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. 

28.1.2019

SpaceTime: Dragon Palace, Puutori, Turku, 1pm lunch
Atmosphere: Somewhat stylish, oriental, dim light, candles on tables, smooth jazz from speaker, constant Chinese chit-chat from the counter
Food: Sushi + chinese food buffet
Price: 9.90€

Thoughts: Dragon Palace seems like your typical Chinese joint. The style of decoration is consistent with my imagined stereotype, with dark wood, gold, decorated chairs, smiling Buddha statues, ceiling mirrors, fake marble etc.

The lunch offering is a sushi and Chinese food buffet, soup, coffee. Half of the offering is sushi and the other half has typical buffet foods such as deep-fried chicken balls, sweet-and-sour sauce, spring rolls, rice and a few sauces with chicken or beef with vegetables.

The food was tasty enough, although nothing I haven't seen in other buffets. The selection of foods was also quite small, and there was no salad buffet to speak of. Some of the choices for the sushi ingredients were also unusual, such as deep-fried onion ring halves, but generally traditional. The sushi was not the prettiest I have seen, but at least the rice was not raw.

I have trouble recommending this place, not because there's something wrong, but because there are several other restaurants offering a bit more for a similar price.

24.1.2019

SpaceTime: Lounasravintola Arvonen, Puutori, Turku, 12:30 lunch
Atmosphere: Small, not too bright, cozy, no music, hum of air conditioning
Food: Lunch buffet (sausage stroganoff potato mash, pea soup, pancakes, small salad table)
Price: 8.50€

Thoughts: Arvonen offers simple home cooking in a small dining space with less than 20 seats. The lunch offer changes daily. For the same price, take-away from the buffet is possible.

I thought the food was simple and tasty. The foods and salads tasted like you'd expect. The pancake was a bit tough for my taste, but definitely edible. The relatively low price point places this establishment reasonably high on my list of places to return to on a regular basis.

I learned that today was the last day in a while that the restaurant is open, since the owner, Mr. Arvonen will undergo hand surgery and will be closing the kitchen for at least a month. Recommended, for those looking to get as much lunch-value for as cheap as possible.

23.1.2019

SpaceTime: Vänäk Persian restaurant, Puutori, Turku, 12:40 lunch
Atmosphere: Empty, big windows out to a street with mostly cars going by, comfy chairs, gas heater center of dining space, oriental sounding dance music from a stereo
Food: Mäksun Kebab (minced meat kebab, grilled chicken, rice, seared tomato)
Price: 9.90€

Thoughts: I'm not sure what the "Persian" kitchen is supposed to be like, but if this is a typical representation, it's definitely not my favorite one.

Upon entering the establishment, I was greeted with the two members of staff and an empty dining space. Looking through the lunch-offers, I chose the kebab with chicken option. I sat down, after which the staff kindly cranked up the stereo with oriental pop-music and informed me that salad and coffee is included in the lunch.

I helped myself to something from the thin salad offerings. Nothing special here. After a while, the food arrived. The plate, which you can see down below, did not especially caress my eyes. I dug in. The kebab tasted like mined meat, plenty of onion and light salt, very mild, very non-impressive. The chicken bits were very dry and tasted lemon-y. The rice and the colored rice stripes tasted like rice, with an aftertaste of burnt herbs. The seared tomato was a seared tomato. There was also a tiny pack of margarine on the plate, which I smeared on the kebab and the chicken in the hopes of gaining some kind of sauce.

The food was certainly in the edible category, but it was uninspired and bland to my taste, with a poor presentation, and thus not a pleasure on the senses. Unless I chose the wrong dish to eat somehow, I cannot recommend this place for anyone except an exotic music fan.

17.1.2019

SpaceTime: Golden Grill, Hansa food court, Turku, 12:30 lunch
Atmosphere: Open, bright, empty-ish, excellent view to the market square construction yard
Food: Pulled pork lunch burger with fries, extra cucumber mayo, pancake with jam and whipped cream
Price: 11.40€
Thoughts: I'm not sure if Golden Grill is somehow related to the Golden Rax pizza buffet or not, but the two restaurants are side by side, with a walkway between, they have Golden in the name and after eating the lunch burger, I believe the quality of food is equally mediocre.

The place has many customer seats in two stories overlooking the market square that is the heart of Turku. The place had very few customers to the space available.

The burger consisted of store-bought dry hamburger bun, generic pulled pork, non-descript mayo and vegetables. The fries were cooked right but had too much salt in them for my taste. The extra mayo I ordered and paid 1€ for was forgettable and came in a small shot glass, making it very hard to dip with a fork. They also served dessert coffee (which I skipped) and pieces of pancake with strawberry jam and very stiff industrial whipped cream.

I ate the entire dish, but was not especially impressed by it. If I want to nurse my soul with sinful food that blocks my arteries if over-consumed, I want the pleasure I derive from such a portion be much higher than what I experienced here. For a lunch burger, one of the weaker ones.

16.1.2019

SpaceTime: Mami, Turku, 13pm lunch
Atmosphere: Lively, stylish, friendly
Food: BBQ ribs (boneless) with potato, mayo-sauce, vinegary mini-salad, basket of bread with cream cheese spread
Price: 10.50
Thoughts: Mami is down by the river and offers a splendid view for diners facing the windows. They offer several lunch options with coffee and separate dessert on the menu.

The staff was quick to serve and friendly. The food was tasty. The roasted potatoes had a mild herb seasoning and a nice floury texture. The meat was overcooked to super-juicy and coated in a barbecue sauce. The mayo fit well with the other flavors. The mini-salad was a fresh and zingy balance to the greasy meat. This was how you'd expect bbq ribs with mayo and taters to taste like, nothing annoying about it. The presentation was not the most amazing, but definitely not hideous. The extra basket of bread was an unusual touch, but the bread was also fresh and yummy.

Based on this experience, I would go back again for lunch with a similar price point and equally nice serving experience.

15.1.2019

SpaceTime: Pikku-Torre, Turku, 14:00 lunch
Atmosphere: Dim, bar-like, sports playing on a huge tv
Food: Steak with garlic creamy potatoes and veggies, salad buffet
Price: 13.30€

Thoughts: Torre is a kind of sports-pub, offering a variety of foods and drinks. A giant bar counter dominates the middle of the dining space. The daily lunch menu offers pasta, steak, fish and more, with a small-ish salad buffet table or optionally a soup.

I can't say the food felt truly worth the asking price.The steak was cooked well, but a bit chewy anyway. The potatoes were garlic-infused and quite greasy. The veggies were also greasy and a bit burnt. The bread was a bit on the tough side. The salad was ordinary. Consuming this dish certainly did not feel like a fine-dining experience presentation- or flavor-wise.

The food was certainly edible, save for the giant strips of raw onion I mistakenly grabbed from the salad buffet. However, the quality was not to my liking, especially at this price.

14.1.2019

SpaceTime: Bagel House, Turku, 1pm lunch
Atmosphere: Stylish, coffee-shop like, friendly, open, big windows, sofas and armchairs, relaxing music
Food: Salmon bagel with salad, tomato, sauce, pickes + hot tomato soup with basil and goat's cheese
Price: 10€

Thoughts: The place had a nice relaxing atmosphere and a stylish distinct look. The staff was friendly. Visually the dish looked nice and crisp. 

The tomato soup with goat's cheese tasted as expected. The bagel itself was a mixed bag for me. I'm not sure how bagels are supposed to be, but this doughnut cut in half like a sandwich, was a bit rough to my mouth. The relative hard crispiness and chewiness of the bagel did not go perfectly with the soft and saucy toppings, and I found myself constantly wiping my face with the napkin. The toppings tasted alright, but were nothing special in terms of flavor, quite mild.

This lunch was quite light, edible if rough. For the offering, I'd say the price was a bit too steep for what you get.

10.1.2019

SpaceTime: Herkkunuotta, Kauppahalli, 12:30 lunch
Atmosphere: Busy, street-ish, plain
Food: Breaded flounder with potato pure, roe sauce, pickled red onion, steamed vegetables
Price: 13.90€

Thoughts: I was able to find a relatively peaceful corner spot at the counter of Herkkunuotta, offering over-the-counter fish products as well as sparkly street food, much like Deli Verde (S Wallin) close by. It's almost as if these two fish vendors are in competition!

The dish was gorgeous! The roe sauce, the fish and the potato puree created a colorful display to whet my appetite. The flounder was cooked nice and crispy, the potato pure was nice but not exactly warm, the sauces and pickled onions were yummy and the steamed veggies were finely cooked and tasted as you'd expect.

The price was a bit steep, and I can't decide if it was worth it or not. The flounder had a very mild taste to it, and in junction with the breading and grilling, tasted mostly salty and oily. I'm not a big fan of strong oceanic tastes, and in that regard the dish was definitely not overwhelming. However, I kept pondering if the somewhat simpler salmon dish I ate yesterday had worked better, or if I just prefer salmon to flounder. It could be that some of the culinary artistry is simply lost on this unsophisticated brute. All in all, the dish was yummy and I wouldn't mind eating here another time.

I also ate my portion before paying, but this time didn't attempt to leave before paying. Progress!

9.1.2019

SpaceTime: Deli Verde (S Wallin Oy), Kauppahalli, Turku, 12:30 lunch
Atmosphere: Packed, busy, street-ish
Food: Freshly grilled salmon with deep-fried potatoes, small salad, dill aioli, pickled veggies
Price: 12,90€

Thoughts: Kauppahalli is quite busy during lunchtime. There are many small kitchens that offer a few customer spots at a counter with bar stools and people walking by behind your back. Deli Verde is part of a fresh fish vendor's booth, serving fish in various forms, with around 10 customer seats.

While I prefer a more relaxed dining experience, I am kind of starting to like the fresh honest street kitchen food this food court has to offer. The fish is straight from the grill to a plate near you. You pay, you eat, you get out.

I enjoyed this meal. The salmon was grilled perfectly, the flavors of the dish were simple yet distinct. The portion was not huge, and the price is not the cheapest, but the quality of the food was spot-on. The only real downside is the busy atmosphere which might make you walk past the place if all the seats are taken. Still, recommended.

8.1.2019

SpaceTime: Le Bistrot Francais, Kauppahalli, Turku, 1pm lunch
Atmosphere: Not too busy, stylish, street-ish, sociable
Food: Chicken with crayfish sauce, veggie flan
Price: 11:50€

Thoughts: The small 8-seat kitchen in Kauppahalli offers a few daily choices for those after french cuisine. The chairs are set high on the counter and the chef works right in your view, which some may enjoy, but I prefer something less intense personally. 

The food was alright, with a few comparatively mild complementing tastes. The chicken was cooked well, the potato pure was ordinary, the sauce yummy and the veggie flan tasted like seasoned veggies in a fancy form factor. The side piece of bread was very dry.

So, the price range was about the same as some other places in the same food court, and there was nothing wrong with the food. It didn't blow me away, but it was certainly tasty. 

Being used to paying for the meal first and then leaving right after eating, I almost faded without paying. Luckily the waitress caught me in time to correct my mistake. Oops!

7.1.2019

SpaceTime: Bowler, bowling alley, downtown Turku, 11am lunch
Atmosphere: Busy to the max, lively, dim lights
Food: Buffet table with salad, salmon pasta, pork, sweet potato fries with white sauce, bread, "dessert"
Price: 10.40€
Thoughts: The year 2019 is off to a rocky start with this unlikely buffet. The dimly lit dining room overlooking bowling alley lines is teeming with diners. The kitchen is having trouble keeping up with the demand.

The food itself is a mixed bag. The salad table does not have the most varied selection. The oven eggplant thing is overly salty. The fries have been murdered with salt, in addition to being constantly out-of-stock. The pork is plain but alright. The salmon pasta is greasy and messy, but edible. The "dessert" is what I can only describe as stale or curdled whipped cream in a cup with sour thawed berries, not very appetizing.

I dig the lighting. Other than that, there are several other buffets in close proximity (such as Julinia or Fontana Cafe) with tastier and more high quality foods. Based on this experience, I would rather go with any of them.