Comment|Helsinki spent a large amount of money on the historic Michelin event. It was practically not visible in the city during the weekend, writes Helsingin Sanomat journalist Sami Takala.
Monday is a big day for Helsinki. The city hosts an event where Michelin stars are awarded to Nordic restaurants.
Eyes turn to Helsinki for a moment.
Until now, Helsinki has been a relatively unknown food city in the world, although the local restaurant culture is vibrant and new ambitious eateries are constantly opening up in the city.
Only five restaurants in Helsinki have Michelin stars, one of which has announced that it will close in July.
Event is important branding work for Helsinki, whose tourist numbers pale next to the Nordic capitals.
It is understandable that the decision-makers in Helsinki want to use a considerable amount of taxpayers’ money for the event, one hundred thousand euros.
However, the money is good for the cocktails of the elite held at the town hall, because the street scene did not show the event at all during the weekend. It’s a shame and a lost opportunity.
On Sunday, we walked around the center of Helsinki with the photographer for a couple of hours, talking to tourists. None of them had heard about the whole event, let alone the restaurants already awarded with stars.
The majority had not known about the local food culture before the trip.
The Japanese group said that they visited a Vietnamese restaurant on the first night. A group of friends from Kazakhstan and a couple from London also raved about Vietnamese food.
Those who had dared to taste Finnish food praised the salmon soup and Karelian pies.
In addition to these traditional, even clichéd, dishes, the restaurants offer many of the most imaginative delicacies, such as seaweed dived from the Gulf of Finland, bladderwort.
Helsinki is counting on getting the money it spent on the Michelin event back, as food enthusiasts, industry professionals and international media talk about the town.
The visibility is expected to bring more tourists to Helsinki, especially foodies. So that everything is not just a drug for a moment, restaurants need more Michelin stars.
Stars are of great importance to restaurants and the entire tourism industry. There are people who travel for a certain restaurant and food and are willing to pay for it.
When the Michelin-starred restaurants in Stockholm or Copenhagen open their reservation calendars, the places disappear as quickly as water from the stones of the stove.
In Helsinki, restaurants and hotels are struggling for existence.
That’s why it seems strange that Helsinki didn’t make the most of the Michelin weekend. At least it wasn’t marketed to ordinary townspeople and tourists. There were few events.
On Mondays, there is a grandstand at Senatintor, where you can watch the celebrations of a small district on a giant screen.
Edible in the Sunday event, a few restaurants opened their doors on an expensive public holiday.
For example, Savoy served three-course tastings for a reasonable price of 35 euros. Normally, you can barely get an appetizer from a restaurant with it.
Restaurants awarded with Michelin stars remained closed on Sunday, even if they had the opportunity to market the experiences they offer.
By staying away from the event, they communicate, perhaps unwittingly, that ordinary people are not interested.
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