At the corner of an unsuspecting grey apartment building, shaded under a huge tree, hangs a small sign that says ‘Ravintola Kaskis’. It’s the home of the only Michelin plate awarded restaurant in Turku.
Turku is know for a vibrant food scene that pays tribute to the Nordic nature and local ingredients. At Kaskis, they certainly honour their roots and treat you to a culinary trip through the dense Finnish forests, farms of Lapland all the way to the treats of the Baltic Sea.
Getting a table at Kaskis is a little tricky since they only have a handful of tables available, and they become available on a reservation only basis every few months. Thanks to a calendar reminder I managed to get a mid-week table to celebrate birthday of my husband.
Dining here (as anywhere else in Finland) is not something you do every weekend. Four course tasting menu starts at 59 eurs with wine pairing for the same at 37 eur.
We arrived on our ‘city ponies’ – my nickname for electric scooters, so parking was no issue. The staff are very professional, attentive and very friendly. The restaurant is really small, but I didn’t feel as crowded as in other places. There was a relaxing nice music and not too many people, so you don’t feel like in a school diner.
After a quick look around, our food started arriving, spaced our really nicely so we had time to finish our wine and discuss the delicate culinary treats just served.
As I’m writing this, the dinning happened a number of weeks ago, but I have to say the memories are still very fresh. I will leave a comment under each dish picture so you know what they are, but the menu changes every few weeks so it’s unlikely you will be served the same.
Most important thing – the food.
Freshness of ingredients and attention to detail was really there from the start and some surprising combinations also made an appearance. I can’t pick out my favourite as everything was truly delicious, both in terms of flavour and presentation. Each meal was explained in details and also the matching wine.
If you’re visiting Finland for the first time, these few courses would be an expert introduction into the Nordic cuisine and the best it has to offer.
After four courses we were pretty full and happy. An evening of spectacular food, professional service and great company. What more can you wish for!
