Scan Magazine – August 2018

Issue 115 | August 2018 | 95

Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Finland

Web: http://www.ravintola-c.fi

of the day will be whatever he has caught
that day,” Suominen notes. “In the
autumn, we serve game from local
hunters, and the vegetables and berries
used depends on how good the harvest
has been that year.”

99 per cent of Restaurant C’s ingredients
come from Finland – with the exception
of salt, pepper and coffee. “This means
that we cannot use exotic fruits, olives, or
spices, unless they are grown in Finland.
This requires a lot of determination and
innovation, as we have to find out how to
replace spices and flavours that would
otherwise be readily available. We exper-
iment with a lot of herbs and roots. For
example, by drying a specific herb, we
can bring flavours not dissimilar to Asian
cuisine into our dishes.”

As a result, the restaurant uses a number
of preservation methods to store most
of its ingredients, including freezing,
drying, canning, salting and pickling. “For

half the year, there are no fresh local in-

gredients available, so we have to make

the most out of it during the summer and

ensure that we preserve enough to last

us through the winter and until spring-

time. In a lot of ways, we are at the mercy

of nature, and we can only take what it

will give us,” Suominen laughs.

Carefully selected drinks

Suominen’s background in wine means

that Restaurant C has an extensive wine

list. “We serve European wines, in order

to minimise our carbon footprint in their

importing. It’s also important for us to

only serve wines from organic vineyards,”

she explains.

Having made a name for herself as

a well-respected sommelier, one of

Suominen’s specialities is the way in

which she pairs wines with food. Surpris-

ing combinations create new experienc-

es that challenge deeply rooted beliefs

usually associated with wines. “From the

very beginning, I threw out all the tradi-

tional rules related to wine and food pair-

ings,” she says. “Our diners often tell us

that they’ve been positively surprised by

the way we combine the two.”

All of the restaurant’s spirits come from

Finland, and the drinks menu also fea-

tures ciders and beers, as well as a

number of non-alcoholic drinks from

homemade juices.

Although C is classed as a fine-dining

restaurant, the atmosphere is relaxed

and welcoming. “Our handprints are

visible in every dish, every ingredient

and every drink,” Suominen assures.

“Nothing is overlooked, and everything

has been chosen for a specific reason.

We are incredibly passionate about what

we do — and we hope that rubs off on our

customers too.”

Restaurant owner Ilkka Isotalo

Restaurant owner Christina Suominen. picking ingredients in the forest.

Birch leaves, and other summer ingredients, stored in salt water.