Restaurants of the Month

Restaurant of the Month, Sweden The wilderness of the north meets urban civilisation

KNUT Restaurant in the heart of Stockholm is a tribute to owner Martin Sjölander’s birthplace – an eastern city on the shore of the gulf waters that stretch from Sweden to Finland, as well as to a very important man in his life – his late grandfather, Knut.

By Lotta Lassesson | Photos: Andreas von Gegerfelt AB

At just ten years old, Martin already knew he wanted to open his own restaurant. Since then, his journey to make his childhood dream a reality has been quite the story. He was born and raised in Timrå, a small city with a population of around 10,000, on the east coast of Västernorrland.

At the age of 14 he started working in restaurants: first as a dishwasher and in the cold section, before – through hard work and dedication to the craft – becoming a chef. Aged 19, he travelled the world for four years, visiting 30 countries, working in a variety of restaurant kitchens along the way – and as a private chef for the rich and famous.

He returned to Sweden, only to see his dream of opening his own restaurant pushed back, due to an accident. While he recovered, he earned a business degree and, in 2013, he finally opened the doors of KNUT Restaurant.

Martin designed the interior himself. The space has a rustic, cosy touch – a welcoming blend of ski lodge and city aesthetics. The dining menu combines specific produce of Norrland with inspiration from Martin’s travels. Nowadays, he doesn’t do much of the cooking himself, but his vision of quality, affordable cuisine is brought alive by a team of talented chefs. Meanwhile, KNUT also offers catering and private chef hire for home dinner parties.

In 2016, a second KNUT location opened in the city, and there are more exciting plans around the corner for this ambitious restaurateur. Over the next five years, Martin will launch a new, unfussy street food concept called STIGEN (meaning ‘THE PATH’) in ten Swedish cities, alongside branded online wellness merchandise.

All of this is to come. Elsewhere, the original KNUT Restaurant continues to charm. Here, guests can discover a sense of Norrland closer than they might imagine: in every sip and bite.

www.resturangknut.se

Lorry’s terrace is in true Lorry style. Photo: Lorry Restaurant

Restaurant of the Month, Norway Lorry: a life of its own

Discover Lorry: an institution, a cabinet of curiosities, a restaurant and the greatest beer selection in town.

By Eva-Kristin U. Pedersen

Everybody in Oslo knows Lorry. An evening at Lorry is not like any other evening out on the town. Tucked away in the heart of Oslo, it’s a place with a very special feel, nurtured both by the variety of people that go there and not least by the eclectic artwork adorning the walls of the 130-yearold (some say 150-year-old) restaurant. So, if you’re in Oslo and somebody proposes to go to Lorry, tag along. You’ll be in for a unique experience.

A cultural institution “Lorry is not a restaurant, it’s a cultural institution. The main part of the interior architecture and decoration has been the same since the restaurant first opened. While there have been changes, including the expansion of the main hall and the opening of a second floor, they’ve always been made in the same style”.

This is according to Nicolai Bauer, third generation co-owner of Lorry. Together with his brother, Karl-Axel Bauer, he bought Lorry from their parents some seven years ago, continuing a family tradition that had started in 1950, and that

has cemented Lorry’s position as an inalienable part of Oslo’s identity.

A cabinet of curiosities Since they took over, the Bauer family has continuously added new art to the restaurant, though without necessarily taking out or exchanging other pieces. The result is much like an old-fashioned cabinet of curiosities: a peculiar mix of art with no structure to it, composed of individual pieces that variously inspire laughter, wonder, thoughtfulness or sadness – or all four at once.

“That’s really the charm and the soul of the place,” Bauer explains, and adds that Lorry has been labelled everything from “the worst nightmare of an interior architect” to “the temple of maximalism”.

Creative chaos and a source of inspiration In an essay dedicated to the restaurant, art historian Tommy Sørbø described

Lorry is a bit of an oasis right in the centre of Oslo. Photo: Guro Sommmer. You’ll always find sometihng intriguing to look at at Lorry. Photo: Lorry Restaurant A cabinet of curiosities and a restaurant. The atmosphere at Lorry is unique. Photo: Lorry Restaurant

A Lorry waiter. Photo: Guro Sommmer

Photo: Guro Sommmer Lorry as “creative chaos”. According to Sørbø, it is precisely the lack of pedagogy behind the eclectic art collection at Lorry that intrigues the fantasy, and compels the visitor to assign significance to each single object, rather than an overarching general theme or idea.

In that way, Lorry offers something diverse and unique to each guest, and the accumulation of these personal experiences and stories creates that very special atmosphere that few, if any, other restaurants in Oslo can equal. It’s one that attracts everyone from besuited finance-managers to politicians, bohemian artists, royals and young creative professionals.

A place where men talk “They say Lorry is a place where men talk to each other,” Bauer says with a smile, hinting at the common assumption that while women easily sit down to talk, men tend to do something together. At Lorry, however, they talk. Be that over a beer – with more than 120 to pick from, Lorry has one of Oslo’s most extensive offerings – or over a meal from the à la carte-menu.

“Reducing Lorry to a restaurant, though it technically is, is diminishing the full value of the Lorry experience. Nevertheless, we have a rich menu that includes traditional Norwegian food as well as French-inspired main courses. Some of the Norwegian dishes vary according to the season. We’ll typically serve panfried mackerel in the summer, ‘fårikål’ (the Norwegian national dish of lamb cooked with cabbage and spices, served with potatoes) in the autumn, ‘skrei’ (a large species of cod) in the winter, and of course, typical Christmas food in December. We also have a large variety of sandwiches,” says Bauer.

Administrators more than owners While Bauer and his brother own Lorry, Bauer explains that they think of themselves as administrators more than owners because “Lorry cannot really be owned.” Lorry lives its own life,

detached from the trends and fashions that surround it. What Bauer and his brother really do is to keep a steady course.

“To us, administering Lorry means taking the best of what is there now, into the future. We don’t want the place to stand still, but wish to continue with the subtle changes that evolve Lorry the way it’s always done – much like we did when we created the summer garden.”

When they created the outdoor-seating terrace, they moved some of the artwork outside to recreate the same characteristic atmosphere outside as inside. The result is “very Lorry”, Bauer assures. The owners are also helped by Oslo’s artistic community; many artists ask to hang their artwork there. Bauer and his brother also occasionally dedicate tables to returning customers with a public profile, or as a way of honouring people of cultural importance.

“These are contemporary stamps on a historical institution, small changes that contribute to the continuous development and peculiar dynamics of Lorry,” Bauer says proudly.

History in the making So, if you’re in Oslo and someone proposes a visit to Lorry, why not go along? You’ll find more than a meal or a beer, more than a peek at the history of a country and a city. Here, you can be a part of it. Lorry is one of few places in the world that doesn’t put history on a pedestal to be contemplated, but invites you to take part in the making of history itself.

www.lorry.no Instagram: @lorryrestaurant Facebook: lorryrestaurant

A place where men talk. Lorry’s has largely remained the same since the opening. Photo: Lorry Restaurant Lorry’s summer garden. Photo: Guro Sommmer

Restaurant of the Month, Finland SHINOBI: rooting the rough side of Tokyo in the Helsinki food scene

White table cloths and formal dining are a thing of Helsinki’s past, according to Jesper Björkell, chef and owner of SHINOBI. By paying attention to flavour and authenticity, Björkell has created a place frequented by Japanese officials and hospitality professionals alike. In the words of Kurt Cobain, it’s “come as you are”.

By Miriam Gradel | Photos: Best in HEL

SHINOBI Shokudo & Izakaya is a Japanese-influenced restaurant where guests can enjoy rich flavours in food and drinks from all over Japan. Interior items like paper lanterns, neon lights and yellow beer cases, set against a Scandinavian backdrop, create a vibrant yet zen-like atmosphere. The space is further enriched by the sizzling sound and savoury aroma of chicken skewers cooking over charcoal –known as ‘yakitori’ in Japanese – ebbing out from the open kitchen. With respect to Japanese culinary style and finesse, SHINOBI is a sophisticated yet informal breath of fresh air in a growing Finnish food scene.

The main ninja behind the restaurant is local chef and Ocean Ambassador for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Jesper Björkell, 37. Björkell found his way to Japan via sushi, becoming the first ever Finn in the Tokyo Sushi Academy in 2014, “eating sushi for days on end,” as he recalls.

On a night out in Tokyo, Björkell stumbled upon Omoide Yokocho (otherwise known as ‘Piss Alley’), a maze of narrow alleyways close to Shinjuku station. Decorated with paper lanterns and neon signs, and filled to the brim with decades-old ramshackle yakitori and ramen shops, it is a popular place for tourists looking to experience the nostalgia of post-war Japan.

“We didn’t have anything like this in Finland, says Björkell. Smitten by the roughness, lively atmosphere, savoury smells and flavourful dishes, he couldn’t help

but fall in love. “I went to Japan to become the best sushi chef in Finland,” he recalls. But in yakitori, Björkell discovered the unpolished excellence of Japanese cuisine.

But how do you sustainably recreate something you love, 4,800 miles from its origins? After returning to Finland, Björkell continued mentoring sushi chefs around the country, helping to open and run several seafood restaurants, including a ramen shop. “I’ve helped open more than 30 restaurants in my life, but SHINOBI was different,” says Björkell. With the exception of electrics and plumbing, the entire venue, which used to house Helsinki’s first ever pizzeria, was remodelled with secondhand items sourced by Björkell and his internationally experienced team. “Everything was from the ‘80s, so we removed those roots from the venue and started building our own restaurant. It gave us the freedom to make everything the way we wanted it,” he recalls.

Today, SHINOBI offers diners a ten-course tasting menu in the reservation-only shokudō area, or the option to simply show up and grab a chair by the bar or in the izakaya. Anyone who’s been to Japan and enjoyed a cold draft beer will appreciate seeing Kirin Ichiban on tap, accompanied by a wide selection of Japan’s finest in whisky, sake and shochu. Japanese tradition, however, states that drinks should always be enjoyed with a bite to eat. For the full izakaya experience, order a Suntory highball –whisky and club soda – with a side of miso-seared eggplant. With respect to flavour and tradition, the tapas-style menu also offers vegan-friendly options and is perfect for single diners to enjoy, or for sharing with friends. Safe to say, with SHINOBI, Björkell has successfully recreated an old Japanese flame in the heart of Helsinki.

Greener horizons for Finnish dining Throughout the years, Björkell has expanded his own understanding of sustainability in restaurants and, in particular, the impact of our dining culture on the oceans. In 2016, nearly ten years after he first started rolling seaweed, Björkell began asking what could be done to minimise seafood wastage. “When we asked the fisheries what they would do, the answers were always different,” he recalls, understanding for the first time that something in the system had to change.

Today, as an MCS Ocean Ambassador, he works to promote awareness amongst customers and colleagues, choosing organic ingredients and trying to implement the Nordic manifesto of sourcing locally whenever possible. But sometimes it’s a question of definition rather than choice. “What is domestic?” asks Björkell. “In Japan, seafood caught 1,000 kiloetresm offshore is domestic. The same distance for us is salmon in Norway, so can we call it ‘local’?”

“The good thing overall is that there are now better products and people are more aware of how their food is made and where it comes from,” he says. Whilst striking a balance between sustainability and quality remains difficult in the current climate, Björkell remains hopeful that, in a few years, he’ll be able to get high-quality sustainably-grown scallops from continental Europe. Until then, diners at SHINOBI can enjoy a Shiso Gin Sour at the bar with a side of the sustainably grown Nova Scotia scallops seared in miso butter.

www.shinobi.fi Instagram: @shinobirestaurant Facebook: shinobizakaya

Photo: Alban Kabashi