Spizzico's entrepreneur Manuel Delpopolo Fata says that the names of the lunch portions are written only in Italian on the chalkboard on the restaurant's wall. Speaking foreign languages is increasingly common in Helsinki's restaurants.
Do you have to? can you get by in Finnish in restaurants in Finland? The issue comes up every now and then in Helsinki, where the restaurant offering is very international.
The most recent discussion has been about the Jätkäsaari restaurant Spizzico. There is a lunch menu on the wall of an Italian restaurant, where everything is written in Italian.
The topic has been covered up in social media. Is the list in Finnish an obligation? Or does being Italian often bring something needed authenticity?
What is that the first course? I understand all the others, the first one I don't, thought a restaurant customer, for example Satu Virtanen.
The first dose was called amatriciana. Those with deep knowledge of the Italian language and culture know the pasta sauce made from smoked pork cheek meat and tomato.
For many others, the soul of the dish is not clear from the first reading.
The dose was unfamiliar to Virtanes, even though he has traveled to Italy several times. Therefore, the list written in Italian alone does not bother him “in any way”.
“The list was completely understandable, but no attention has been paid to the first course before.”
In the capital region In recent years, there has been a lot of discussion about the lack of Finnish language skills of waiters and the increase in English-language service.
HS wrote about the issue in 2023. Every one of the townspeople interviewed said they had come across a situation where the waiter did not speak Finnish. It was perceived as an annoying problem.
Another article According to
The topic often arouses feelings for and against. With only Finnish-speaking employees, the Finnish restaurant industry would suffer from an even deeper labor shortage than it currently has.
Attitudes however, seem to be changing. English is an increasingly common service language in restaurants and we are clearly getting used to it.
From Helsinki Jaana Af Hallström too the fact that Spizzico's menu is in a foreign language is not a problem. He enjoyed his restaurant experience.
“The list is short and you can always ask about the portions at the restaurant.”
However, Af Hallström says that it is not necessarily clear to everyone. The situation could be difficult for him too in a restaurant where someone else's language is spoken. For example, in the case of allergies, speaking a foreign language can be problematic.
“I don't know how I would react if the menu in a Turkish restaurant was only in Turkish.”
According to Af Hallström, the service at Spizzico is also done in a foreign language, i.e. English. It's natural for him.
“Of course, when working as an entrepreneur in Finland, it is good to be able to communicate with the public. I know that it bothers many people if you can't do business in Finnish in a restaurant.”
Af Hallström is also a familiar dose of amatriciana. He has traveled in Italy dozens of times and knows some Italian.
“Amatriciana is one of the central pasta sauces of Italian cuisine, like pesto. If you are at all familiar with the secrets of Italian cuisine, you will know that.”
Spizzicon entrepreneur Manuel Delpopolo Fata tells HS that the names of the lunch portions are really only written in Italian on the chalkboard on the wall of the restaurant.
However, he says that the explanations of the portions can be found in Finnish and English on the website. The restaurant also offers separate menus in Finnish. The staff will guide you on request.
The restaurant has not received any feedback about the Italian-language menu on the wall or the English-language service.
“Rarely do people not speak English. If necessary, I can also speak Finnish, because I know it a little,” says Delpopolo Fata, a Sicilian who lived in Finland for eight years.
#Restaurants #foreign #language #lunch #menu #speaks #volumes #Jätkäsaari
