristys (Manala sautéed reindeer) quite good, the meat a little bit dry but with the mash and the lingonberries you have a nice combination. 

Lohikeitto

Poronkäristys

A perfect start for a week in Helsinki, even though the place wasn’t my first option but glad that the circumstances took me in that direction. 

Salmon reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Implant” 

Kramer: Come on Jerry! 

Jerry: Oh, how can you be so sure? 

Kramer: Jerry, are you blind? He's a writer. He said his name was Sal Bass. Bass, Jerry! Instead of salmon, he went with bass! He just substituted one fish for another! 

Jerry: Look, you idiot, first of all, it's Salman, not salmon! 

Kramer: Jerry, Jerry, you're missing the big picture!

Manala

T: +358 9 58077707

Finnish Cuisine

Neighborhood: Kamppi

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