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I have been in Rovaniemi, Finland for about three weeks working on my thesis as I lounge and enjoy the culture and I feel the need to mention a local coffee shop that has been home to some very productive work visits not to mention a great atmosphere for spending a Saturday night. The name of the place is Kauppayhtiö and it is in downtown Rovaniemi, Finland (I wrote it in the headline with and without the two dots over the o at the end so hopefully you’ll be able to find this review by searching it both ways- those of you who can’t type the o with two dots on your computer keyboard). It is located next to a Chinese Restaurant on Valtakatu street. The atmosphere is that of a retro themed cafe with old artifacts and memorabilia. You are greeted in the entry way by two old fashioned candy dispensers, you walk in and there are round tables with old, plastic, bucket chairs, you can find an ancient Playboy Pin Ball machine in the corner, an old juke box, old, organge and grey fuzzy couches, a pool table and tons of old memorabilia from Finland hanging on the walls and placed throughout the cafe. View the pictures below for a more visual experience:
Courtesy of flickr user yourbartender
Courtesy of flickr user orion
Something to note about why this place is so cool, in addition to the atmosphere and a really good menu selection, you can buy anything in the shop. the concept is set up that whatever isn’t nailed down is yours for a price. I had my eyes on an ancient looking teen magazine showcasing the talents of a former boy band member (no, I’m not gonna embarrass myself by saying it) but it was really tempting to buy. The tables, the couches, photos on the wall, magazines lying around…if you see something you like, ask the price!
I can’t talk a lot about the food because I only had coffee, red bull and yorgurt smoothies but I did see a ton of people buying the sandwiches that looked pretty good (If I didn’t have such good cooking to come home to each night I would have tried one myself!) The banana yogurt smoothies though are GREAT. And, it is one of the cheapest places to buy coffee compared to the rest of the city. One and a half euros gets you one cup that you can refill one time so it is like 75cents a cup and it was REALLY good.
The music was very indie, soft rock type of sound. I liked it a lot, had the classic, home feel of a coffee shop that is way too cool for its own good but you can’t help love it there. You have to try to really understand. For a mid to upper 20s and younger 30s it is a must but I saw a ton of older people in there at all hours so there is no limit on who can check it out. I went with some friends last night (about 10/10:30pm) and they had a DJ, lots of people coming in from graduation parties (last day of school in Finland was yesterday). Later into the night, the music got really loud but with the no smoking law going into effect last Thursday I had no reason to leave other than getting tired. Really, if you want a great, trendy, hip coffee shop, check out Kauppayhtiö. They have a HUGE ice cream selection if you aren’t sold yet!! 
Technorati Tags: Finland, Restaurant
POSTED: NEW, 2008 Lordi Rocktaurant Review after the remodel and new chef
I’ve now seen everything. A couple nights ago I went to the new Rovaniemi Restaurant called Lordi’s Rocktaurant. Those who aren’t familiar with the group (which I wasn’t until my 80s hair band fanatic of a boyfriend educated me on this type of music) Lordi is a Finnish band from Rovaniemi who won the Eurovision competition in 2006 and will be on the Ozzfest tour this summer. About six months ago they opened up a restaurant in Rovaniemi, Finland that is really a sight to see- it’s like nothing I have ever seen before. Below you’ll find a review of this restaurant (or should I say Rocktaurant) as well as photos. You can view more photos of the restaurant on my flickr account.
Review:
The Atmosphere: This is the main reason for people to come. It is really like no other place. You walk in to the restaurant and are greeted by 80s music (both good and bad depending on your taste in music) and a bunch of scary mannequins of the band members. The tables were like knights and castles type of feeling. (the photos help describe this) There is no hostess or waiter to greet you, you just walk in and pick a seat. The bar downstairs was really cool but it wasn’t open yet. We just walked around. Kind of a basement type area with lots of band photos and memorabilia on the walls- all stuff out of the 80s. (Matti was quite at home) They serve cider so I’m on board. But, again, it wasn’t open.
The Service: One important thing to note, if you are American and used to the fast pace of our restaurant and service industry you’ll be caught off guard. Finland is not a big eating out culture the way we are in the U.S.- you just have to be patient and go with it. You will get your food! That being said. Waiters don’t come serve you but rather you pick up a menu and are given specific instructions on the table to walk up and place your order when you’re ready. This is just my opinion but this seems to be more of laziness of the employees than doing us a service…but that could also be my American restaurant going background. The place was not busy in the least and at a sit down restaurant I would never expect to get up and place my order…again, these are my opinions
Monster’s Disco Hell Bar (downstairs)
The Menu/Food: You can view on the website the full menu but just a review on what we all ordered. (there was English on the menu which was a plus!) You order your meal and you pick a sauce. This process of sauce picking was not explained well. I was not aware of what my sauce was for- the chicken, the salad, on top, on the side. I got the chicken and ordered tomato sauce because it was the only one that I recognized next to Garlic (and again, I didn’t know how it was going to be served). The chicken was great but it is not meant to be served with tomato sauce! I could eat it but will never do that again. The salad had peppers, onions, etc. in it. Matti and his friend ordered the kebabs which they LOVED- both licked their plates clean! Another one of our friends ordered the flat bread- the consensus around the table was that it had no taste. I didn’t try it but they all said it just didn’t taste like anything- not bad, not good, just no flavor (heavy air I called it). Pricing on the items was cheap compared to other restaurants in Finland- our total bill for the chicken and Matti’s Kebab was about 23 euros ($26 or so). We were full but I wasn’t stuffed. Matti and his friend with their kebabs were STUFFED! Oh and your salad can be served on a plate or in a skull bowl like I have below…
Location: I would say the biggest struggle this place will experience is a small location. Rovaniemi is a rather small city and the band is not quite at the level of stardom to have people coming from all over to experience the restaurant experience. though the band is from the town, after a while the atmosphere will not be able to drive customers…it will rest on food and service which…I don’t think will do it. After you get past the atmosphere (which I still haven’t) it is just a regular place with okay food.
Overall: For a tourist it is a must because it is just so crazy inside and a real visual experience. They need to improve service and food offerings for it to make it.
If you had a different (better or worse) experience feel free to post a comment. My boyfriend loved it because he loved the food, he’s local and loves that type of music (and the lead singer is an good friend of his brother’s). His review would probably be different. So, take it as you will and if you go…take a camera!!
For more information about Lordi’s Rocktaurant view my flickr photos and my video page for more visuals!
You can also:
- LEAVE A COMMENT on Frozen-Reindeer about your experiences at the restaurant
- View the Rocktaurant website
Hei Hei and Hyvaa Ruokahalua (Bon Appetit!)
Technorati Tags: Finland, Lapland, Lordi, Finnish Food, Restaurant, Rocktaurant, Rovaniemi, Travel
So, Rovaniemi, Finland is home to some GREAT food. I love reindeer stew, I LOVE Finnish pastries and I LOVE GoldenCap cider. But, for someone who might not travel often or be very adventurous with food in foreign countries you’ll be happy to know that, at least for Americans, there are some “domestic” offerings in terms of food. One of which just came to town- Subway (hot and cold sandwiches for those who haven’t had it). Apparently, Helsinki has had Subway for a little while but it has just made its way north to Rovaniemi. We’ve been twice now. Food tastes the same it might just be a while before they reach the speed of service!
In addition to Subway, you can also have the opportunity to eat at the northern most McDonald’s in the world. From previous experience the food is definitely healthier (you can’t smell the sweet aroma of greasy french fries as you walk in) But…if you’re itching for a small taste of the golden arches and are interested in a very authentic home of Santa Claus environment (check out the antlers on the wall), McDonald’s in Rovaniemi, Finland is the place- the coffee is pretty good too!
Technorati Tags: Rovaniemi Subway, Rovaniemi, Rovaniemi McDonald’s
So, I’m in Finland and it wouldn’t be right to not make any mention of the greatest drink on the planet! Golden Cap Cider.
Finnish Cider comes in many different styles and brands- like Coke, Pepsi, etc. My favorite is the brand Golden Cap (click on Kylla if over 18, EN if younger for those of you who don’t speak Finnish- you won’t understand the site but there is an English link here). If you want a comparison, the closest thing to the taste of Golden Cap Cider is Smirnoff Ice but it is really not the same- for one Golden Cap is sugar free and not as sweet. Finnish cider is rather expensive though- about $3 a bottle. I can’t say much else other than I LOVE IT especially since I’m not a big drinker all and just like things that taste good- this tastes great and you can’t taste any alcohol. The worst part is that you can’t get it in the U.S. so don’t even bother asking me to share what I bring home because I won’t!
Feel free to read more about Finnish Cider if you’re interested!
Technorati Tags: Finland, Finnish Cider, Finnish Drink, Golden Cap
So, I have made previous posts about reindeer stew in previous blogs but it always seems to bring about questions by just about everyone so I thought another posting couldn’t hurt. Matti’s mom made reindeer a few nights ago so we were able to take photos of the process. Reindeer comes prepared in many forms. The two that I have liked it the best are in burger form and as a sauteed, “stew” form. Reindeer stew is not actually a stew this is just what people seem to call it so I’ll go with it. In its most common form, reindeer stew is reindeer chopped up into tiny pieces, sauteed on the stove and served on top of mashed potatoes. Matti’s mom adds tiny pieces of bacon which not everyone does (I love it this way!). You can follow the photos below on the process
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STEP 1: The reindeer is thawed (if cooked from previously frozen package- think hamburger meat thawed to make burgers or something) and cut up into small pieces. Bacon is added to the mix in this version as you can see to the right of the reindeer.
STEP 2: It is them tossed into a pot/skillet on the stove where the reindeer and bacon saute together to make one of the best smells ever (as soon as technology allows for smells to transmit over the internet you’ll be able to smell this piece of heaven!)
Good morning and Happy Mother’s Day (well day after Mother’s Day). I thought everyone might like to see what a Finnish Mother’s Day is like, at least for the Koivula family. We started the day at the cemetery around 11:30 where Matti’s parents planted flowers on Matti’s grandmother’s grave (his dad’s mom). There were a ton of people at the cemetery doing the same thing. We then went to Matti’s other grandmother’s house (mom’s mom) where we met with his mom’s siblings and kids and had coffee and cake with his grandmother. Matti’s mom is from a town about 8 miles outside of Rovaniemi so it is always nice to see a new corner of Finland.
After the visits we headed for an early dinner at the Sky Hotel, Ounasvaara. Below are some pictures of the meal:
On the left is sesame salmon. Matti and his parents chose this one and said it was great. There was one with white sesames the other with black sesames (he had already eaten the one with white sesames but you get the idea. Second from the left is asparagus soup with a chunk of shredded beef packed into the middle. I thought this was very good. The meat with the asparagus soup was strange (because I had never had anything like it but it was surprisingly good). One interesting comment to add is that Matti informed that Rovaniemi just got fresh asparagus for the first time this season about a month ago (very short asparagus season here). Every time I have come I have asked about it and it has never been here so I might have to try cooking it now just to see if there is a difference between Finland asparagus and asparagus from the U.S.
Last night at about 7:00pm Matti and I landed in Rovaniemi,Finland to an announcement by the pilot that there was a possibility of snow flakes….SNOW FLAKES!! So, not the best start…we got off the plane to the cold air and I was not happy. It was cold, not cool, cold. I have been to Finland before in the cold..that was December. It is May. Granted, Matti’s dad told us that it was not normal and not expected (similar to the late cold we got in the US in April) but still…cold… When you aren’t prepared it is a bit of a shocker. It was a shock because just a few hours earlier we were enjoying amazing weather in Southern Finland.
Matti and I landed in Helsinki, Finland yesterday afternoon at about 12pm. We met up with Matti’s brother, Pekka, who met us at the airport and took us out to lunch in a town called Porvoo which is about 20 minutes outside of Helsinki. Lunch was good, a simple Tuna salad for me and pineapple chicken for Matti and the weather was beautiful! It was sunny, it felt like it was in the 60s, it was nice…I should have enjoyed it more. At about 5:30pm we headed to Rovaniemi…did I mention the cold?? Now, anyone who knows me knows that I’m about to head off to Minneapolis in August so cold should not bother me BUT, it is May! Minneapolis is even celebrating 70s and 80s! This is crazy. I do have to say it is not Matti’s fault for sharing this with me. If you check out pictures from two summers ago when I was in Finland, pictures dating to May include me in T-shirts and even capris so…this isn’t normal, but…I was not happy. I pulled out my coat, pulled out gloves and stepped into the 35 degree weather.
We got to Matti’s house around 7:30pm and his mom had made a ham quiche and blueberry pie for us. It was during my second piece of quiche that I became okay with the weather. I sat at the table with Matti and his parents. I assume they were all catching up because I couldn’t understand a word any of them were saying (haven’t quite learned Finnish yet) but I looked around the house, looked outside and I could almost hear a pin drop. I remembered just how much I love this place. Even better is to not feel like a tourist but to feel like I’m “vacationing.” Wouldn’t choose this weather for a vacation but with quiche and blueberry pie in my tummy and the BEST pastries on the planet…I’m a happy girl! This weather will be gone in a couple days and this city is honestly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been (and the food will just keep getting better!)
Technorati Tags: Finland
