Ora

Sasu Laukkonen has worked in the same location on picture-well-suited Huvilakatu street since 2010. He was the head chef at Chef & Sommelier which transformed into Ora in 2017. As the name suggests, the former was all about ambitious gastronomy and haute wine selections, the latter, however, has taken a step in a more relaxed direction, allowing Laukkonen to entertain his 20+ diners face-to-face. Guests are greeted immediately upon entering, which makes well-suited sense as the cozy, wood-panelled dining room is the size of a snug apartment.

Four chefs man the petite, open kitchen while two servers take care of front of house-duties, any more staff and this place would feel as crowded as a public sauna on a Saturday afternoon. Seating is arranged so that the diners get front row-views of the streamlined, entertaining culinary action. Two bite-sized snacks showcase the restaurant’s philosophy: local produce, prepared open-mindedly to enhance their natural characteristics. A dish of mini vendace on an acidic yet sweet, halved onion and a slice of luxurious potato with locally grown lion’s mane mushroom instantly sets the tenor.

Potato with pumpkin puré and marigold leaves is sweet and velvety, a crispy potato “cookie” resembles a parmesan cracker. Laukkonen’s courageous and experimental cooking is exhibited in a carrot creation; bitter rowan berries and sweet carrot juice form a complex base for a hunk of Waldemar, a hard goat cheese from Kolatun Juustola. Pieces of soft, pine-smoked carrots add intoxicating earthiness to the dish. An unfiltered orange wine by Schmelzers Weingut from Burgenland is sherry-like, it’ll knock your socks off when paired with whey-flavored beets with meadowsweet and bitter almond-pungent plum stone-oil that verily stands up to the wine’s cockiness.

Trout with burbot roe paste is a playful homage to the well-known Kalles kaviar, a Swedish fish roe spread invented in the 1950’s. Service is ultra-attentive, your water glass is never empty and the plates are cleared the minute you’re finished. Drinks drag just a tad behind the food, but are nevertheless explained thoroughly. Do like the locals and end your meal with a Colombian-Guatemalan espresso, roasted by local Kaffa Roastery, it’s pulled with a manual ROK coffee machine – a rare sight to see, anywhere actually.

Published June, 2019.