Traditional Estonian cuisine is based exclusively on meat, potatoes and some fish but neighboring states had a great influence in preparation and use of traditional Estonian ingredients so it’s not uncommon for the Estonians to eat dried or salted fish or fried sausages.
During our three days in Tallinn we had a chance to stay at a fantastic hotel where we had an opportunity to try some of the traditional ingredients for breakfast like rye bread that is served as a small appetizer dish in a restaurant but I used to top it with a lot of butter as I usually do at home.
We tried blinis – small, round pancakes that can be made out of wheat or buckwheat flour and served with sour cream, jam or nuttela 🙂
Although the hotel buffet offered a couple of types of conserved fish (smoked salmon, fried European sprat (bristling, brisling or skippe) we decided to visit a covered food market near railway station Balti Jaam to try some dried fish.
You can buy various types of dried fish on the market together with some fresh meat, vegetables, fruits, cheeses and pastas.
Given the fish is the first ingredient on the Estonian meny, we decided to buy and try a couple of different samples of dried and salted fish. As no one speaks English at the market, we could not ask how the dried fish is actually eaten, but thanks to the all mighty Internet I found out that dried fish is usually eaten as a beer snack. Quite enough of a reason for us to sit on the bench and try the fish that turned out as a quite difficult thing to master but it was worth at the end. Especially because of the dried octopus and the salmon sticks. The rest of the fish we didn’t find so exciting.
But on the other hand Debeli found something completely different and something so off the Estonian radar 🙂 Bao buns are steamed buns typical for Chinese cuisine. They were very spicy and hot and so sticky. Luckily I brought my toothbrush with me. OCD, I tell ya 🙂
We tried herring in a local pancake restaurant called Kompressor that is well known for their simple interior, rude staff and fantastic pancakes, both sweet and sour.
Kartulipallid heeringaga is a fresh herring served with potato croquettes and sour cream. Very interesting and delicious combination that we had while drinking great beer and waiting for the rest of the food.
The Estonians have always been a huge beer lover, and there are a lot of microbreweries that opened in the last couple of years (classic hipster, I would say :), so I tried Sherwood cider while Debeli went for the dark beer under a name of Must Nunn or Black Nun with 13,5 alcohol. Just his measure 🙂
Five euro pancakes were an absolute pleasure! Huge with excellent filling and just as well to send us off to bed after a long day. No dessert, cause there was no need for it 🙂
PUB KOMPRESSOR, Rataskaevu 3, 10123 Tallinn
When you’re traveling outside your own city and you live a different life never knowing when and what you’ll eat, it’s always a good idea to have something ”with a spoon”.
The Three Dragon or the III Draakon Pub is a medieval-style restaurant on the main square in the city. You don’t go there for the comfort, but for the ambience.
We visited the restaurant after our two hours walking tour just to get a bite because we were freezing. Since the restaurant doesn’t use regular cutlery we ended up ”drinking” elk soup which was fantastic!
III DRAAKON PUB, Raekoja plats, 10146 Tallinn
The Beer house was recommended by Debeli’s colleague and we are passing this on J The brewery is decorated in a classic Bavarian style, with the waitresses in traditional German costumes with five beer mugs in each hand and an interesting interior that resembles exterior. Since the restaurant is huge and we came somewhere between lunch and dinner there weren’t many people so we took a seat at a small ‘’cottage’’ and ordered some sausages. With beer, of course.
While waiting for the sausages we tried dark rye bread, roasted with butter and garlic and yoghurt sauce with herbs. We couldn’t decide which beer to have with the food so we took a tasting menu that consisted out of seven beers.
The first round was three beers (helles light, pilsner gold and märzen speziel) while the second, that we drank with our main course, were medovar honey, vana viini lager, dunkles extra and BH premium. The tasting beer goes from the lighter ones to the very dark and heavy beers. We liked märzen speziel because of its caramel and sweet taste at first and some light bitter at the end.
Debeli had bratwurst with vegetables, while I had weisswurst with white cabage and mustard. Briliant!
BEER HOUSE, Dunkri 5, 10123 Tallinn
In the Kalev marzipan museum, that was opened by Georg Stude almost hundred years ago, you can see and taste handmade and handcolored marzipan figurines or you can have a cup of coffee/tea or a cake in the Café Maiasmokk that is behind the museum shop.
Kalev is an Estonian confectionery company that bears a name of Estonian mythological hero Kalev. Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, an Estonian writer and a poet wrote a poem about him naming the poem Kalevipoeg.
Kalevipoeg is in close connection with the Finnish national poem Kalevala that was translated by my uncle Slavko from German into Croatian. By pure luck we found a Cyrilic (Ukranian) version of the poem from early 80ies. 🙂
KALEV MARZIPAN MUSEUM, Pikk 16, 10123 Tallinn
If you ever find yourself in Estonia don’t miss a chance to try Vana Tallinn or a dark liquer made of rum. Be sure to try the one with 50% of alcohol and enjoy the sweet taste with some citrus, vanilla and cinnamon flavours.
Rataskaevu 16, a restaurant that has the name after the same street that lies in, was recommended by Debeli’s colleague that comes here for a dinner while in the city. The restaurant’s interior is quite simple but the menu, on the other hand, is amazing.
We visited the restaurant the same day we landed, just for lunch. We were seated in a small séparé that was starting to be quite busy as we were finishing our meal. But at first, we were alone, just as I like 🙂
Estonians have a saying jätku leiba that means ”may your bread last long” and so their meal in large evolves around bread. We discovered that very soon, as we were served dark rye bread in every restaurant, together with some salted butter. We didn’t mind it at all 🙂
Before starting with our meal we were served with small portions of cream cheese with some seedlings on a cracker.
We opted for soups for our first dish; Debeli had a creamy smoked eel soup with lemongrass and leek while I had beef tongue soup with apple, horseradish mousse and fresh herbs.
I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised when I came across a couple of pieces of beef toungue in my soup. Did not expect that 🙂 I thought I would only get pure soup, but the meat / horseradish combination was so breathtaking!
Debeli didn’t fish an eel in his soup, but he did catch some leek and lemongrass that made him quite satisfied.
While drinking Spanish red wine made from a blend of garnacha tinta and tempranillo grapes that goes by the name of Crianza Coto de Hayas (Debeli) and some juice (me) we had our main course: braised elk roast with cauliflower cream, parsnip, carrot, and blackcurrant sauce desserts. It was Debeli’s choice that he found very interesting but quite ”hard” at the end.
Since, the elk meat is very tasty and flavorous so maybe a couple of sour orange berries more, would do wonders to the whole dish.
I had a fried veal liver with potato and broccoli mash and some cherry tomatoes and mustard sauce. Unfortunately, I ordered medium rare liver, and I forgot that I like it well done. Luckily for me, the chef made a mistake so one of the liver pieces was done in the proper was and the other was left for me to taste it all. And it was delicious!
After the main courses there was still room left for some espresso and a dessert. Made out of bread!
A nation with harsh winters and not much that grows above ground had no choice but to master the baking of bread to that extent that it can be served a dessert.
Bread pudding with raspberry parfait and a caramel sauce was absolutely fantastic; soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, with some fruits and caramel to add the flavours. Quite an impressive and eye opening so we send our thanks to the restaurant team!
RESTAURANT RATASKAEVU, Rataskaevu 16, Tallinn
Leib restaurant, or ”bread” if translated, was my recommandation after watching travel vlogs from Tallinn 🙂
The restaurant is situated in the old part of the city, in a small alley with a garden that must look beautiful in the spring. When we came it was just dark and cold 🙂
Since we came quite late at the restaurant and with no table reservation we were offered just two course meal that we accepted without blinking an eye.
Right at the beginning of the meal, before appetizers we were offered some rye bread with butter and for the starters we decided to go with carrot tartar with sea buckthorn cream and dried buckwheat sprouts.
The buckwheat gave the crunchy but no taste, so I think maybe some sea salt instead to downsize the sweet carrot flavour. Maybe. Or it’s just me 🙂
Debeli had spiced Baltic sprat from Saaremaa with green onion and cucumber sauce but he doesn’t remember the taste other than being good. We just have to believe him 🙂
Following his fish appetizer, Debeli had pan-fried pike perch from Pärnu Bay with marinated potatoes and leek sauce while I ate duck with carrot cream, rosemary sauce and hemp seeds. Everything was very tasteful, except a big amount of the sauce that watered down the rest of the meal. Other than that; thumbs up to the chefs!
There was no time, nor need for the dessert so we enjoyed our aperol spritz and some apple wine, cause grapes doesn’t grow in Estonia.
LEE RESTORAN, Uus 31, 10111 Tallinn
Ribe was Debeli’s choice for our last dinner in Tallinn. A restaurant that won casual dining category at a first Estonian gastronomic competition who’s target is to develop food culture in Estonia. The restaurant that was also nominated for the best service turned to be our personal winner of this small gastro tour.
We came around 8 pm and a lovely waitress seated us in a small corner, far away form the big group of people that were celebrating birthday or something.
We decided to go for the three course menu, but our meal started with small amuse-bouches made out of goose paté and beetroot macrons with some rye bread that followed were indicating that the dinner is going to be great.
We had a duck egg with smoked eel, curry and apple and some creamy pumpkin soup with Parmesan and goat cheese for starters and everything was fantastic!
All of the best flavours just mixed together and I may try this cheese/pumpkin soup back home, cause is brilliant!
Pan fried foie gras with cherry compote and brioche came between first and second meal and was a quite a surprise for me.
Never before had I this delicacy made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened. Ducks are force-fed twice a day for 12.5 days and geese three times a day for around 17 days. They are usually slaughtered at around 100th day of their life.
Since the foie grass is quite tasty and full-flavour dish it had to be balanced with something sour like cherry compote while the pistachio gave crunchy note.
For the main course Debeli had partridge with braised chicory, apple and bacon while drinking some dark Estonian beer and I had ravioli with wild mushrooms and creamy parmesan which was so delicious that I could eat a bowl of that.
I had some pinot gris with the meal that paired perfectly with the dessert such as poached rhubarb and orange with goat milk foam and rhubarb sorbet for me and some barley pudding with white chocolate, blueberries and pralines for Debeli.
Both of the dessert were fantastic way of mixing local Estonian ingredients, but with a twist and a whole lot of imagination. No wonder the restaurants won some big awards. And our hearts and bellies 🙂
http://www.ribe.ee/en/
OBJEDOVANJE U TALLINNU
Tradicionalna estonska kuhinja temelji se isključivo na mesu i krumpirima te nešto ribe uz obalu ili jezera, a velik utjecaj u pripremi i korištenju tradicionalnih estonskih sastojaka imale su i susjedne države tako da nije neobično jesti sušenu ili ukiseljenu ribu ili pržene kobasice.
Za vrijeme trodnevnog boravka u Tallinnu imali smo priliku odsjesti u odličnom hotelu na čijem se švedskom stolu za doručak našlo brdo lokalnih namirnica tako da smo odmah ujutro iskoristili priliku probati karakterističnu hranu dok smo ostatak dana iskoristili za istraživanje gradskih restorana kojima grad obiluje. Odlične preporuke i prihvatljive cijene ostavile su Debelog bez daha i jedva se odlučio kud bi nas vodio. Ipak, tri restorana koja je izabrao bila su vrhunska. Koja su to bila, krenite čitati, no prvo na doručak 🙂
U hotelu smo imali prilike kušati tradicionalni estonski tamni kruh od raži koji sam ja obilato mazala maslacem, baš kako bi ga redovito nudili u restoranima. Fini, kompaktni kruh bio je sjajna podloga za raznorazne sireve i salame kojima bi počinjali dan. Uz, naravno, obaveznu kavu ili voćni sok.
Od slatkog smo probali blinije – male, okrugle palačinke koje se ponekad znaju raditi od heljdinog brašna. Mislim da su naši bliniji, ipak, bili rađeni od bijelog, pšeničnog brašna.
Iako je hotel nudio nekoliko vrsta konzervirane ribe (dimljeni losos, pržene papaline) mi smo se odlučili probati sušene primjerke ovog roda na zatvorenoj tržnici pored glavnog kolodvora Balti Jaam.
Na tržnici možete kupit bilijun vrsta sušene ribe, svježeg mesa, voća i povrća, sireva i tjestenine. I Vegetu, naravno 🙂
Obzirom da je riba prva namirnica na estonskom popisu, odlučili smo kupiti par različitih primjeraka sušene i soljene ribe da vidimo u čemu je stvar. Kako na tržnici nitko ne govori engleski nismo mogli pitati kako se zapravo jede sušena riba, ali svemogući Internet otkrio mi je da se sušena riba najčešće jede kao snack uz pivo. Sasvim dovoljan razlog da se sjednemo na klupicu i uz, doduše mineralnu, gricnemo ribetinu što i nije bio baš lak posao, no za sušenu hobotnicu i štapiće od lososa isplatio se sav trud. Ostalu ribu, kao i pržene hladne papaline nismo našli nešto posebnima.
No, zato je Debeli otkrio kineske parene pogačice karakteristične za kinesku kuhinju i rek’o od toga nitko nije umro, pa smo se počastili. Vrlo ljuto i fino, ali bao pogačice, kako se zovu, lijepe se za zube. Preporučam jesti u toplini doma svoga ili s četkicom za zube pri ruci.
Ribu, ali ovaj puta haringu, kušali smo u najboljoj palačinkarnici u gradu. U Kompressoru su poznati po ogromnim i prefinim slanim i slatkim palačinkama, ali i po neuljudnom osoblju. Mi nismo primijetili ništa što bi nas izbacilo iz takta, tako da svakako preporučamo posjet ovom zanimljivo uređenoj lokaciji.
Kartulipallid heeringaga je svježa haringa s kroketima od krumpira koja se poslužuje uz kiselo vrhnje. Zanimljiva kombinacija i sjajno predjelo koje smo pojeli ispijajući odličnu pivu dok smo čekali na palačinke.
Estonci su oduvijek bili ljubitelji piva, a u zadnjih nekoliko godina niknule su brojne male pivovare (primjer klasičnog hipsteraja :)), tako da smo kušali jabučno pivo Sherwood (ja) i tamno pivo Must Nunn ili crnu opaticu s 13,5% alkohola. Taman za Debelog.
Palačinke od pet eura bile su fant-fant-fantastilne! Velike, s odličnim punjenjem i aman taman da nas pošalju ravno u krevet. Bez deserta, jer nije bilo potrebe za tim.
Kad nekoliko dana izbivate iz doma i živite neuredno, nikad ne znajući kad i što ćete jesti (hm, u biti tako mi je svaki dan od kad sam se preselila na Sjever :)) dobro je pojesti nešto na žlicu. Ili popiti, barem.
Na glavnom trgu u gradu smješten je restoran u srednjevjekovnom stilu. U Tri zmaja ili III Draakon pub ne dolazite zbog udobnosti već zbog ambijenta. Naime, restoran je osvjetljen svijećama, bez klasičnih tanjura i bešteka, ali s pos aparatom 🙂
Kako smo u restoran nabasali nakon dvosatne ture po gradu, odlučili smo se ugrijati juhom od mesa kanadskog jelena, ispijajući je iz glinenih posuda. Zanimljiv ambijent i jako fina juha koja nas je pripremila za nešto konkretnije malo kasnije.
Beer house preporučio nam je Debelov kolega, a mi preporučujemo dalje. Pivnica je uređena u klasičnom bavarskom stilu, s konobaricama u drndilicama koje u jednoj ruci nose po pet pivskih krigli i zanimljivim interijerom koji glumi eksterijer. Kako je restoran ogroman, a mi smo došli u neko suludo doba dana između ručka i večere, zauzeli smo jednu malu kućicu / separe i naručili kobasice. S pivom.
Dok nam se peku kobasice grickali smo crni raženi kruh s češnjakom i umakom od jogurta i začina te ispijali prvu rundu piva.
Kako se nismo mogli odlučiti za jednu pivu, uzeli smo njih sedam. Da probamo, jel te? 🙂
Prva runda pivi uključivala je helles light, pilsner gold i märzen speziel, dok su u drugoj rundi, što smo pijuckali uz glavno jelo, stigli medovar honey, vana viini lager, dunkles extra i BH premium. Pive su poslagane od ”najlakšijih” i najpitkijih do onih punog i teškog okusa. Nama se najviše svidio märzen speziel sa svojim karamelastim i slatkastim okusom te blago gorkim okusom nakon ispijanja.
No, sve pive su odlične na svoj način, iako je meni osobno druga piva ubila sve okusne pupoljke i samo me ošamutilo. Srećom jeli smo odlične kobasice pa je pivo lakše leglo.
Debeli je naručio bratwurst s povrćem dok sam ja jela weisswurst s bijelim kiselim kupusom i senfom. Odlično!
U Kalev marcipan muzeju, kojeg je otvorio Georg Stude prije gotovo sto godina, možete vidjeti i kušati ručno bojene figurice od marcipana ili sjest na kavu i kolač u Café Maiasmokk koji se nalazi u produžetku muzeja.
Kalev je estonska tvornica čokolade i slatkiša koja je dobila ime po estonskom mitološkom heroju Kalevu o kojem je Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald napisao spjev koji se smatra tradicionalnim estonskim spjevom. Kalevipoeg u uskoj je vezi s finskim nacionalnim spjevom Kalevala kojeg je moj stric Slavko preveo na hrvatski jezik. Sasvim slučajno nabasali smo na ukrajinsku verziju Kalevipoega, na ćirilici, i kupili stricu za poklon. Ionako će to meni ići u naslijeđe 🙂
Ako se ikad zateknete u Estoniji nemojte propustiti kušati Vanu Tallinn ili tamni liker od na bazi ruma. Svakako birajte onu vrstu koja ima 50% alkohola i uživajte u slatkom okusu i aromama citrusa, vanilije i cimeta.
Restoran zanimljivog imena, Rataskaevu 16, preporučio nam je Debelov kolega koji ga posjećuje kad god dođe u Tallinn. Restoran je dobio ime po istoimenoj ulici i broju na kojem se nalazi. Totalno nemaštovito, za razliku od jela koja nude.
Mi smo restoran posjetili isti dan kako smo sletjeli, taman na ručak. Prostor se polako počeo puniti i jedva smo izmuzli stol, pod uvjetom da se izgubimo nakon sat i pol. Sasvim dovoljno za dva umorna gladoša.
Ljubazni domaćini smjestili su nas na galeriju gdje smo prvih pola sata bili sami. Dovoljno dugo da sami prebrodimo Debelovu tragediju. Naime, siroče kako je velik, glavom je zahvatio štok majušnih vrata i ozlijedio si glavu do te mjere da su mu dali led za bulju, ne za vino. Španjolsko crveno vino od blenda garnacha tinta i tempranillo grožđa pod nazivom Crianza Coto de Hayas bilo je dosta trpko za moj ukus, ali sasvim dobro da Debelom ublaži bol. Ja sam pila juice 🙂
Crni raženi kruh, prati gotovo svako jelo u Estoniji, a umjesto ”dobar tek” Estonci kažu jätku leiba u prijevodu ”nek ti kruh potraje”, tako smo i mi ubrzo uvidjeli da će nam barem kruh trajati jer gdje god smo došli prije bilo kojeg naručenog jela ponuđen nam je kruh s malo slanog maslaca. Moja omiljena kombinacija za doručak 🙂
Prije prvih jela, ponuđen nam je crni raženi kruh (kasnije smo shvatili da je to običaj u restoranima) s malim zalogajima krem sira na krekeru sa svježim klicama.
Kako smo putovali od ranog jutra odlučili smo se za juhice; Debeli je uzeo krem juhu od jegulje dok sam ja odabrala juhu od goveđeg jezika s jabukom, mousseom od hrena i svježeg bilja.
Moram priznati da sam se ugodno iznenadila kad sam naišla na nekoliko komada goveđeg jezika u juhi. Mislila sam da ću dobiti samo jušnu tekućinu, ali kombinacija s mesom i musom od hrena je bila skroz neobična i vrlo zadovoljavajuća.
Debeli nije upecao jegulju u svojoj juhi, ali je zato izlovio nešto poriluka i limunske trave s kojom je bio i više nego zadovoljan. 🙂
Za glavno jelo Debeli je odabrao pirjano meso losa s kremom od cvjetače, pastrnakom, mrkvom i umakom od crnog ribizla što se ispostavilo vrlo ukusnom kombinacijom slatkih aroma i punog okusa mesa. Zanimljiva kombinacija, ali vrlo teška u konačnosti. Još koja kiselkasta narančasta bobica svakako bi bila dobro došla da izbalansira okuse.
Moje glavno jelo, bilo je skroz u skladu s juhom; divlje i nepredvidivo za mene koja uvijek ide na sigurno i izabere piletinu 🙂 No, ne i ovaj put.
Ovaj put naručila sam pečenu teleću jetricu s pireom od krumpira i brokule, rajčicama i umakom od senfa. Sjajna kombinacija, ali ja sa napravila grešku u koraku. Naručila sam medium pečenu jetricu, a zaboravila sam da volim dobro pečenu jetricu. Minus za mene. No, u kuhinji napravili grešku, pa su neravnomjerno ispekli oba komada mesa. Minus za njih, plus za mene. Fale mi jetrice. Volim jetrice <3 Jako fina kombinacija, ali nepotrebna dekoracija. Ne znamo kaj im je s tim granama na tanjurima.
Nakon obilnog ručka, bilo je još mjesta za espresso i desert pa sam naručila puding od kruha s parfeom od maline i karamel umakom.
Za jednu naciju kojoj zemlja ne nudi puno nije preostalo ništa nego osmisliti slatko od kruha, a ekipi u Rataškaevu 16 to je svakako uspjelo.
Puding od kruha je zapravo biskvitni creme brulee, mekan i sočan iznutra, a hrskav izvana, a voćni i karamel dodaci tu su da obogate ovu, na prvi pogled, jednostavnu kombinaciju. Svaka čast ekipi iz restorana!
http://rataskaevu16.ee/en/
Restoran Leib, što na estonskom znači kruh (vidite koliko su Estonci vezani uz ovu namirnicu) bio je moja preporuka zahvaljujući brdu pogledanih vlogova od kojih je jedan bio recenzija restorana.
Sam restoran nalazi se u starom dijelu grada, u zabačenoj uličici s dvorištem koje mora da je krasno u proljeće ili ljeto. Ovako je samo bilo mračno i hladno 🙂
Obzirom da smo u restoran došli a) bez rezervacije b) poprilično kasno obećana su nam samo dva slijeda koja smo mi objeručke prihvatili.
Prije predjela, već standardno, nam je ponuđen crni raženi kruh s maslacem s biljem, dok smo za predjelo uzeli tartar od mrkve i baltičku sleđicu s otoka Saaremaa.
Sleđica, vrsta ribe slična sardini, bila je poslužena sa zelenim lukom i umakom od krastavca s tanko rezanim i prepečenim crnim raženim kruhom. Debeli se ne sjeća okusa u potpunosti osim da je bilo jako fino. Vjerovat ćemo mu na riječ, jel te?
S druge strane, ja se savršeno sjećam svog tartara od mrkve s kremom od pasjeg trna (ukrasni grm što pretežno raste u Kini i Tibetu, a ima male narančaste bobice kiselog okusa).
Suhe heljdine klice su dale posebnu hrskavu notu slatkastom predjelu, iako bih ih ja zamijenila ili dodala krupnom morskom soli. Doduše, možda bi to bila pogreška? Trebalo bi probati, svakako.
Debeli je, u skladu s ribljim predjelom, odabrao vrlo ukusno glavno jelo od smuđa pečenog na tavi s mariniranim krumpirima i umakom od poriluka
Meni je nekako patka sama po sebi došla jer je bila poslužena s kremom od mrkve, umakom od ružmarina i sjemenkama konoplje. Mala zamjerka samo na preveliku količinu umaka od patke koja mi je razvodnjela ostatak jela, ali sam pačji odrezak je bio fantastičan; medium pečen s hrskavom koricom.
Pio se aperol spirtz i vino od jabuke jer u Estoniji grožđe baš i ne raste 🙂
Za desert nije bilo vremena, ali ni potrebe. Pohvale kuharima!
Negdje na početku ovih recenzija, shvatila sam da mi se teško prisjetiti točnog okusa svakog jela jer sam jednostavno prestara za pamćenje i glupa da išta zapišem, ali svako od jela koja smo kušali bili su savršen primjer kako se sezonske lokalne namirnice mogu maštovito pripraviti i prezentirati. Vrh je dakako bilo u zadnjem restoranu pod nazivom Ribe.
Restoran je Debeli odabrao zahvaljujući odličnim recenzijama na web portalima, a obzirom da je Ribe osvojio nagradu u kategoriji ”casual dining” i bili su nominirani za najbolju uslugu na estonskom gastronatjecanju tako da nije bilo teško donijeti odluku o posljednjoj večeri u Tallinnu.
Na večeru smo stigli oko 20h i ljubazna konobarica, koja je u jednoj prostoriji imala hrpu gostiju, prema mojoj želji smjestila nas je pored stepenica, u mali separe. Daleko od svih i dovoljno blizu wc-a 🙂
Debeli i ja smo se odlučili za večeru od tri slijeda s tim da smo na početku dobili amuse-bouches.
Sitni zalogajčići od guščje paštete i macrona od cikle, nakon kojeg je uslijedio crni raženi kruh s maslacem bili su sjajan početak večere.
Od pet ponuđenih predjela gotovo sva su nam bila zanimljiva, pa smo se odlučili za čak tri. Debeli je uzeo pačje poširano jaje sa sušenom jeguljom, curryjem i jabukom dok sam ja uzela krem juhu od bundeve s parmezanom i kozjim sirom.
Debeli se oduševio svojim predjelom jer se ne susreće često ovakva maštovita kombinacija, dok sam ja oduševljeno smazala svoju juhu u kojoj su se miješali okusi sireva i bundeve.
Foie gras posebna je delikatesa koja se radi od ugojene pačje ili guščje jetre. Patke ili guske hrane se dva ili tri puta dnevno tako da dosegnu barem dvije i pola kile težine jetre.
Naš foie gras bio je pečen na tavi i poslužen s kompotom od višanja, sjeckanim pistacijima te briochem. Kiselo slatki kompot ublažio je i izbalansirao mesni jetreni okus, dok je pistacije dale hrskavu notu. Brioš je bio tu da potamanimo sve sa tanjura. Vrlo jednostavno. 🙂
Što se tiče glavnog jela, ja sam se odlučila za nešto jednostavno, a opet u kombinaciji s predjelom, dok se Debeli odlučio za pticu 🙂
Moji ravioli punjeni šumskim gljivama i umakom od parmezana bili su apsolutno fantastični, kremasti, punog okusa s mrvicom zelenjave (svježi špinat) koja je pomogla u kasnijoj probavi.
Jarebica s pirjanom cikorijom, jabukom i slaninom, s druge strane, bila je vrlo ukusna iako neobičan odabir na meniju, morate priznati.
Deserti koji su uslijedili, a uz koji smo pili pinot gris i tamno estonsko pivo, bili su poširana rabarbara i naranča s pjenom od kozjeg mlijeka i sorbeom od rabarbare te puding od ječma s bijelom čokoladom, kompotom od borovnica i pralinama.
Čitajući ove sastojke možete zaključiti zašto je Debeli odabrao Ribe i zašto je, uostalom, restoran pobrao silne komentare i kritike. Nas su oduvijek privlačile nove i neobične stvari, a Debeli, s profesionalnog stajališta, želi isprobati i vidjeti što više neobičnih jela i kombinacija sastojaka. Ribe je osvojio i nas, ne samo kritiku. Mislim da mu je to dosta 🙂
