HKI+, Vietnamese Phở Soup Made with Love

February 16, 2015 by Anna Keski-Kohtamäki in Restaurant, Travel

Vietnamilaista phở-keittoa rakkaudella - Suomenkielinen tiivistelmä alla.

There are few places in Helsinki where you can get the delicious Vietnamese phở soup. I heard that there is a new place called HKI+ in Torikorttelit. HKI+ is a small cafe that serves also summer rolls and phở.

Hertta and I went to test the phở on the Valentines day. Let me tell you that this soup was made with love! Really tasty. I think you should try it.

HKI+ is run by a young Vietnamese couple. The service is lovely and warm. I wish we would have more places like this, unique and run by spicy immigrants.

HKI+
Unioninkatu 28
Torikorttelit, Helsinki
facebook.com/HKIplus

HKI+, Vietnamilaista phở-keittoa rakkaudella

Harvasta paikasta Helsingissä saa vietnamilaista phở-keitto. Jotkut on tehty suorittaen, toiset rakkaudella. Rakkaudella kokattua phởta saa HKI+-nimisestä kahvilasta Torikortteleista. Käy maistamassa!

HKI+
Unioninkatu 28
Torikorttelit, Helsinki
facebook.com/HKIplus

Helsinki Christmas Market - Tuomaan markkinat

December 10, 2014 by Anna Keski-Kohtamäki in Events, Food, Travel

Tuomaan markkinat - Suomenkielinen käännös löytyy alta.

Every December at the Senate square next to the Torikorttelit there is a Christmas market called Tuomaan markkinat. This year it is even better than earlier. Reason for that is designer Linda Bergroth and Torikorttelit who took over the production.

This year you will not find any boring food you will usually find from basic market stalls. At Tuomaan markkinat you will have difficulties to choose what to eat. You will find at least these stalls:

MAT Xmas Canteen
Café Köket's Christmas Café
Twisted Street Kitchen
Sandro
Texas BBQ
Street Gastro
Ravintola Sunn
B-Smokery
Social Food
Harjun makkaratehdas
Soi Soi
Hymy Raw Food Café.

I attended the blogger's event last Monday at the Tuomaan markkinat and had an opportunity to try some food. I ended up tasting Curry Tofu with Christmas Flavors from Twisted Street Kitchen and also some delicious Lamb Meatballs from MAT. It was all really good.

Among the food and gift stalls you will find a free carousel and a real Santa Claus. I am definitely going to take my niece Sohvi there really soon. She loves the carousel. At the Torikorttelit you will also find a Christmas Yard. There you can go to the sauna (free of charge) and enjoy some food and drinks. During the weekends you can attend the events, check out the timetable from here.

The Senate square is decorated with beautiful PEFC certificated Christmas trees. You will soon have an opportunity to win one of these Christmas trees. So stay tuned for the giveaway!

Tuomaan markkinat
8. - 21.12.2014
Senate Square, Helsinki
www.tuomaanmarkkinat.fi

CLICK HERE TO ATTEND THE GIVEAWAY OF A CHRISTMAS TREE!

Tuomaan markkinat

Senaatintorilla järjestettävät Tuomaan markkinat on uudistettu. Uudistuksen takana on Linda Bergroth ja Torikorttelit. Uudistuneilla joulumarkkinoilla tarjotaan maukasta katuruokaa ja lapset pääsevät ilmaiseksi karuselliin. Tutustu myös Torikortteleiden Joulupihaan Bockin talon sisäpihalla.

Senaatintori on koristeltu kauniilla PEFC-sertifioiduilla joulukuusilla. Nämä kuuset etsivät pian uuttaa kotia, ja pääset osallistumaan arvontaan, josta voit voittaa yhden kuusen joulusi iloksi. Joten pysy kanavalla!

Tuomaan markkinat
8. - 21.12.2014
Senaatintori, Helsinki

KLIKKAA TÄSTÄ JOULUKUUSIARVONTAAN!

Photo © Marina Ekroos — Photo © Marina Ekroos

Siivouspäivä - Flea Market at My Inner Yard, 30 August

August 23, 2014 by Anna Keski-Kohtamäki in Events, Friends

Since the Cleaning Day "Siivouspäivä" was established I have been planning to have my own flea market at our inner yard in Albertinkatu, Helsinki. During the Cleaning Day anyone can sell their old stuff on the streets and parks anywhere in Finland. That's so perfect. You don't have to pay for the table at a flea market nor you need to carry your stuff outside from your house.

So finally this year me and my friend Tuija are selling our clothes, shoes and bags at my inner yard. The clothes are flying out of our closets!

The sizes for clothing are 34-40 / XS-M. Shoe sizes are 39-41. I also sell some of my boyfriend's clothes (M-XL) and shoes (41 / 7.5). The brands we have for sell are:

Adidas
Bruuns Bazaar
Cheap Monday
Cos
Designer's Remix
Filippa K
Gap
Hankala
Iloa
Ivana Helsinki
Liu Jo
Lolly's Loundry
Lumi
Nanso
Puma
Svetlana Farafonova
Tiger of Sweden
Tsumori Chisato
Velour
Whyred
Zara
+ some vintage.

Check out our Facebook Event here. And you are the most welcome to shop our stuff!

Saturday 30 August 2014,
from 11 am to 4 pm,
at Albertinkatu, Helsinki.

My talented and dear friend Marina Ekroos did the photography for us.

Siivouspaiva.com
facebook.com/siivouspaiva (Suomeksi)
facebook.com/cleaningday.org (in English)
Annan & Tuijan kirppis Siivouspäivänä 30.8. - Our Facebook Event

PS Tuija is nominated for the best dressed female at the Elle Style Awards 2014. If you like you can vote for her here!

Restaurant Day, 17 August 2014

August 20, 2014 by Anna Keski-Kohtamäki in Events, Food, Friends, Restaurant

Last Sunday it was the 14th Restaurant Day. During the day you can have your own restaurant and sell the food you want to where you want to, for example at your home or on the streets. This time I didn't have much time to attend the event so I only visited two restaurants.

At first I drove my bicycle to Ullanlinna where a blogger friend of mine Hanna had a Vietnamese restaurant Vietnomnom with her boyfriend. On my way I bumped into Mikko and Eeva with the dachshunds so I enjoyed the meal and the coffee in their lively company.

There was a long queue and the tofu pho was already finished. Luckily the beef pho was made of organic beef. So I ordered the beef pho. It was so delicious and hot! I like to eat fresh chili so this was a meal made for me. After we had our stomachs filled we enjoyed some Vietnamese coffee. It's so sweet that you could replace a dessert with it.

After the Vietnamise experience I went to a fleamarket that was held at my friend's home. After some shopping I drove to Fredrikintori square in Punavuori and found my friend Kirsi and two other girls serving currywurst, cookies and blueberry pie. I had the blueberry pie. It was delicious!

It's a pitty I didn't have more time to explore the restaurants around the city. I drove by a group sitting next to the Local Register Offices but I wasn't hungry anymore so I just took their picture. If I've had more time I would have bought some coffee from 5 years old boy Sisu and his cousins at Pirkkola neighborhood.

My friend Hanna sent me this photo of her son Sisu (on the right) and his cousins selling coffee in Pirkkola. Photo © Hanna Arvela-Sarén — My friend **Hanna** sent me this photo of her son Sisu (on the right) and his cousins selling coffee in Pirkkola. Photo © Hanna Arvela-Sarén

The next Restaurant Day will take place 15 November 2014. Maybe I will have my own restaurant then?

Where did you eat? What was the most interesting dish?

restaurantday.org
facebook.com/restaurantday

Restaurant Le Frog was at Siltasaari in Helsinki three years ago.

Restaurant Day is here again

August 17, 2014 by Anna Keski-Kohtamäki in Food, Events, Restaurant

Restaurant Day was invented here in Helsinki May 2011. The first time there were 45 restaurants in 13 cities. Today there are 2000 restaurants all over the world.

I have been attending the event many times, not every time but like every other I think. The most memorable restaurants for me have been Le Frog in Siltasaari (August 2011) and a restaurant at someone's home in Kruununhaka that served tasty crostinis (August 2013). There has also been many more really nice and interesting restaurants. Some years there have been so many customers that most of the restaurants run out off food. Those times I ended up eating in a real restaurant.