Moomin cafés, import doughnut shops and multifarious pop-ups, yes, but no real restaurants – until very recently, the pickings have indeed been slim for those looking to sample the flavours of Finland in Tokyo. But things are slowly improving: leading the way is this modest but very competent eatery, opened at Roppongi Hills on March 1 and set to serve a diverse menu of Finnish cuisine until the end of January 2018. Tucked away on the second basement floor of the Metro Hat, Talo (‘house’) offers a menu curated by Elena Ada, the Finnish embassy’s official chef. Her recipes for dishes like roast pork with beet sauce, hearty bean soup (available only on Thursdays) and macaroni casserole are then put into practice by resident chef Isao Matsumoto, who also contributes a few of his own creations.
We’re especially fond of the beef stew, a flavourful, home-style concoction made with Finnish Lapin Kulta beer. The drink menu also deserves closer attention, as import brews jostle for attention with mainly vodka-powered cocktails, Scandinavian tea and siphon coffee from Finnish bean purveyors Robert’s Coffee. And dessert-lovers have not been forgotten either: highlights include a scrumptious berry tart provided by 160-year-old Helsinki bakery Ekberg and a simple, fluffy oven-baked piece of pancake served with ice cream and Finnish berries.