The restaurant Elite’s own menu was named in honor of Loir.
Helsinki’s culture and artist restaurant Elite announced the actor on Wednesday Vesa-Matti Loirin in honor of the title menu.
The menu’s starter, or Mainingit, consists of toasted skagen, hand-peeled shrimp and whitefish. Toast Skagen was Loir’s choice as an appetizer also at the dinner of the Vain läää program in 2014.
Loir’s talk was heard on video at the announcement event. Pete Anikari
The main course is served with traditional läske sauce and potatoes. Läskisause and thymus were part of Loir’s standard orders when he dined at Elite during his lifetime.
The dessert on the menu is designed inspired by Loir’s beloved Lapland. The portion includes lacquer parfait with kuusenkerkkä financier.
The whole is crowned by coffee, which is accompanied by a drink called Angerkoski. Drinkki is also based on Loir’s and actor Siiri Angerkoski’s joint restaurant visits.
The Loiri menu has three dishes. Pete Anikari
On Wednesday, Loiri also got a seat at Elite. The name plate was attached by fellow actors, Tauno Palo and Matti Pellonpäännext to the tiles.
At the launch event, Tuomas Marjamäki, who wrote a biography of Loir, interviewed longtime friends of the artist, Nona Alvesaloa and actor Vesa Vierikkoa.
Spices and special pea soup
Among other things, Alvesalo said that Loir was a culinary expert.
– Vesku and I went to restaurants, especially in the 1960s and 70s. Back then, money was so low that it was spent on drinking. Couldn’t afford food.
– But Vesku liked spicy food. He enjoyed them especially in Thailand, where he spent a lot of time. Aina Vesku reportedly didn’t even know what she was eating, but it was good.
Tuomas Marjamäki interviewed Nona Alvesalo and Vesa Vierikko. Pete Anikari
After falling ill with cancer, Loiri had to give up hard spices and sometimes just purees. However, on the last joint trip to Lapland, the artist was still able to eat mussels and ribs.
Alvesalo also remembered Loir’s special pea soup. It was a normal soup in a jar, seasoned with reindeer meat, leeks, spiced cream, turmeric and sea salt.
– In Lapland we also ate fish. I caught a three-kilogram trout. It took Vesku’s head when he had never gotten so big. Vesku filleted it and prepared it with leek and cream in the oven. Roippi was still made into soup, Alvesalo said.
In her last months of life, Loiri wanted to taste real caviar. A small jar of it was bought, despite the hefty price of more than 300 euros.
Foie gras for the cat
Marjamäki also recalled the culinary story he had heard.
Loiri had once ordered from Kaivohuone Ere Kokkonen with foie gras. It came in two small jars. The men divided the second jar among themselves, but the other one remained uneaten.
– Vesku beckoned the waiter over and asked if he had a cat. The waiter’s pet got cat days, Marjamäki said.
A great companion
Vierikko remembered what it was like to sit with Loir in restaurants. From the beginning of the evening you could usually have peace, later in the evening there could be some sleepers next to the table.
– Once I saw when one of the group of idiots at the corner table got up and started coming towards Vesku, shouting his name. It would make a difference when it comes. But Vesku calmly took the guy next to him by the neck and whispered something in his ear. When Vesku let go, the boy went to his table, turned midway and shouted ‘Hey, Vesku’!
– Vesku told what he had whispered to the guy: ‘When I release my grip, you go to your own table, turn halfway and sulk. I answer and you continue to your own table. If you don’t do exactly this, I’ll drag you into such a cauldron that your nose will be searched all the way from Vyborg’.
When outsiders did not disturb, Loiri was, according to Vieriko, the best companion.
– Usually there was always an association from something and then a short sample came. Towards the end of the evening, Uncle Nasse started to join us a little, Vierikko recalled.
Loiri also got a title table at Elite. Pete Anikari