Since I've come to Helsinki,
There was one place that simply couldn't be left out.
Former member of 'Ravintola Kamome'(Pursimiehenkatu 12)。
This is the restaurant where the movie "Kamome Diner" was filmed.
The shop, which was originally a cafe, became "Ravintola Kamome" after the filming.
Unfortunately, the shop closed at this location last year.
Currently, a little north of HelsinkiThe restaurant relocated to a town called Pasila, retaining the name "Ravintola Kamome."

Currently this storeKIZUNA is a Japanese restaurantIt has become that way.
This is a shop I ended up going to twice during my long stay in Helsinki.
We started with miso ramen (my husband had soy sauce ramen) and vegetable dumplings.
The second time, I had the Nordic set meal and vegetable dumplings.
The ramen was delicious, but
Above all, it's the rice! The rice is delicious!
When I asked where they use their rice,
Apparently, they use Haenuki rice from Yamagata Prefecture.
To think I could enjoy Japanese rice all the way in Finland!

In the movie "Kamome Diner",
There's a scene where they're talking about the fillings inside the rice balls.
Midori makes a suggestion.
"How about reindeer, herring, or crayfish?"
I tried some samples, but all the reactions were "...".
In the end, we decided on plum, salmon, and bonito flakes, just as Sachie had suggested.

The filling for the rice ball in KIZUNA's Nordic set meal is
It was a reindeer and a salmon.
When I saw the word "reindeer" on the menu,
Remembering the movie exchange above,
"What a challenger!" I thought to myself.

The reindeer meat was seasoned with a sweet and savory sauce, similar to beef simmered in soy sauce, and it went very well with rice.

The authentic Japanese food we enjoy during our travels is
It's a comforting taste.

I hear that Japanese tourists also visit,
Apparently, 90% of the customers are locals.
The restaurant was almost completely full on both days I visited.

The atmosphere of the shop is lively,
The owner, Yamato-san (a Japanese person), was also an energetic and friendly person.

The remnants of the movie "Kamome Diner" are
There isn't much left.
I don't think the wall has changed,
The layout, tables, and chairs have changed.
This year marks 20 years since the movie was made.

What remains unchanged is, after all, the rice ball.
It's considered a soul food for Japanese people.
While enjoying a rice ball filled with reindeer,
The movie "Kamome Diner" is
It kind of resembles a rice ball...

Click on the photo to see a larger version.