Several restaurants have opened in Helsinki where, in the worst case scenario, the customer can spoil his own food

In a Korean grill restaurant, the customer cooks his own food. Eeva Paljakka

Korean BBQ restaurants have opened in Helsinki at a rapid rate within a year. There is a clear boom underway.

Almost among the first to open the Korean BBQ restaurant Moloko in Helsinki Pia Olanterä had been thinking about this restaurant idea for years. Amidst the corona restrictions, the opening of a new restaurant was doubtful, but in the end he dared to write his name in the lease.

– I have always been fascinated by dining, where everyone sits at the table and prepares their own dish, such as raclette or fondue.

In Moloko, you really have to prepare the food yourself, because the ingredients come to the table raw. Each table has a grill, where the customer cooks his own food.

In the worst case, can you spoil your own food? Olanterä reassures that cooking has already been taken into account when planning the menu.

– We try to choose raw materials that are difficult to spoil. In addition, we guide customers in grilling and frying.

Moloko has more staff than usual in the restaurant hall, so that everyone can be advised on how to cook food if needed. In addition, the waiter visits the table several times to monitor how things are going.

– This is relaxed, even though it may seem exciting at first, Olanterä encourages.

According to Olanterä, Korean BBQ is made with clean ingredients that are filling, but not greasy.

The menu is special because it does not have the names of the dishes, but only the ingredients. The menu is divided into vegetables, shellfish & fish, meat and side dishes.

Olanterä recommends that one or two of the party take care of the grilling, the rest can focus on other things.

You can grill at your own pace, because the meat brought to the table only gets better the longer it is at room temperature. Although there are no rules, there is an exception for one meat. It is recommended to be eaten last and a clean grill plate is changed for it, so that other flavors do not enter the meat.

It is one of the best meats in the world, Japanese wagyu beef. The meat is sprinkled with finger salt, but there are no other spices, just roasted sesame oil next to it. In Moloko, 100 g of wagyu costs just under 50 euros.

According to Olanterä, wagyu must be on the menu, even though the demand for it varies greatly.

You can adjust the hotness of the food yourself, as three different dipping sauces give additional flavor. They vary according to the season, but there is always Korean Ssamjang made from fermented bean paste.

As a food drink, you can choose a Korean specialty, or soju. Soju is the national liquor in Korea and is very popular. It is an alcohol made by distilling rice, which Olanterä describes as a diluted Koskenkorva, after all, soju contains only 20 percent alcohol.

Olanterä reminds us that grilling is a relaxed activity, so there is the same relaxation at the Korean grill – and the same rules of grilling: the fattier the meat, the tastier the end result.