We had an amazing Christmas dinner at a beautiful restaurant in Saariselka in Finnish Lapland. The restaurant was called Siberia. We asked the owner why he chose the name. He told us a group of friends pulled a letter each from a bowl and the restaurant would be named whatever came out…Siberia.
We made our way through the snow to Siberia.
The restaurant is very elegant and includes a cafe for delicious cake and coffee and a small shop selling Finnish designs.
…and now to the food.
Amuse bouche…duck confit and brioche.
Course 1…Duck liver brûlée with apple compote.
Course 2…Sugar salted trout from Lake Inari with chive puree and lemon gel.
Course 3…White fish from Lake Inari with blanched vegetables, cauliflower puree and vanilla beurre blanc.
Course 4…King crab soup.
Course 5…Reindeer fillet with potatoes pont neuf, chanterelles, parsnip puree and port wine sauce.
Pre dessert taste.
Course 6…Dark chocolate cake with white chocolate sorbet with blueberries.
Course 7…Cheeses with honeydew,watermelon and vanilla tomato compote.
All courses were delicious, I couldn’t pick a favourite. It was a great night, the service was friendly and efficient and the owner, Juha Mehtajarvi, made a few visits to the table to tell us about the food. His philosophy is…use free roaming meat and only wild fish, ingredients must be local and as fresh as possible and each dish must be stylishly presented. He kindly posed for a photo with us. He is second from the left.
I know it is a long way to go for dinner, but if you happen to be in the area, drop in to Siberia for a treat.