Tervasaari’s empty restaurant has new entrepreneurs.
Close, but far. This is what the entrepreneurs of the Rogue Rouge restaurant, which opened last week in Helsinki’s Tervasaari, think Kimmo Kuusrainen and Joona Havisalmi.
– You are close to the city center, but the feeling is as if you are far from the hustle and bustle of the city, Kuusrainen explains.
A little over a year ago, the Tar restaurant opened in the same space, which closed its doors this spring. Although the new entrepreneurs don’t want to remember Tari’s frozen water pipes anymore, they will show at the press lunch how water comes out of the tap again.
Actor Jasper Pääkkönen owns the renovated building, but is not involved in restaurant operations. Eeva Paljakka
Two years ago the actor Jasper Pääkkönen took Tervasaari shed as his passion project. He bought it, renovated it and opened a restaurant.
– I’ve always managed to sneak out of restaurant offers, but this one was so tempting that I couldn’t refuse. A mutual acquaintance brought me and Jasper together by chance, and here we are. However, Rogue Rouge is mine and Kimmo’s restaurant, Jasper is not involved, says Havisalmi.
There is a lot of gallows visible on the side of the fence. Eeva Paljakka
The change of entrepreneurs and negotiations progressed surprisingly quickly, Rogue Rouge opened already three weeks after the signing of the contract between Pääkkönen and the restaurateurs.
Both entrepreneurs have a long history of the best restaurants in Helsinki. Acquaintances have confirmed that they started right away with a large restaurant with a hundred seats, not as usual with a small restaurant in Kallio.
– This was a bold move, but we took the opportunity, says Havisalmi.
According to the restaurateurs, the poor knights belong to the milieu of Tervasaari. Eeva Paljakka
Rogue Rouge has another unusual feature: it’s run by people from the gym, not the kitchen.
– Our owner base is rarely common. The most important things for me are a good mood, food and atmosphere. The customer is the star. We want to make sure that every visit is successful and everyone feels taken care of, Havisalmi says about the lesson he already learned in his first job at the reception of a luxury hotel.
On May Day, there was a well-received opening, which offered, among other things, poor knights.
– Inspired by this place, we wanted to make a cottage-style dessert. Poor knights became a hit and it is also on the menu of a new restaurant, Kuusrainen reveals.
Bartender Ilmari Korpela developed the house’s own compartment. Eeva Paljakka
His personal favorite is charcoal-grilled sea bass fillet with tomato vinaigrette and sage. As the restaurant’s second pride, Kuusrainen makes fish soup, which combines the best pieces of salmon soup, bouillabaisse broth and American chowder. The soup has grilled whitefish on top of a creamy fish and shellfish broth.
Fish and shellfish soup is influenced by three different soups. Eeva Paljakka
– Sausage is our bold bet. Sausage is a must for a Finnish summer terrace. Our sausage is a salsiccia-type, spicy sausage, served with grilled early cabbage and pepper sauce. In France, sausage is common in bistros, but in Helsinki they haven’t dared to put it on the list, says Kuusrainen.
A grilled sausage portion costs 22 euros, fish and seafood soup 28 euros and a burger 22 euros.
– We have tried to keep the price level reasonable. The main courses are between 20 and 30 euros, so you can come eat with us without the bill skyrocketing.
Grilled sausage from Rogue Rouge with grilled early cabbage and pepper sauce. Eeva Paljakka
The exception is the Black Angus steak, which costs 38 euros.
The sausage is not made by itself, but with a recipe refined in Rogue Rouge’s kitchen. The same applies to burger patties, which are prepared according to Kuusraisen’s own recipe. The steaks are made from three different parts of the carcass and they contain bone marrow that gives a little juiciness.
Kuusrainen and Havisalmi have noticed that some chefs are shunned by burgers and don’t consider them ambitious enough. They decided to do something different.
– We wanted a high-quality burger on the list, because we heard from customers that there is a need for one. We have honed every detail since the bun, says Kuusrainen.
Kimmo Kuusrainen first thought that he would only serve pickles with the burger, but ended up adding lettuce and tomato to the dish. Eeva Paljakka
Fresh from the oven restaurant entrepreneurs thank wholesalers and raw material suppliers for good customer service. They are flexible and ready to fulfill the special requests of restaurants, such as, for example, minced meat made with an exact recipe.
– Almost like having your own butcher. In Finland, the cooperation between chefs and suppliers is close and creative.
There are large windows on three walls on the side of the pavilion. Eeva Paljakka
Havisalmi and Kuusrainen praise the kitchen manager Jiri Laine a professional kitchen team that is constantly coming up with ideas. Entrepreneurs give employees the freedom to develop their own visions. For example, the mint chocolate dessert is the handiwork of the head chef who worked at Savoy for a long time.
Along with the chocolate, there is mint ice cream on the dessert plate. Eeva Paljakka
Although the restaurant is located in Tervasaari and there is a faint smell of tar in the shed, it is not found on the menu. Its restaurateurs already noticed on May Day that people have a lot of memories of Tervasaari.
– We have heard many stories, especially from the older generation.
Grilled giant crabs are on the appetizer menu. Eeva Paljakka
Rogue Rouge is supposed to be open all year round. Midsummer dances and crab parties are at least in the plans.
– There are no disturbing neighbors here, so we can organize many kinds of events, Kuusrainen laughs.
He plans to apply for a permit for smoking, because there are hardly any authentic barbecue smoking in Helsinki.
The kitchen has a charcoal grill. Eeva Paljakka