Restaurant Aoi — Restaurant in Helsinki sub-region

I hope the chef proofs me wrong; a 53€ menu that includes 30g of asparagus, 50g of pork cheek, 30g of Kuhä fish, 50g of cheese, but plenty of marvelous "croissant like " bread. In total around 160g of food (excluding the buttery bread).. All the food is served in coffee plates. There is 0 decoration in the place, a scheme sometimes used by cooks who own restaurants to make the client focus on the food; this is why I will extend my review coffee dish by coffee dish. The asparagus ( "uncooked" to perfection ) came with a flavourless Dashi lacking completely of any kezurikatsuo and umami. The pork cheek salad was an interesting idea but the cook forgot that the gelatine (colagene) in the cheeks only turns soft above the body's temperature but it was served cold so the feeling was similar of eating a pork cheek left over night in a plate. The fish dish on the other hand was flavour intense, and well resolved accompaniment with charred fennel and a foam with some flavour. Needless to say that there was double the amount of fennel than fish, so maybe the dish should be called fennel with fish. Finally we ended with the cheese that we asked 1:30 min before to take out of the refrigerator. They forgot about that, and cheese came ultra cold. Even though the choice was nice the temperature killed the flavours. We were the first table in the restaurant, so we think it was something easy to remember. 1:30 min to serve 3 cold (coffee dish size: 0 plating) dishes and 1 warm is not understandable. The summelier understood our preferences and recommended the wines we wanted but must point out as well that the best priced wines were sold out before opening. There is a slight chance that if they turn around all this problems there could be something here, for some ideas are interesting. We try over 100 new restaurants (mainly iin Europe) every year so we have an experienced and demanding palate. In general we only review outstanding or faulty restaurants. (If you look at the photos use the size of the jalapeño or the radish to judge for yourself the size of...

Frequently changing and simple four-course dinner menus. The menu lists a few key ingredients, but the format and the flavor profile is always a (pleasant) surprise. Invariably delicious and good value.

For the constants, the brioche-like bread and the signature Finnish pancake are both amazing. No-nonsense and friendly service, great wine cabinet with good pairings, and for non-alc drinks they offer cold infusions that are also thoughtfully paired to the menu. You can always trust the staff's recommendations.

The space has good acoustics - you hear the music and the conversations at a pleasant volume. Booking is very easy via the minimalist and well designed website. (Note: there's a good chance the menu will change between your reservation and...

Overall, my experience was enjoyable. The service was friendly, though the organization could use some improvement, especially with the somewhat confusing wine list. The initial courses were underwhelming, with overly salty flavors that detracted from the taste. The deer sandwich was decent, albeit a bit heavy. However, the main course, featuring Herring, was outstanding—beautifully balanced and thoughtfully composed. The pancakes were a delightful finish to the meal. Overall, a pretty...