Guide to Hotels and Restaurants in Helsinki, Finland

Hullu Kukko - Crazy Rooster

Restaurant: Hullu Kukko – International Restaurant
Address: Simonkatu 8
Telephone: 09 6859660
Internet: www.hullukukko.fi
Prices: Pasta and noodles ca 14 euros, beef and stakes ca 20 euros.
Food: Great food with a garlic twist
Service: Professional and friendly


LOCATION
Almost in the Helsinki city center stands this great restaurant that offers many garlic-flavoured foods. This is a great place to visit by foot if you are staying in center of Helsinki. Moreover, this is a great place to drink a glass of wine (well maybe two glasses or maybe a whole bottle).


AREA
Literally, Hullu Kukko means Crazy Rooster, but I can assure you that only insanity in this restaurant appears in the low priced check as you are leaving the restaurant. Downstairs of Hullu Kukko restaurant is a bar area that functions as a relaxed environment for discussion. The bar offers refreshments in Hard Rock atmosphere. It is quite convenient to first eat and drink in the restaurant and then move to the first floor for a drink or two. Well, anyway, on the right, there are stairs, which take you to this second floor restaurant. Let’s go.


INTERIOR
Soothing pastel and some perky orange colours are the first impression after entering, then comes the sign, which states: “Please wait here to be escorted to your table”. Soon the waitress comes and asks whether we have a reservation. Obviously we don’t, but luckily there is a table for two, if we are quick enough to finish our dining in two hours. Hah! No problem.

It is mainly because of the Friday evening that people are wearing some of their finer outfits – anyhow, I start to regret not deciding to take a suit, watching well-dressed people sipping wine, makes me want to order champagne or something equally extravagant.


MENU
The menu of this restaurant is straightforward. They don’t offer wide selection of dishes, instead, seems like their philosophy is to focus on the wines. Food is there to compliment the wine of your choice, lots of salads, starters, bread and some fish, chicken and beef dishes. No wonder they favour garlic flavoured foods, they sure make you want to drink.

It is chicken for me (thank God they don't list sweet and sour on menu) and mushrooms (turn out to be one big, whole mushroom) for my wife. It didn’t take long to get our order in, but we came in just in time before people dine out, so we were among the first in the order line.


SERVICE
Waitresses engage into lively discussions about different wines, which is a relief in a country like Finland, where people are not that educated on wines, yet. The restaurant is very clean and organized, but not flashy. On the walls they have paintings (or are they framed pictures?) that radiate Central European atmosphere. A huge espresso machine that has a classic feeling dominates the bar. As I already said, it wasn’t the prime time yet, so food arrived rather quickly, meanwhile we had been devouring some delicious bread. The best meal of the week, I can assure you. My lovely wife had similar thoughts about her mushroom dish. It was soon eight o’clock and the restaurant started to be crowded, this meant that we quickly asked for the check and walked out. The bar in downstairs was already completely packed.

posted by Jarkko @ Wednesday, March 23, 2005