Restaurant Gaijin

We ordered the mini tasting menu and it did not disappoint. The waitress recommended Wakayama Lover as a cocktail, I can tell you it was the most delicious cocktail I have ever had and was suprised it was Aperol based!! The food was delicious, a bit longer wait in between the dishes but we didn’t mind at all. The Bulgogi and shrimp was outstanding - so I highly recommend those dishes. The only downside was the noisy atmosphere, which made it harder to have a proper conversation, but it is a very cozy and intimate atmosphere overall. So just be aware if you don’t like louder restaurants.

Gaijin Helsinki – High-End Fusion🥢 Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Looking for a Michelin-recommended restaurant in Helsinki? Gaijin on Bulevardi is a mandatory stop. While it might not hit the extreme spicy depths of local spots in Asia or the creative madness of Spain's top fusion scene, it is arguably one of the best dining experiences in the Nordics. 💎 Service & Atmosphere The service was magnificent. Professional, fast, and remarkably attentive without being intrusive. For a high-end spot, the vibe is welcoming and perfectly suited for a long dinner. 🍽️ The Menu Highlights (Must-Orders) We went through a wide range of the menu, and the consistency was impressive. If you are ordering, don't miss: * The Bao Selection: The Gaijin Pork Bun & Kimchi and the Duck Bao were the highlights. Perfectly steamed, fluffy dough with rich, balanced fillings. * Small Plates: The Prawn & Pork Shumai topped with caviar felt premium and well-executed. The Whitefish Sashimi was incredibly fresh. * The Crispy Factor: The Soft Shell Crab & Yuzu and the Tempura Pumpkin Bun provided that essential crunch. * Main Hits: The Gaijin Baby Back Pork Ribs are famous for a reason—meat that literally slides off the bone. We also enjoyed the Tonkatsu Ssäm Party, which is great for sharing. 💰 Value for Money Expect to pay for the quality. Our bill for a full spread (including Asahi beer, Blueberry Mochi, and the Sweet Tasting) came to about €414 for the group. It’s an investment, but for the quality of the ingredients and the prime location, it feels justified. Final Verdict A solid 5-star experience for Helsinki. It’s polished, delicious, and the staff makes the night special. Perfect for a business dinner or a sophisticated night out.

mocktails and food was great! We enjoyed it! but my highlight was the matcha tiramisu it was so good!

Great idea, some what dissapointing execution Waguy beef excellent, octopus not suitable for individual bbq at all. Rice was completely destroyed, not even a porridge, but more like smashed. The people seated next to us kept complaining about the bbq as they did NOT do the bbq themselves, but were placed to sit there. Such an awful noise that we were unable to discuss – at all. Great flavours and structures in the starters, but the entire menu – which looked very good on paper – was just too much and some dished raised eyebrows, like why serve a full size portion of noodles with heavy sauce in the middle of the bbq when that alone was enough to fill tummies. Plates were not changed (e.g. between fish and meet) unless we asked to do so. Wet wipes would have been useful. The marinade in one meat was just bad with way too much garlic; why spoil a perfectly good meat with a forced marinade. Service started slow, first meet for bbq after 1 hour, but then in the end we were rushed to finish our eating. We hope that the menu is revised and that the idea will fly one day.

We came here for the Michelin guide recommendation, however we were utterly disappointed. We waited more than an hour for our main courses. When the time came for them to come to the table, the waiter came up to us and just said “I took the wrong order” and apologized. We had a pregnant person in our party and the mistaken order was raw fish. The pregnant family member had to wait for more than two hours just to get something to eat. When the food came, it was only okay. Most of the orders came cold anyway.

We went there as a benefit of our credit card and selected two starters (sashimi and flank steak) and two main dishes: lamb neck and chicken katsu. Our first impression was a bit surprising. The restaurant uses disposable, inexpensive chopsticks, which feels somewhat out of place given the high price range. Using metal or proper wooden chopsticks would significantly elevate the dining atmosphere. The restaurant itself is quite small, and because of that it becomes rather loud during service. As for the food, as an Asian diner I felt it was missing something that would make it truly impressive. The sashimi was decent, although similar or even better quality can be found at many mid-range sushi restaurants. The flank steak was fine, but pairing it with a bowl of rice felt like an unusual combination. The lamb neck was good and probably the highlight of the meal. The chicken katsu was essentially fried chicken. It was well cooked, but considering the restaurant’s fine-dining positioning, it was somewhat disappointing. Similar katsu chicken can easily be found at many mid-range restaurants in Helsinki. It was also served with cabbage leaves, kimchi, and radish. The combination felt a bit odd—these sides are typically paired with BBQ pork in Korean BBQ. It might have made more sense to serve them alongside the flank steak instead. Overall, the dishes may impress diners who are less familiar with Asian cuisine, but for those who are more accustomed to these flavors, it feels like the concept tries a bit too hard without quite delivering something truly special.

Delicious food with generous portions and so many amazing flavours. Ama also really enjoyed her mocktail. A bit on the expensive side, but worth it.

An excellent cuisine. Special place with great and welcoming atmosphere and staff 😀. Don't skip the baby pork ribs!

This was recommended to me by the bartender at a nearby cocktail lounge. The menu looks pretty appealing and the fact that it was a Michelin restaurant had my hopes high. Perhaps I expected more but I recommend you have doubles of the appetizers and stop there. I started with the pork belly bao and the soft shell crab bao. These were amazing I could've had more of these and been happy. I then opted for a half order of the grilled octopus and half order of the pork ribs. The octopus was slightly over cooked in a bit rubbery. Plus they served it to me with a fork and a spoon. Maybe they thought it was going to be easier to cut. Fortunately I was eventually offered a knife too. The pork ribs were meh- I've had much better from our local Asian restaurant. I don't think I'm of being overly harsh. If you have a Michelin sticker and you charge these prices, I expected food to be much much better. I would go back for the Bao appetizers and maybe try one of the other dishes -certainly not the same main ones that I tried this time.

I have been to gaijin twice . I ordered the same set menu twice . However the second time within a year the quality declined I would say . When I said I don't eat pork, they substituted my food with a bland cauliflower dish instead of other meat or fish . I found that to be inconsiderate to be honest . I don't think I will return there again but you can definitely have a dinner there atleast once .

This was very chaotic. Poor service. As a place that is considered a Michelin star restaurant...this was horrible. I had there main prefix meal. It included scallops, which were over cooked. The "sushi" was NOT fresh...something I could get at a to-go place. They sat me at the bar, and I had a view of the kitchen were I could see them cleaning the dishes and mopping the floor. At least put curtains or a swinging door. Main reason for the 2 stars is because I noticed a waitress dropped a glass, touched the ground...and continued working!!! She didn't wash her hands!!! Very gross and unprofessional!!!

The best meal we had in Helsinki. I'm Asian and was a bit skeptical about getting Asian food in Finland. But decided to give it a try and so glad I did! Located in downtown next door from the Klaus K hotel. The food is focused on regional/local ingredients so all the seafood and fish are local and taste different than in the US. They have a nice cocktail menu with house special drinks that were great. It was packed when we were there, so reservation is highly recommended. A few standout dishes were the siu mai (mushroom with truffles and caviar; literally a little bite of heaven), the scallops were exceptional also, the sashimi platter featuring local fishes was soooo good (the cold water fishes just tasty better), same with the local oysters. Just all around an exceptional meal and atmosphere was young and hip. Loved it!!!

Gaijin was recommended to me by numerous Helsinkites and to my lucky discovery, I ended up in a hotel just steps away from this pan Asian (with a strong Japanese/Korean bent) restaurant. Do not miss the PORK BUNS. They're the closest to Momofuku's I've had in Europe. I'm especially fond of the togarashi mayonnaise on these babies. Ditto the DRUNKEN CHICKEN was a masterpiece of flavour explosion. I spooned its residual sauce on my rice and contemplated tipping the bowl and pouring the honey-soy remnants into my mouth. The sauce was actually that good! Order the KIMCHI PORK SHU MAI. You won't need more than one or two of these each given their supreme savoriness. Skip the XO GRILLED BEEF. This Chinese style marinated beef arrived slightly above room temperature and somewhat single-noted in flavour. The cocktails at Gaijin also deserve a shout. I had a well-balanced grapefruit drink but was tempted by many creative concoctions including one fresh watermelon juice number and another featuring egg whites and passionfruit.

Great Asian-fusion restaurant with a tasting menu. Conveniently located downtown (a few doors down from the Klaus K hotel), and there is a front bar/lounge area which doesn't require reservations. There is one fixed tasting menu, one seasonal (changes 4-5 times per year), as well as a vegetarian option, and a la Carte options. Great bar, too, with both classic and custom cocktails. I had one cocktail and the seasonal set menu and it was an excellent dinner -- hard to decide which dishes I liked the best, as they were all excellent, but the iberico ham was particularly notable.

Went on a Friday evening. couldn't have asked for much more. We had some great meals during our stay in Helsinki, but this was a cut above and a must try. Book well in advance if you can - the place was busy - our experience was that most better restaurants in Helsinki need to be booked weeks in advance to get a weekend sitting. We went A La Carte, the snack/starters were devine (kimchi shrimp & pork gyoza, gaijin pork bun and Jerusalem artichoke taco with truffle). We could have gone 3 rounds of these:). The beef tataki was solid but not great, the Scallops XO and Kimchi Iberico hotpot were in a word special. As was the dessert, we had the sampler plate, well worth sampling all of their goodies and it did not disappoint. The wine list was well curated too, noting that the waitress was honest enough to tell us they were running low on some stock. Nothing wrong with the venue as is, but they are commencing renovations in 2 days so were running low on some items. Lucky us for getting our timing right and will be really interesting to see what the renovations yield. Thankfully they will only be closed for ~ a month. We live in NYC and when you compare the both the effort, craftsmanship and quality of this meal at this price relative to NYC there really is no comparison, this would come up trumps nearly every time. Helsinki has proved a gem of city, we got a bit lucky with the weather for this time of year. Cannot wait to come back and Gaijin will definitely be on the list of must visits.

Great cozy yet contemporary atmosphere. We had a reservation for sunday evening, and they had a tasting menu for the day. We ordered 6 item tasting menu. Before this I started with a Hattori Hanso cocktail which was an espresso infused cocktail. Suprisingly nice! Highlights of the dishes were the Oysters for the starter. A strange looking concoction that slipped right in your gullet and mixed together wonderfully. Secondly the Ribs were AMAZING and feel off the bone! My Vegetarian GF had one and LOVED THEM so you can be sure they are good. A bit expensive as to be expected, but we definetly want to return for some special occasion.

Gaijin is an excellent choice for Asian food in Helsinki. I am often a bit suspicious of the places that mix all types of Asian food (I did identify some Japanese, Chinese and Korean dishes on the menu) as it often tends to be a place that does not really do anything well.That is not at all the case at Gaijin - they appear to master most of the dishes they serve up. The only slight disappointment was the veal gyoza that were a bit flat in taste.What can also be said is that all of the dumplings are overpriced -would expect at least 4 gyoza for that price (now received 2). The pork on salad leaf (SSÄM MINI) and the vegetarian dim sum were great. For the mains the gaijin hot pot, beef ssam gaijin and the bulgogi were all great. The yakitori chicken is also good but a dull choice considering the other options on the menu. The cocktails and drinks are also very good and the wine list was decent. They also made an effort to have a few more beer choices than normal but the Asian beers offered are not really the best options available. All in all still a very good dining experience.

When the Finnish people next to you start talking about how good the food is and that you made an excellent choice to go there, they are either drunk or really, really enthousiastic. It was the latter. Gajin is a really great pick for everyone that wants to spend a great evening of fine dining. The atmospere is not uptight, but very relaxt. We chose to have the gajin tasing menu with the accompanying wines. The small asian diches are fantastic, all of them taste unique and super good. Look at the photos! I would make sure to get a table at 8, so there are no other tables behind you. Service can be extremely fast with bringing the dishes. That is the only downside. Other than that this restaurant is very good!

We went to Gaijin on a Sunday which was an excellent choice - they had two menus on offer, 3 courses for 35 Euro and 6 for 55 Euro. The three course menu was above my expectation and it was filling, too. The main course (roasted salmon with a truffle-miso infusion, fennel puree, romanesco and pickled radishes) was both innovative and not too far out there. But the dessert trumped all. A black tea flavored white chocolate mousse with peach sorbet and black pepper meringue. Presentation of the food was above average. The cocktail I had was also great - Harushinki or something like that - and better value at 12 Euro than the 7,50 Euro Asahi beer my boyfriend had. Overall an amazing value for the Sunday menu.

Fantastic restaurant. The salmon hot pot is tremendous. We also had crab tempura with two types of crab, very good. Flavoring and sauces were great. Very good spot.

I definitely do not think Gaijin is worthy of being a Michelin restaurant. The service was terrible, and the food was mediocre. I've had much better asian-fusion at other restaurants that weren't as highly rated. The food/drinks are very overpriced for the quality. If you want to spend money and enjoy the food, go to Ora. If you want food that is extremely over priced with terrible service, come here.

Went for 3-course Sunday dinner while in town for work recently. Tartare was really nice, and the white fish main was delicious. Dessert was fine but nothing special. 8€ glass of wine. More than enough food for me, but not huge portions. For a big guy it might be a bit small. I didn't have a reservation but I went early. It did fill up. I would likely go back next time I visit.

Aah. Great atmosphere. GREEN SHELL MUSSEL `X.O.´ and SMOKED DUCK, FOIE & CHERRY `NIGIRI from the gaijin menu were spectacular. Otherwise not so much. Service ok but not as particular as expected for the money. The sommelier package was not so coupled with the menu. Good effort but no cigar.

Because I have the best boyfriend in the world, we went here for my birthday dinner. As a native San Franciscan, I fancy myself a bit of a fish snob. The Butterfish was to die for. I think we ordered an extra bottle of wine just so I could stretch out the dining experience itself. To start from the beginning: the interior is very sleek and zen, the crowd is real mixed bunch - from what looked like a frat boy reunion at one of the long tables to the left of the entrance, to the older couple who looked like they were headed to the theater next to us, to the young couples on the terrace out front...Gaijin attracts all kinds. The signature specialty drinks were like slushies for grown-ups, wine prices are not too steeply marked up, and their small starters are out of this world. Order a couple of each of their dim sum-like (but way better) starters- you will eat them all. Even if your jaw is wired shut. You'll find a way. Dessert was amazing (I can't remember what it was but it was heaven on a plate) and our server was the most adorable and sweet redhead who made the night super special. This is a great place for any occasion- special or not. One of my top 5 favorites in Helsinki. Eat here now!

One of my all time favorite restaurants in Helsinki is for sure Farang. Fortunately the owners of this lovely place also have two other restaurants in the city one of which is Gaijin. Gaijin follows Farang's footsteps a bit, but is still a completely different experience after all. Their menu takes you to North Asia and also manages to surprise with a unique combination of tastes and flavors.The interior is more cozy and intimate then what you might know from Farang. I would highly recommend a tasting menu here as well. Those menus of around eight to ten small dishes will make your taste buds celebrate. Enjoy some Soft Shell Crab with apple and fennel, flavored with honey, mirin and hazelnut. And get carried away by the tenderness and taste of the Baby Back Pork Ribs. Gaijin also has really nice cocktails. You should consider having one as an aperitif. Prices are in the same range at Farang. But the money you pay definitely pays off. Don't forget to make a reservation in advance!

My favorite restaurant in Helsinki. Try one or two of their cocktails, they're really good! You can just go grab a little snack in the lounge area which doesn't require a reservation, I highly recommend the pork buns 5€ and beef tartar 4€ a piece. It's a popular place so if you're going for dinner make a reservation. The tasting menus are really good so if you're hungry go for it!

My boyfriend and I got 5 snacks /dim sums to share and one main each + 2 beers, came up to 104euros. The snacks / dim sums were great. Our mains were okay. Food was good, service was pretentious. Overall overpriced.

Tasting menu was amazing! Food was delicious and filling at the end of the meal. We recommend going here for those want to experience Asian fusion fine dining. Definitely will return when we're in Helsinki again.

9 course classic tasting menu: Lots of seafood and interesting fusion combos. Loved the ribs, made just like my father did back at home. Pork buns also a big favorite. But the best course was the Japanese sushi w yuzu wasabi sauce! Nvm, also really liked eel dish. Drinks: Had the recommended warm cocktail and was pleasantly surprised by it! Very tasty, had notes of olong tea with Asian liquor and was very warming and welcoming

Amazing restaurant and excellent food!! Choose one of the two set menus they have. You will not be disappointed!!

The food here was very good and the drink was great. The biggest problem is that the waiter completely ignored me once I was done eating and waited almost 30 mins to pay

Gaijin is a Japanese word meaning non-Japanese or foreign/alien (person). It consists of two separate Kanjies: Gai for a foreigner and Jin for a person. Thus, the word technically means "outsider"! Gaijin in Helsinki is neither a person nor Japanese. This restaurant, being a part of the same chain as the famous Restaurant Farang, offers combined dishes from North East Asia. Fine flavors from Korean, Japanese and Chinese cuisines are served in the very heart of the City. Since Gaijin's basic idea is to offer it's customers fine atmosphere and facility to dine in a socially nice manner, they have created two different "experimental" courses, being "combined to meet everybody's taste". Being a budget eater I convinced (read: forced) my party to order the cheaper one and still the price was 59,00 euros per person. Because the same menu had to be ordered for everyone around the same table, that still hurts (minus one star)! The food was excellent and served nicely along with detailed explanations, what was brought on board. The army of waiters treated us very well, although sometimes the time between dishes could have been shorter. In fact, one has to reserve at least two hours to go through this menu. In addition, once our plates were taken away and we had to ask for new ones, since the warm food had been there for five minutes. Furthermore, our rushed plead for the fast check was ignored (minus one star). This place made me not happy or mad, full and poor maybe, and I won't be coming back. I could imagine to recommend it to someone, who can afford it and has time to dine for hours.

This place is pretty much fantastic. Great food. Great wine. Great ambiance. My go to stop in Helsinki. Heads up, Sunday menu is preset only so I recommend any other day. The a la carte menu is much more robust.

The beef was good,restaursnt was nice, i travel a lot and this rest you have to try and visit

Fish is fresh and rice is Japanese mom approved. The presentation of the food is pretty. Unique flavors. Liked the dessert. Good cocktails.

Very nice food. Great central location. But a bit pricey for the venue and "overall experience".

gaijin = foreigners tasting menu --mostly a mix of japanese, chinese, and korean easy to drink cocktails. MUSSEL & `SOY HONEY´ green shell mussel, kombu soy, yuzu and honey jam, soy mayonnaise, seaweed caviar GAIJIN BEEF BUN grilled beef brisket, kochujang mayonnaise, marinated red onion, soft bread SASHIMI TASTING selection of seared white fish, hamachi, and salmon, roe (not really), wasabi and yuzu dressing, wakame, wasabi mayonnaise SMOKED DUCK, FOIE & ROASTED PEANUT `NIGIRI´ smoked duck (very salty), truffle mayonnaise, teriyaki rice, foie gras creme, peanut ROASTED SAIKYO MISO SALMON `MT.FUJI´ saikyo-miso marinated and roasted salmon, fresh asparagus, radish, salsify, fresh wasabi emulsion GAIJIN BABY BACK PORK RIBS pork ribs, soy mirin caramel, togarashi SEARED SCALLOP & X.O. seared scallop, rare Chinese X.O. sauce, crispy garlic, seaweed caviar GAIJIN `KATSU YAKI´ PARTY crispy fried chicken, salad leaves, Japanese pickles, kimchi, sesame dressing, chilli dressing, brown butter mayonnaise MATCHA & STRAWBERRY Matcha-tea cake, Matcha-tea mousse, fresh strawberries, strawberry and lime ice cream, dehydrated strawberries, lemongrass, almond main issue is sometimes too salty or too sweet but overall pretty good

Absolutely one of my favorite places in Helsinki! The atmosphere is relaxed and buzzing with great service. The food is to die for, I've never been disappointed. If you don't feel like going for the full dinner just sit at the bar and have a small dish or two, try the drinks, they are delicious!

Gaijin is definitely one of the best restaurants in Helsinki. The food is amazing and especially the service blows me away every time. I absolutely love this place! Best thing to do is to get the tasting menu with the wines, but you can also just have something small and enjoy their incredible drink list! Ps. Try the baby pork ribs, mussels and pork buns to go to food heaven!

This was a real positive surprise. Was actually supposed to have visited Farang but it was closed on sundays so went to Gaijin instead. The restaurant has a fairly standard asian-fusion feel to it but could have been a bit more cosy but overall ok. The food on the other hand was the positive surprise, took the large tasting menu and I have to say that all of the dishes was really good. Would definitely consider coming back

Delicious. I had the pork belly bun, shrimp dumplings and Mongolian beef. Not sure I'd recommend the Mongolian beef: it was four very large chunks of meat, nicely-cooked but overall a bit simple for my taste. I probably should've ordered the drunken chicken instead. The bun was terrific, particularly the kimchi aioli. Dumplings were great: delicate wrappings and served with excellent dipping sauces. Service was careful and restrained (Finland!); restaurant is dark, minimalist in style and reasonably quiet.

Excellent food and Service. Ordered the ribs and pork belly sandwich and would recommend.

Nice and and cosy atmosphere. No waiting for anything, 6 cources in one hour! Interesting mixes of tastes, as to be expected at a place serving Asian fusion. Recommended although a little bit high on price.

Excellent quality food and service. Totally worth of every penny. We had 7 course tasting menu which was amazing.

My boyfriend and I ate here last night for his light night in Helsinki. The service was very slow. We were waiting nearly 20 minutes for the check and had to ask repeatedly. And the food was good, but had some issues. We had ordered the lamb, which, for 30 euros included a few pieces that we couldn't eat because there was way too much sinew that should've been cut out. And charging 3 euro for a bowl of rice also seems a bit excessive. Overall, it was ok but a bit of a let down with quality and service.

The service was great . the atmosphere was wonderful. The cocktails were delicious. Now the food was tasty, however, need to be described a bit more accurately. It may simply be a downfall of the Asian fusion genre, but nonetheless... We ordered the Szechuan beef and oxtail. There was absolutely no Szechuan peppers or Szechuan flavoring to the dish. It was incredibly savory and supple but not Szechuan. Second, we ordered a side dish of choi sum. Choi sum is a Cantonese word for a dark green leafy vegetable on a stalk not unlike Chinese broccoli. The description in the menu noted that it was sauteed watercress. When the dish came out.. It was not watercress but choi sum. Also done well though sweeter than a traditional Cantonese dish. In addition. I found it funny since the waiter made note that the influences included specifically northern China and the two Chinese influences dishes were distinctly southern China. We also ordered the xo scallops. Xo sauce is again quite a common dish in southern Chinese cooking. There was little xo sauce in the scallops. Though delicious it was more Bonita flake flavored. All in all the food was delicious but it is certainly loosely based and influenced on different Asian regional foods. Its a pretty standard Asian fusion place. It isn't anything amazing or standout creative but the ambience is pleasant and the drinks are good while the food is tasty it is not quite authentic.

On a recent trip to Helsinki, we decided to go to Gaijin on our last night for a change of pace after several days of northern European food. Everything we tried was delicious - especially the chicken yakitori and arctic char. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable about wine pairings. My only complaint is that the snacks and dim sum were quite expensive given the portion size. This was the opposite for the entrees though so we were pleasantly full when we left!