13.2.2019

SpaceTime: Milan, Turku, 13:00 lunch
Atmosphere: Big, cheap looking dining space, few customers, Finnish pop music playing on radio
Food: Döner Kebab Roll, water
Price: 10€

Thoughts: Milan is a cookie-cutter Kebab joint, offering typical alternative fast food. I got the "Authentic Döner" kebab roll, which turned out to contain curry-flavored chicken instead of the usual grey meat strips.

The dish was edible, it was filling and it was not very memorable. I did not especially enjoy the flavors, although they were far from hideous. The roll dough was soft and not crispy or dry. In addition to chicken bits, the roll contains a bit of raw onion, tomato, some kind of mild sauce and lots of lettuce. Once I had eaten, a single chicken piece remained, with a good strip of chicken skin on it, flattening my experience a bit.

The price is not awfully high, but for this price range, there are more memorable places to visit. 

12.2.2019

SpaceTime: Tsing Tao, Turku, 12:30 lunch
Atmosphere: Lively but not too busy. Bright and open dining space with oriental details, green plants, big windows, oriental-looking counter, buffet table
Food: Chinese food and sushi buffet
Price: 9.70€

Thoughts: I entered Tsing Tao, lured by a promise of sushi. This place certainly draws in a crowd, being about half-full, despite a large-ish dining space.

I started with the sushi. The buffet table offers a wide variety to choose from, with traditional and more exotic fillings (such as the sausage-avocado one pictured below). The fish toppings were quite thin. The rice was not especially yummy. The soy sauce was served in a tiny bowl barely big enough to house a dipping. The salad was fresh and very typical.

Next, I sampled each of the several meaty sauces. I must say, these I enjoyed much more than the sushi. The meat was very succulent and seasoned nicely. The deep-fried chicken balls were crispy but not hard or dry. Some of the sauces were a bit spicy, but nothing to scare away a mild-food lover like myself.

If I was looking to consume (and enjoy) Chinese buffet food, I would definitely consider this place again. For sushi, I would rather go to Kawaii for a buffet, or Kauppahalli or Hanko Sushi for a more quality sushi experience. All in all, not bad!

6.2.2019

SpaceTime: Chinese Restaurant Tang, Turku, 13:30 lunch
Atmosphere: Dim light, empty, Chinese lanterns with red strings over tables, no music, quiet Chinese conversation from the kitchen
Food: Chinese food buffet
Price: 9.30€

Thoughts: While wandering along the downtown streets, I came upon this place and decided to enter. A kebab joint of sorts had once stood in its place, if my memory serves me correctly.

The small buffet table offered a very typical selection of salad and Chinese food: white rice, seasoned noodles, chicken and beef in sauce with vegetables, deep-fried chicken balls, sweet and sour sauce...

The food was edible, the salad was fresh, the whole clone restaurant idea rattled around in my brain like a coin inside a washer.

For those looking to eat a Chinese-style buffet, not the worst of choices, just very very predictable, in addition to not having an amazingly large selection of foods.

4.2.2019

SpaceTime: Tikitak, Turku, 12:30 lunch
Atmosphere: Restaurant is completely empty. Some weird undefined smell permeating the air. TV tuned to Yle. Round white tables with white rotating chairs. Not too bright.
Food: Roll kebab, water
Price: 8.90€

Thoughts: Tikitak is yet another Kebab restaurant, with the twist that they advertise being vegan-friendly.

I was the only patron for the entire duration of my meal. The kebab roll came with a knife embedded, a gesture I had not seen before, and thus could not help but to interpret as slightly menacing. 

The food was edible, but not especially inspiring. The roll contains grey meat peels, tomato sauce with a bit of chili, a few pieces of cucumber and tomato, and a whole lot of chopped kale.

The price was on the cheaper end of the lunch scale, but not that good against the quality of the food. The portion was of decent size, so I my stomach did not go hungry. Perhaps my spirit did, though.

31.1.2019

SpaceTime: Morrison's, Turku, 12:30 lunch
Atmosphere: Busy, big dining space half-full, din lighting, dark wood, red/orange colors, led-strips, brickwork, spot lights, dance music playing quietly somewhere, mirrors with menu items written on in white marker
Food: Lunch burger with fries, extra cucumber mayo
Price: 11.30€

Thoughts: Morrison's offers burgers, steaks, wings and such greasy salties. The large dining space had plenty of customers and the kitchen seemed quite busy trying to fulfill the orders. 

The lunch burger came with a stiff-cooked patty that did not feel custom-made. The bun was also a bit dry, one of those store-bought ones. The bacon strips felt a bit crumbly, and not juicy straight off the grill, like they had been cooked before and just re-heated, or maybe just cooked for a bit too long. The fries were perfect, if a bit too salty for my taste. The extra mayo was alright, but nothing extraordinary. The small salad was very basic.

Not super-expensive, but not exactly cheap either. Another mediocre plus restaurant burger with fries and mayo. Not for culinarists!

30.1.2019

SpaceTime: Hanko Sushi, downtown Turku, 12pm lunch
Atmosphere: Stylish, modern, spot lights, big windows, peaceful piano music playing on speakers, black and white color theme
Food: Lunch offer sushi platter (medium), miso soup
Price: 13.50€

Thoughts: Hanko Sushi is a chain of restaurants around Finland, offering a variety of sushi as well as other Japanese foods. 

The interior of the restaurant in Hansakortteli offers around 25 customer seats and has a stylish modern design of black and white. My only gripe with the decor, are the lamps hanging over each table at rougly eye-level. They have this wireframe-style shader combined with a round bulb, that will create an irksome dazzle around your periphery as you're eating.

The platters they offer for lunch vary in size, from a small selection for under 10 euros, to a bigger one at over 16. The presentation of the food is not art, but it's certainly pleasant.

I thought the sushi and the miso soup were yummy. The ingredients seemed fresh and the rice was correctly cooked. I opted for the medium size platter (pictured below). It's not an awfully lot of food, so if you're looking to munch away until you almost burst, this may not be the establishment for you. Beyond that, definitely one of the better places to grab sushi in the city center.

29.1.2019

SpaceTime: Baan Thai, Turku, 12pm lunch
Atmosphere: Cosy, dark wood, dim light, bright jazzy guitar music playing on speaker, not busy
Food: Rice, chicken, veggies, soup (lunch offer)
Price: 7.50€

Thoughts: Baan Thai offers a relatively cheap lunch from a daily rotating menu. The restaurant has been around for a while. The slogan taped to the window reads: "Golden places, smiling faces", the meaning of which eludes me. Inside, a small dim dining room of dark wood for maybe 20 customers. Spot-lit Buddha statues on recessed shelves.

The lunch offer today was very plain and flavorless. Chicken bits in a clear, lightly salted broth, with broccoli and kale. Big bowl of white rice. The food was not bad, but it was very bland and mild, and I ended up adding soy sauce and chili oil to it. The appetizer soup was slightly more flavored, but nothing to write home about. 

The lunch is one of the cheapest I've found so far. It's not awful quality, despite the lack of flavor in today's serving: edible, but not delicious. Also, the portion size for the price is excellent. I'd consider going back if I was trying to save money and still gain my fill. However, if I was looking to derive pleasure from eating, I would go elsewhere.