Positive feedback

I’m all too well aware that the number of posts in my whines-category far surpasses those in the praise-category. I suppose this is part of human nature. As a conscious effort to do otherwise, here are some good things and experiences – just off the top of my head – about companies that I currently have a very positive image of:

• Cafe Esplanad is, IMO, one of the best if not the best cafe in Helsinki. Situated perfectly by the Esplanad park, it’s a place that’s always crowded but always worth it. And the portions are certainly generous – a single cinnamon bun (korvapuusti) is easily big enough to act as, say, lunch. And few things are more delicious than a piece of their blueberry pie as breakfast, eaten outside on a summer morning.

• Stockmann department store in Helsinki. I don’t know why I occasionally try to buy clothes, shoes and stuff elsewhere as the journey almost always brings me back to Stockmann. Plus it’s one of the rare places in Finland where you can get genuinely good customer service – with a smile – and the grocery department (Herkku) is still the reference comparison point for all other grocery stores.

• Restaurant Santa Fe in downtown Helsinki. It’s one of my long-time favorite casual places; the price/quality-ratio is right on and the service is in my experience very good. Just last weekend we got some excellent tip-worthy service there, something that is truly rare in restaurants in this price class in Finland. Good food (not brilliant, but good enough for casual purposes), good atmosphere & good prices make Santa Fe a reliable choice for a casual dinner or lunch.

• Citymarket Sello in Leppävaara, Espoo. In particular its grocery department; the other sections are quite unremarkable. Anyhow, frequency and volume wise it’s been our #1 grocery store for years now – I was thoroughly surprised that Citymarket, of all places, can on any level compete with places like Stocka’s Herkku. But it’s true. There’s good variety and a great selection of the most important things like fish, meat, fruits & vegetables. (Note: the “great selection” thing is obviously relative in this and other categories; a great selection in Finland would never even begin to compare to a great selection in anywhere in central Europe, USA or many other places)

• The bus line 550, known also by its dumb name “Jokeri” (joker) is great. It’s a cross-town bus line that vastly improves the horizontal (on the map) mass transportation movement in Helsinki. I don’t know what’s with the stupid name but the new, distinctive buses and frequent schedules are most welcome – with 5-minute intervals during rush hour, there’s little need to look at any schedules.