Moomin cafés, import doughnut shops and multifarious pop-ups, yes, but no real restaurants – until very recently, the pickings have indeed been slim for those looking to sample the flavours of Finland in Tokyo. But with design, fashion and even music (read: metal) from that easternmost of Nordic nations winning considerable popularity on these shores over the past decade, it’s no surprise that the gourmet side of things appears to be improving as well.
Leading the way is this modest but very competent eatery, opened at Roppongi Hills on March 1 and set to serve a diverse menu of Finnish cuisine until the end of January 2018 – a period that coincides with Finland’s celebrations of its 100th birthday as an independent country. Tucked away on the second basement floor of the Metro Hat, Talo (‘house’) aims for a comprehensively Nordic experience – think Iittala and Arabia tableware, minimalist furniture and branches of birch trees decorating the premises – that makes for an almost laughably acute contrast with the neighbouring izakayas and sushi joints.
But it manages to stay well out of kitsch territory: Moomin characters are kept to a minimum, and the menu is curated by Elena Ada, the Finnish embassy’s official chef. Her recipes for dishes like roast pork with beet sauce, hearty pea soup (available only on Thursdays) and macaroni casserole are then put into practice by resident chef Isao Matsumoto, who also contributes a few of his own creations. We’re especially fond of the beef stew, a flavourful, home-style concoction made with Lapin Kulta beer.
The drink menu also deserves closer attention, as import brews jostle for attention with mainly Finlandia vodka-powered cocktails, Scandinavian tea and siphon coffee from Finnish bean purveyors Robert’s Coffee. ¥850 sounds a little steep for some joe, but is actually almost agreeable: this is some seriously good coffee, and the pot it’s served in contains enough for two cups and then some.
And dessert-lovers have not been forgotten either: highlights include a scrumptious berry tart provided by 160-year-old Helsinki bakery Ekberg and a simple, fluffy oven-baked piece of pancake served with ice cream and Finnish berries. All of the à la carte dishes and drinks we mentioned are available daily from 2.30pm, when Talo goes into café mode, and until 10pm, when the kitchen takes last orders every day. Lunchtime (from 11am), meanwhile, sees a range of deli options that can be combined with your choice of three main courses.
Sure, Talo is clearly a convenient PR instrument for the Finnish tourist authorities, who must have blown a considerable bit of their annual budget on making the restaurant look and feel as ‘authentic’ as possible. But that doesn’t distract from the fact that it currently offers the best Finnish grub in the capital, and at very reasonable prices to boot. So take note, those of you who have already tried Tokyo’s Burmese, Uzbek and Belarussian eateries: there’s a new exotic destination in town, and it’s well worth the trip.
See full details for Finland Kitchen Talo here
