February

Flambé weeks at Elite
Petit fours at Ravintola Savoy
Havis goes red -special menu at Havis
Show & Dinner: Tribute to Elvis -show at Grand Casino Helsinki until 27.3.
Fondues at Kellarikrouvi
Blinis at Ravintola Katsomo
Seafood at Havis

March

Paellas at Nuevo
Seasonal beers available at Ravintola Savoy
Special chef´s menu at Ravintola Nokka

April

Traditional Easter buffet at Ravintola Sipuli
Tapas weeks at Nuevo
7-course Menu du Chef at G.W.Sundmans

Blini weeks at Ravintola Katsomo in FebruaryBack to the top

February, Finland’s statistically coldest month, is the perfect time to get acquainted with the Finnish take on the classic Russian buckwheat pancake, the blini. Packed with energy and served with a variety of toppings, the richness of blinis is perfect to enjoy as a group event. Restaurant Katsomo’s Blini Weeks combine the best ingredients with modest prices to guarantee an enjoyable dining experience for all.

The base of every Katsomo blini meal is a small buckwheat pancake fried in butter. Traditional toppings used at Restaurant Katsomo include whitefish roe, salmon roe, gravlax and smoked salmon, minced herring, smoked reindeer and forest mushroom salad. Each blini-eater personalises his or her blini by adding and mixing to taste Russian-style sour cream, chopped red onion and Russian-style pickles. Notes Katsomo chef Tony Hienonen, “The great thing about our blini meal is that the price per person declines as the number of servings increases.”

Katsomo has live music every Friday and Saturday night.

Restaurant Katsomo Blini Weeks: until February 27, 2010, Wednesdays to Saturdays from 1700 hours. À la carte menu also available.

Fondue season at KellarikrouviBack to the top

Fondues provide a delightful and tasty social experience that transports us far from the chill of winter. Running through February 27, Restaurant Kellarikrouvi is offering four fondues ranging from the traditional Swiss cheese fondue to an Asian fusion-style seafood fondue. Long forks at the ready!

The cornerstone ingredients of the Swiss cheese fondue are Gruyère and Emmenthaler cheeses, white wine, some garlic and a dash of kirsch. Kellarikrouvi’s head chef Pasi Rönkkö marvels at the simple perfection of the cheese fondue: “A handful of croutons, a few cocktail onions, some sweet gerkins and olives, a glass of dry white wine − and you’re there. It goes without saying that this classic fondue would be featured on our menu.”

Those partaking in the meat fondue immerse slices of marbled beef in a hot consommé broth. The fondue is served with a large selection of vegetables and chilli mayonnaise. Explains Rönkkö: “The meat fondue is a tribute to continental cuisine, featuring the choicest beef and freshest vegetables.”

To celebrate the ever-evolving fondue tradition, Kellarikrouvi offers a selection of fresh tuna, scampi, and vegetables to be dunked in a pot of soy-ginger broth. Restaurant manager Susanna Holm recommends that those interested in fusion cuisine try this Asian-style fondue.

For dessert there is the legendary chocolate fondue made from the finest French Valrhona chocolate. It is served with fresh fruits including pineapple, strawberries, apple, and banana. Holm encourages the shy to have a dip. “It’s actually lighter than you might expect, and the acidity of the fruit balance well with the chocolate sweetness.”

Holm notes that wine selection with fondues is a fairly straightforward process: “Fondues easily pair with character wines. With the meat fondue, for example, the full-bodied Finca Flichman Syrah from Argentina is a good choice, and their Chardonnay provides a nice counterpoint with the fish and cheese fondues.”

Kellarikrouvi, located in the basement of a beautiful Jugend-style building, created by Finland’s famous trio of architects Gesellius, Lindgren and Saarinen, provides the ideal milieu for a fondue party. Ask Holm, “At the heart of Finnish winter, what could be better than sitting around a simmering fondue pot with friends or family?”

Fondue Weeks at Kellarikrouvi: until February 27, 2010. Minimum of two persons per fondue required.