“Nude is courage, courage is devotion and devotion is passion. Wine and food are our love, and passion is its fruit ”: this is the motto of a young and progressive restaurant of Scandinavian and European cuisine called Nude.
Nude opened its doors in Helsinki in October 2018 quickly winning the hearts of true connoisseurs of food and wine. A new member of the famous restaurant family OLO-group (Ravintola OLO and EMO) is located on Kasarminkatu, one of the central streets of the city.
Hospitality and cheerfulness are integral parts of the Nude concept. You can have a bite here or stay for dinner with friends — amiable waiters will charge your evening with positive energy and make it as relaxed as possible. “Nude is a way of thinking, it is open and simple without any tricks. The moments spent with us are adventures”— that’s how the philosophy of Nude sounds.
Touch of comfort can be seen in everything: wooden tables and chairs, dim lights, soft terracotta pillows on sofas, elegant glass decor, candles, floral arrangements on tables. An interesting stroke that catches your eye is the menu pinched with a simple clothespin. Then one wonders, which culinary program is hidden behind it?
It was based on the techniques of different world-famous cuisines while the main focus is the products: most of them are Scandinavian with its inherent brevity and simplicity.
The head chef Taneli Myllyvirta cooks with all his heart. He likes to spend time outdoors walking in forest and collecting berries, mushrooms, wild herbs and roots. Edible gifts of nature are used for the expression of new culinary ideas and the rest goes for serving & presentation so that each new dish gets its own character and a special story.
Author’s Nude food fits well with specially selected wines from “Bottlescouts” online store. All the wines are in an open access and any of them can be ordered in advance before coming to the restaurant.
The menu greets the guests with a slogan “Tervetuloa nauttimaan Nudeen” (“Welcome to enjoy the pleasure of Nude”). It offers three types of Author’s sets: Nude menu, which includes four courses (55 €) and wine pairing (38 €); Nude tasting (5 items / 74 €) with wine pairing (47 €) as well as Nude whole night (7 items / 82 €, wine 63 €). At the same time, the choice of dishes for each set is up to the guest: he decides what to order from the four “boxes” (as the staff themselves call the menu sections). In addition to your choice you can order a cheese plate: aged cheeses (10 €) and aura juusto (blue cheese) (8 €) along with exclusive sliced Parma ham Culatello kinkku (8 € / serving).
In addition to the main tasting menu for a little snack Pientä purtavaa there is a separate list, where a special paring from the restaurant sommelier is written opposite each position including desserts.
According to tradition an acquaintance with the place begins with freshly baked bread from the oven. Two types of butter are served on a piece natural tree bark: one is whipped, smoked & slightly salted and other is nutty.
As a piquant starter, you should pay attention to Ruijanpallasta ja fermentoitua chiliä — halibut ceviche with seaweed, truffle and wasabi flowers, seasoned with a sauce of fermented chili pepper, ginger and self-made lemon oil. “We’ve been fermenting ripe Italian lemons with salt and oil for seven months: this allows to get a concentrated taste and aroma,” — tells Taneli.
Tall jars with lemons are also the extravagant decoration of a illuminated and airy open-kitchen.
Kurpitsaa ja vuohenjuustoa is a light vegetable appetizer of roasted pumpkin stuffed with soft goat cheese and sprinkled with a mix of crushed pine nuts & pumpkin seeds.
You could hear asian tunes in Sienidumplinge ja XO-kastiketta — Chinese dumplings in Taneli’s interpretation are stuffed with different types of Finnish mushrooms and served with the famous XO-sauce made from sea delicacies with the addition of oyster oil and soy sauce.
Another popular hot appetizer Hapanjuuri-pannukakku, parmesaania ja culatello kinkkua is served in the form of a pancake made of caramelized celery with sea buckthorn, thin slices of Parma ham and a thick layer of grated parmesan on top.
Grillattua turskaa, piparjuurta ja katkarappua is a main dish revealing the essence of Finnish passion for fish. Grilled cod fillet served with stewed potatoes, finely chopped cauliflower and shrimps from northern Norway. The combination is accomplished by a creamy sauce made from shrimp shells.
Scandinavian minimalism is noticeable in desserts as well. Light and fresh Chouks-leivos, yuzua ja syysomenajäätelöä is nothing more than an airy ice-cream sponge made from autumn apples with the addition of yuzu juice, topped with crispy chocolate-caramel crumbs and young spruce shoots.
The elegant end of the night at Nude will be Kuusiparfait ja paahdettua suklaata: parfait with almond-based lemon cream covered in dark chocolate and served on a piece of natural stone.
”Rentoudu ja anna me hoidamme” — “Relax and let us take care” (Nude).
Nude Helsinki
Address: Kasarmikatu 44, 00130 Helsinki
Editor-in-chief: Patricia Kolari
Technical Director: Evgeny Fedorov
Text writer: Marina Timoshevskaya Photos: EATWEEK
