The understated entrance off the Aionkatu in the historic Kunsthalle Helsinki, hides a buzzing interior serving a modern, fresh take on South Asian cuisine. The main dining area is simple, clean and modest - a clever design consideration ensuring everyone's focus is on the food created by head chefs Matti Wikiberg and Tommi Bojrk.
After all the hype our first experience was a little disheartening - having booked two months in advance and having had a wonderful email conversation with the staff, we were informed our booking was unfindable. In an action I can only describe as wonderfully insightful, we were believed by the staff, whisked through to a comfy seating area by the long, heavily stocked bar and given most of a bottle of champagne, gratis, while we waited for a table. Checking the menu, we hadn't been given the cheapest bottle either - maybe other establishments should take a leaf out of Farang's book on customer service?
After a little wait, whilst the staff quickly organised a table in the already full to bursting restaurant, we were seated on a raised dais overlooking the main dining room. This was a great vantage point to spy on the buzzy commotions below and see well trained staff gliding in and out of the hub bub as if on casters.
Farang's dining room
We'd booked the Ao Nang tasting menu; this being a celebration of a pregnancy. Once the staff were aware of the situation they were extremely considerate, asking if each menu item and ingredient would be ok and letting our companion change things to suit - this is usually unheard of for a tasting menu, it's an all for one, one for all type arrangement. (We had called ahead, but seeing as our reservation couldn't be found, I doubt the staff would have known about this in advance).
Ao Nang is the largest tasting menu at Farang, a sumptuous wander through nine courses; each one a careful balance of flavours and a delightful assault on all the senses. Don't be fooled by the size of each course, by the end of the meal we were more than stuffed.
First was the Green Shell Mussel; a plump bivalve nestled in a rich and creamy curry sauce, a well conceived combination of flavours - the sweetness of the shellfish and the silky, spiciness gently waking up our tastebuds.
Green curry mussels - down in one!
Swiftly out next was a Chu Plau Leaf with Farang Sausage; a salty hunk of meat livened up with spanking fresh herbs, fragrant red chillies and some added texture from the sweet, sugary peanuts on top. Served on a chu plau leaf it was the perfect size to roll up and fit into eagerly awaiting mouths.
My mouth waters thinking about the amazing flavours in the Chu Plau dish
We moved on to tiger prawn and pork on a banana blossom salad - a classic surf and turf combination given a sexy, Asian makeover; the belly pork cut thin and crisped up, topped by a delicately cooked prawn and pepped up with a fresh salad.
Things got serious with the crispy pork. We bit through hunks of crispy, crunchy pork to a soft interior oozing salty porcine juices that mingled with the syrupy, sweet caramel sauce. We did initially fear a sweetness overload, but the dish was rescued by the contrasting chili and fresh herbs served on the side, which cut through what could have been cloying sweetness to create a dish with such perfect harmony - which I'm sad to say this was not mirrored by the fights for the last tasty morsels or us drinking the sauce out of the bowl with our spoons.
Crispy pork - before the spoon fight (note, spoon at the ready!)
A slate bearing the seared scallops in the half shell was both easy on the eye and the mouth. Expertly cooked, the plump shellfish were caramelised on the outside with a super soft centre. Bathed in a citrusy curry sauce, the dense scallops were lifted and the dish refreshed our mouths for further gastronomic assualt.
Well presented, poorly photographed
The previous dishes in the menu had concentrated on exceptional bits of meat and (unsurprisingly for a coastal city) fish, with the veg sidelined to enhance dishes or add clever contrasts; to keep the menu balanced the next course was a big pile of morning glory and deep fried tofu. Cooked so the stalks still had bite whilst the leaves were wilted; the watery vegetables were bathed in a salty, fishy stock that added depth and body. The accompanying deep fried tofu was actually alright (I’m not a fan of bean curd), it added peppery element that was further enhanced by the liberal addition of chillies. The morning glory was served with a large bowl of sticky rice – when people say it’s all about the rice, they’re right. This was sticky without being claggy, warm without being hot, moist without being wet – a true testament to the skill in the Farang kitchen.
We were up to the last savoury dish, a lamb shin curry, which was a real taste pinnacle. Large chunks of lamb fell apart into silky soft strands, cooked for a long time the dish’s flavours had mingled and come together to create a deeply savoury gravy with a big, punchy bite of spice that the meaty lamb took well.
Final savoury dish, a beautiful lamb shin curry
Both puddings were served at the same time; a smaller ‘soup’ of fresh fruit, coconut milk and lychee sorbet, which was an intense hit of exotic sweetness that conjured all sorts of images (or maybe the bottle of red I’d drunk did…). The addition of fresh pea was an interesting and brilliantly considered addition, adding a savoury freshness that lightened the whole dish; however my dining companions didn’t like it, maybe an acquired taste?
Pudding two was a millefuille of caramelised banana cream, almond satay and an astringent tamarind ice cream. This dish was much more successful, but as with most Asian food, I find the pudding is always an afterthought and never seems to outshine or even stand up to the quality of the other dishes, even at somewhere as proficient as Farang.
Puddings x two
Each and every dish at Farang was a hit and stuck to the Asian principles of salty, sour, sweet and hot - right through to the balance of flavour in the puddings. Each course has been designed to run on from the one before, creating a delicious harmony of flavors and taking you on an epic and very enjoyable gastronomic journey.
Service throughout the night was slick and faultless, the staff dealt well with having to explain to a mainly English speaking table and didn’t rely on our Finnish companion to translate for us; even down to giving us the thorough (and only slightly faltering) background to the wine we were drinking (unfiltered and organic red – pretty good seeing as it was one of the cheaper ones on the wine menu).
Very drinkable wine at the bottom end of the price scale
No wonder Farang is top of Helsinki’s food scene; the staff, the food, the setting and the unpretentious way in which it's all delivered, makes it pretty top in my books too.
Food – 10/10
Atmosphere – 9/10
Service – 9/10
Value for money – 8/10
Total – 36/40
Go again – yes, I think it’d like to try the a la carte next time and investigate what other delights Farang has to offer.
Ps So sorry for the poor photos, the light's not very good in Farang and I'm just starting to get used to this phone!
Farang, Ainonkatu 3, 00100 Helinki, Finland - +358 10 322 93801 - info@farang.fi
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