OLO Had Me Cursing Each Bite – Perfect Dinner?

Olo is a One Michelin star restaurant located in Helsinki, and it may just be the most perfect meal I’ve had in 2024. Here was the menu this evening. I added all the options including the caviar (a generous 10g portion), and the king crab (which was the most perfect dish ever).

Upon being seated, I found some raw dough at my table which would later be taken away, freshly baked, and then returned with one of the best bread services I can remember in a while.

To start, I went with the non-alcoholic pairing. Each beverage was unique and crafted with great care. It started with this sparkling tea:

The first three amuse were good, but not mind blowing. I was starting to wonder if the rest of the meal would be “just” good. Then I remembered a rule that I have developed from many years of eating at Michelin starred places. Many meals start with amazing amuse, then fizzle. I was hoping this was, therefore, a sign of amazing things to come. The parm tartlet was good.

The tomato and straberries were just ok:

The Icelandic shrimp was where the flavor levels started to elevate:

The first main dish was where my mind started spinning. The scallop with miso brown butter was divine. The scallop from Norway so sweet and perfectly cooked. The caviar and sauce were bursting with flavor. I savored every bite of the dish. Great acidity.

I was also pleased to see the care in dinnerware with handmade plates from Finland.

The bread service was another out of this world experience. The butter was made with whey which gave it tons of umami. The dip was made with mushrooms, and kombu butter with a touch of horseradish. There could not be a more perfect bite in this world. Absolutely delicious.

From here, I was worried that they were achieving such high levels of flavor that the meal might start to plateau. This was not the case. The king crab just blew me away. Perfection is all I can say. The sauce was a perfect blend of rhubarb, dill, and reindeer heart (gave “beefy flavor” and thickness to the sauce). WOW. I cut the pieces small so I could savor as long as possible.

Next, A5 Wagyu from Japan served sashimi style with some kimchi. I was pleased to see Finnish chefs that nailed the flavor of Kimchi. Just like in Korea which I had just been in last week. I was curious about why the meat was served mid course, but now I know it was because it was basically raw. A good dish.

After this, the steamed turbot. Perfectly cooked and amazing sauce yet again.

Finally, the sweetbreads which I am not a big fan of in general, but these were deliciously prepared like everything else.

Tasting menus can get long and tiring, but I did not want this one to end! The first dessert was vanilla sherbet, raspberries, and salted caramel. Each bite was divine. The raspberries were very sweet.

The chocolate trio was also good though the largest one was my favorite.

Lastly, this was my least favorite dish of the whole night, apple pie. This was the only average dish of the evening. It was actually quite bland.

Overall, service was excellent. The food was near perfect except for the apple pie at the end. The kitchen at Olo has mastered the art of preparing the perfect sauce, balance, and cooking technique. I would go back and highly highly recommend.