It is all about organic food, organic wine and organic living at Ask. This intimate little restaurant was my first experience of Michelin star dining in Helsinki and it was both surprising and sensational.
The restaurant, tucked away on a quiet street in the Kronohagen/Kruununhaka area, is inconspicuous and unassuming. We were among the first to be seated for the lunch sitting so had time to admire our surroundings and relish the tranquility. It soon became apparent that not many more diners were expected for the lunch sitting – I couldn’t understand why.
Food trends in Finland are changing, the locals are favouring informal eateries and street food. Destination dining seems to be suffering, especially at lunchtime. In London the Michelin restaurants excel at the lunch service as the more affordable menus are hugely popular with thrifty foodies and perfectly suit speedy business meetings. Finns are satisfied with a simple meal at noon, saving their substantial meal for the end of the day. The advantage? We had chef Filip’s undivided attention as he brought out delicate plates of flavoursome goodness.
Filip Langhoff is a young and determined chef who is helping to put Nordic food on the map. He was previously a chef at much loved two-star eatery Chez Dominique and also worked at famed restaurant Spisestedet Feinschmecker in Oslo. Filip and his wife Linda Stenman-Langhoff, a talented sommelier, opened Ask (which translates to ash tree) a few years ago, and it quickly gained a following.
Ask offers a daily menu dependant on the produce that small farmers and suppliers have available. There is no unnecessary fuss here and conventional fine dining (Filip winced when I used this phrase) is a distant memory. The focus is entirely on the ingredients and their heritage. Filip finds inspiration in nature and in the relationship between the environment and the people and translates this into immaculate plates of food.
Our menu was printed humbly on a slip of recycled organic brown paper:
Lunch @ Ask
Celeriac & Yoghurt
Egg & Brioche
Pike Perch & Leek
Malt & Spruce
49 euros
Every dish came in a different, completely unique container or vessel, a beautifully crafted pot or plate, that made the food look even more dramatic. Celeriac with yoghurt was a wild yet delicate dish, a pile of unruly stems sitting in a pool of thin sauce with a dollop of fresh creamy yoghurt adding an extra dimension. The egg and brioche was served warm and was a comforting treat, I just wanted more. The crunchy sweet brioche began to soak up the fragrant mushroom consommé while pretty fresh mushrooms add another texture and taste. A small poached egg added a richness to the recipe.
Instead of Pike Perch I was kindly given a meat substitute: a luxurious slice of beef topped with herbs and accompanied by charred leeks. The pike perch looked exquisite too, served with a creamy sauce and a striking coal dressing. Everything was cooked to perfection, emphasising the important heritage of the ingredients. For dessert we had our first taste of malt, a yeasty substance that reminded me of breakfast cereal. The malt was in the form of a doughnut sitting amongst a gritty biscuit crumb with soft ice-cream and woodland spruce particles. The meal was light and balanced offering a vibrant, innovative taste of Finland.
There are charming stories and memories behind all of Filip’s cooking, and I feel Ask restaurant only touches the surface of what this great chef is capable.
More information and book a table here.