Demo

One of Helsinki’s oldest fine dining restaurants is easy to miss, hiding in plain sight in a modest location on Uudenmaankatu; the small space is camouflaged by a bookstore, a sushi joint and a local Finnish fashion boutique. Beyond its incognito entrance lurks a dining room with chandeliers draped in white, almost see-through gauze fabric, the place conjures dormant castle-vibes, each night it welcomes some 25-30 guests to a well-choreographed spectacle. 

Demo excels in serving modern cuisine with subtle classic references, often presenting Finnish fare with French flair. For example, the whole spectrum of celeriac is showcased in a dish that we choose to call Finnish Borscht; the parts becoming a sweet whole: salted, pureed and roasted celeriac with an aromatic broth, finished with smoked oil. Lively coral-hued vendance roe bursts in the mouth like popping candy. It’s paired with a biodynamic blend of Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay from Jutta Ambrositsch and transforms into fragrant pear juice with the dish. Arctic Ocean king crab is as tender and soft as an orange segment  at the season’s highest peak. Service is effortless and the attention to details is impressive. The most interesting and beautiful dish of the evening is presented as “one of the classics”: a fermented cloudberry foam with brown butter ice cream and a brioche moistened with sweet rum; a delightful matrimony of sweet and bitter. El Cabro, a Guatemalan drip coffee, roasted by Kaffa roastery, is smooth, chocolaty and round. Just the kind of mellowing coffee you desire after a plentiful dose of flavors.

Published June, 2019.