Nokka\u2019s slogan says it all: \u2018Wild nature on a plate.\u2019 Opened in the early 2000s, Nokka was one of the first restaurants in Helsinki \u2013 and indeed in all of Finland \u2013 to champion wild fish, game, foraged herbs and berries alongside responsibly farmed ingredients from small local producers. At the time, the idea seemed rather radical. Today, local and seasonal food has become the dominant dining trend.<\/p>\n
Chef Ari Ruoho has pointed out in interviews that Claus Meyer visited Nokka shortly after it opened. Not long afterwards, Meyer and Ren\u00e9 Redzepi launched a little restaurant in Copenhagen called Noma.<\/p>\n
As head chef, Ruoho does not simply order wild ingredients from suppliers \u2013 he hunts, fishes and forages many of them himself. Appropriately enough, his surname means \u201cgrass\u201d in Finnish.<\/p>\n
The uncompromising philosophy is reflected not only in the quality of the food, but also in the prices: four-course menus cost between \u20ac74 and \u20ac89, while the eight-course signature menu comes in at \u20ac139. Dishes are also available \u00e0 la carte.<\/p>\n
You do not come here for an ordinary weeknight dinner. You come for something memorable \u2013 and Nokka\u2019s dramatic setting inside a vast red-brick harbour warehouse rises to the occasion beautifully. At the entrance, guests are greeted by a giant ship propeller and anchor. Inside, old maritime objects and a wooden rowing boat suspended high above the dining room create one of the most atmospheric restaurant interiors in Helsinki.<\/p>\n
The reindeer tataki was one of the best starters I\u2019ve eaten in Helsinki<\/p>\n
The starters met the high expectations \u2013 and then comfortably exceeded them. The reindeer tataki was one of the best starters I\u2019ve eaten in Helsinki. The meat was sinfully tender, and the dish was elevated even further by the XO sauce: smoky, deeply savoury, slightly sweet and completely addictive. It was the kind of sauce that briefly makes you consider licking the plate in a fine dining restaurant. Though of course nobody would actually do that. Right?<\/p>\n