Rullo, Helsinki 01-2013

For an unknown reason, someone decided it would be a good idea to put a rice paper roll stand inside an eco-friendly design store in the middle of Helsinki. It certainly wasn't a bad idea and seems to reinforce a small trend of Asian-concepts/Finnish-versions of food.

The place is popular with elderly ladies gossiping over rolls and coffee, families out shopping with their children, and the occasional trendy young females eating healthy. Their is a variety of rolls to pick from, the focal ingredient being beef, pork, prawn, tofu etc. You can order the rolls on their own or as a lunch set with a salad.

On my day, I selected 3 rolls - prawn & mango, raw salmon & beetroot, rare beef. Each was filled with vermicelli, lettuce and a sliver of herbs. A nice thin nuoc mam dipping sauce was provided for authenticity. I partnered it with a salad of sweet potato, greens & walnuts and some warm green tea for my chilled blood.

It served a nice healthy breakfast in a relaxing mini-cafe setting. The rolls are tasty without being superb but certainly provide a nice change from the food of mainland Europe.