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Visit Helsinki: Toscanini

April 27, 2016

Growing up in Croatia and eating the finest of Mediterranean cuisine, including my mom’s and grandma’s impeccable cuisine, I was born to be a self-proclaimed foodie master! 😀 I’ve always loved good food and my standards to what tastes good have developed through the years, so by this age, if I’m eating at home, I make sure to buy only the high quality ingredients when cooking my lunches and dinners because I’d rather buy something bit more expensive in the food aisle and save on that 10th, unnecessary skirt for the Spring/ Summer “wardrobe refreshment”!

Yeah, I know, not so fashion thing of me to do. When I do go out for a lunch or dinner, I wanna go to places which deserve a dollar to be spent there… There’re way too many restaurants nowadays but not many do give what they ask you to pay for. Bummer, I know, so that’s why I’m more than happy to once again bring you an article from my cycle of “Visit Helsinki” posts in which I’m presenting you the best places to visit, dine at, hotels to stay at, etc. in case that you find yourself visiting my city this Summer perhaps! 🙂

If you are a local or somebody who’s living nearby, even better, then you get to test these places even sooner and share your experiences with me!

Going back to me growing up in Croatia, I have practically lived on an Italian food for a good amount of my life. I know how “the real” Italian food should taste and look like, so upon moving to Helsinki, Finland almost 9 years ago, I didn’t really have a chance to satisfy my Italian cuisine cravings. What was presented to me here as “Italian food” was a far cry from that. Ever since, I’ve been on a hunt for the real deal and I finally found it at Toscanini restaurant ran by a proper Italian chef! Hallelujah!! Pasta perfection here I come!

Toscanini restaurant is a “house restaurant” of a design hotel Klaus K which happens to be one of my favourite hotels ever. That’s how I came in “touch” with Toscanini for the first time about a year ago, by ordering in a room service for dinner. I remember thinking that my dinner was so delicious that I must pay a visit to this restaurant in person and not only via room service delivery.

I did it… Ok, a year later, but I still did it and guess what? The food is absolutely amazing and if I wasn’t looking outside the window on the Boulevard street and seeing the Finnish “Spring weather”, I would totally think that I’m in Italy, by the sea and any moment now Eros Ramazzotti songs will start blowing from the speakers. 😀

Besides weekly changing lunch menu, Toscanini are serving a full course, a-la carte menu in the evening times and over the weekend. There’s a little bit of everything for everybody and I’m so happy to see a menu which is not 3 meters long one with various pasta and pizza options, as it’s usually the case with all of the touristy versions of Italian restaurants I’m used to see around.

As starters we’ve opted for fish and seafood soup aka bouillabaisse flavoured with chilli and garlic bread and San Daniele ham cured for 18 months and a modern version of crispy bruschetta with Buffalo mozzarella cheese. The soup was one of the most delicious fish soups ever. I could “taste” the sea, it was so fresh and a perfect starter for a fish lover like me while ham + mozzarella might have looked like a simple combo but the explosion of tastes was incredible.

Main courses were perfect follow ups to starters – fresh spaghetti chittarra with oyster mushrooms and crispy Parmesan cheese and fresh rigatoni pasta with juniper flavoured hare ragu.

My mushroom pasta was so simple, but perfectly creamy and satisfying perfection of mushroom and cheese taste while the hare ragu made in red wine and tomato sauce was cooked to perfection and had a wonderfully balanced and rich taste. I don’t have to mention that both pastas were cooked al dente, which is also something I had problems with finding in Helsinki.

To complete the already successful Italian feast, we couldn’t pass on classics like Tiramisu which is truly the best one in this city and Citrus semifreddo with chocolate cake and berries. We loved every single spoonful and left back home with smiling faces and dreams of Italy.

*This post has been made in collaboration with Toscanini restaurant, all of the opinions are my own.

*Thank you to Miss Sissi E. for making this collaboration happen.

*Photography by Natali K. photography

Lifestyle, My Work, Outfits

Not fitting in

April 25, 2016

I came to a conclusion that for the past 28 years, I’ve been trying too hard to “fit in”! I’ve been doing everything “the right” way, just that it was never really the right way for me… So in reality, I was working against myself. This whole time… For almost three decades I’ve been trying to “box” myself and be something that has never been “me”!

I always had this tiny little voice, my own inner voice telling me what it wants and how I should do things, react, act… But I have rarely listened to it. Most of the time I’ve been either ignoring it or make it quiet. Guess what? Did I fit in, after all of my hard efforts to do so? Nope! Was I happy while trying to fit in and always missing out in doing so? Nope! Was the final outcome what I wanted it to be? Nope!

The answer was always no and the only time when I did feel good and alive was when very rarely I did listen to that little voice inside of me and did things “my way” or have been myself. The people I was surrounded with would then point it out as me being “weird” or not doing things the right way. They would get upset for that one moment seeing a different person than the one that they’ve been used to having around, would get confused and of course I would take it as something really bad and personal… I would think that : “There you go when you try to NOT fit in and when you don’t alter yourself to other people’s wishes and expectations.” Then I would just go back into trying to fit into all sorts of boxes that weren’t mine… Filling the boots that weren’t mine to walk in.

Do you know when I did become happier, more fulfilled and inspired? Only a few months ago, when reached that final, rock bottom of realisation when I truly didn’t know who I was. For a moment I stood in front of the mirror and I simply didn’t know whom I was looking at? Who was this woman that was staring back at me? What are her dreams? What are her wishes? What are her thoughts?

I was always afraid to voice my real opinion, my real dreams and wishes because I already “knew” that because they’re not the most common or usual ones, people won’t approve of me and I won’t be able to fit in. If I’m not fitting in, I won’t be socially accepted and it’s better to alter myself and do fit in… WRONG!

I could have saved myself so much time, so many problems and wrongly traveled roads if I would have let myself just to BE who I am, who I was supposed to be all of this time.

Now… Now I’m unapologetically myself, every single day and I’m blooming of happiness and proudness for being who I am, for not being ashamed of anything that makes me – ME and for living the life the only way I ever want to live it – saying what I really feel, think, see… Not something that people expect me to say or think. Now… Now there are finally people in my life that accept me and love me for who I really am, there’re no wrong or right things to do or say in front of them. There is just me, in all of the beauty of my true character and guess what? I have never accepted or loved myself more than I do now, because now, for the first time ever I am finally at peace with myself. I’m free!

This is something that I can wholeheartedly suggest to all of my readers. We were all born to walk this Earth in our own way in our unique pair of boots, so don’t try to trade your road and boots trying to fit in and walk the ones that were never meant for you… Walk your road in your own boots with your head up high, confident and trusting that even the roads less traveled are the ones worth travelling, esp. if they’re your own ones… They’re worth that extra effort for choosing to be true to YOURSELF!

Much love to all of you! Take care sweet people!

I’m wearing: Shoes,bracelet and vest – Asos, Bag – Celine, Jeans – Tiger of Sweden, Blouse – Mango, Earrings – House of Harlow 1960

Lifestyle, My Work

5 for Friday

April 22, 2016

Hello my dear readers! How are you doing? I’ve been having a very weird, heavy week and I’m pretty much glad that the weekend is here. I’m planning to completely relax, organise my schedule and work for the upcoming week and eat some good food in a company of my friends.

I’m having a huge toothache this morning and it’s not a nice feeling, esp. because I have work assignments the whole day, but I’ll survive by taking some mild painkillers and drinking my chamomile tea. 🙂

I can’t believe that this is the last weekend of April?! Next weekend we’ll be celebrating 1st of May already and I’m totally set on having the best Summer ever, so I better start making my plans for that too. Oh! I might have not mentioned you that I’ll be going (in May) to Croatia for my friend’s wedding!! I’m so excited about it and can’t wait to share such a special moment with her and some other dear friends which I don’t see as often as I’d love to.

Do you have any upcoming weddings? How about your Summer plans? Did you start planning already? 🙂

I’m sharing 5 favourite photos of this week which I’ve snapped on my Instagram and if you wish to follow my daily adventures, please do follow me here!!

Lifestyle, My Work, Outfits

No elevator

April 18, 2016

Ok, ok, I do live in an old building, but it does have an elevator. Nice, old one… With an iron door and a wooden bench, charming one. I never ride that elevator. I live on the 6th floor and I always walk the stairs up, every single day, couple of times a day.

I’m not afraid of elevators ( even though I did get stuck 2-3 times in one of them throughout past 28 years ) but I rather walk the stairs up than take an elevator ride… There’s so much that “happens” on my walk up… Life got a whole another perspective. Now I know that there’s no an elevator to success… There are no shortcuts to “making it” in job, relationships… in life.

The best of times happen on your walk up the stairs. This walk… It might take longer than an elevator ride, it might make your butt cheeks hurt, you might even stop for a moment on your way up to catch a breath, reassess and then keep on walking the mountain of stairs again. True beauty and a key to success in anything lies exactly there, on the wavy and demanding way up. The journey which you decide to walk on every single day and everything that you learn from taking the longer, harder way up ( towards your goal ) is what will make you appreciate ( and cease ) your goal. Once you do reach it, it will give you the feeling and a unique life story that no single elevator ride ever could!

It will teach you survival, it will show you how to fight for your goal, it’ll give you tools and guidance in how to reach it too… Once you do, you’ll then see how the road to that goal has transformed you and opened some new horizons for you, so the road to another goal, dream… success keeps on shaping in the distance and you know that you must keep on moving forward. As long as you do keep on moving forward in life, it means that you’re alive and kicking’. As soon as you stop moving, you’ve signed your death bed papers.

I always say that no matter how much I have done ( and this doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate every single achievement ) I’m only as good as I was yesterday. I’m only as good of a mom as I was up until yesterday, I’m only as good of a photographer as my latest photo, I’m only as good of an influencer as my latest post. Get the picture? Always keep on moving, carving your own path and listen to your own gut on the way… On the way up to your success, with NO elevator ride there.

Have a wonderful Monday my friends! Much love to every single one of you and THANK you for every comment that you leave me here, I read all of them and try my best to answer all of them too. 🙂

I’m wearing: Boots – Chanel, Bag – Borsha, Jeans – Tiger of Sweden, Sweater – Max Mara, Coat – , Ring – Free People, Scarf & necklace – Zara, Coat – Helene Berman

Lifestyle, My Work

5 for Friday

April 15, 2016

Waking up to another sunny day is truly a blessing… Days have been so much brighter and longer that I can see a huge improvement in my overall wellbeing, I’m more happier, energetic and I wake up much easier than usually. I’ve been doing my best to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Even though it’s still chilly and yesterday it was a very windy day, I’m loving every single moment of this beautiful Spring weather in Finland. 🙂

As I listen to “Falling” from Twin Peaks TV series ( any fans here ?? ), I’m writing this post and after that I have a plan to spend this Friday outside, “playing tourist” in my own city, go for a long walk with my daughter and hopefully grab a first ice cream from an ice cream stand. First one this year! 🙂 Ah those small things… They’re everything!

How about you? What are you up to this weekend?

Just like past two Fridays, I’m sharing my 5 for Friday with you, 5 randomly picked photos that have marked my Instagram feed this week. I hope that you like them and if you wish, you can follow my daily wonderings around the city on my Instagram profile.

Much love to everybody!

Lifestyle, Outfits

Needing you

April 13, 2016

Couple of days ago, I watched a movie and while it was an awesome comedy which made me laugh a lot, it actually shook me up for a moment and made me think… It made me think about the fact of “needing”. I wondered where does this feeling come from? I have and still see it’s presence in my life. Needing this, that or somebody has always been part of my daily life. How many times do you catch yourself needing something or someone?

True, there is a beautiful comfort in having somebody to share your life with, to lay out your worries and thoughts and not get judged, there is a great feeling of having something, like a good car that you can get around with, a home to have the roof over your head, etc. BUT! How about the daily needs of things and people which we often think that we can’t live without? Then you wake up someday, by your choice or by a “mistake” and realise that you, in fact, can live without so much and still be the happiest person alive.

I can tell you that when I had the most in my life ( materialistically ) and was constantly surrounded by and at the same time needing lots of people, I was the most unhappiest. Cleaning out your closet of unnecessary things which you though that you NEED, cleaning out your life of bad influence and people with the wrong energy, friends or even relatives that you thought you NEEDed to be happy or complete, can bring such a closure and shine a new light in your life.

Sure, it will also bring you to face the mirror and the person, the only person that you truly need to be in touch with – YOUR INNER SELF. If you can look yourself in the mirror for longer than a minute ( not counting you getting ready for a night out and putting your make up on 😀 ) tell me how incredible and movig that was for you?! That moment of realisation that you’re special, you’re strong and that when you’re best friends with yourself, you’ll conquer anything and everything… You won’t be needing things and people, because you will see them in a completely different way. You’ll see them as a true gift and enrichment of your life, rather than a discomfortable feeling of “having-not having” and needing!

Everything you need or ever might NEED, you have it all hidden inside of you. The biggest power and all of the beauty are within you. Stop wasting them needing an approval from things or people… Stop needing other people or things to fix up your life and make it special. You need yourself, so let go of the chains and start breathing… Without needing! 🙂

Happy Wednesday everybody!

I’m wearing: Boots – Minna Parikka, Bag – Givenchy, Coat – MaxMara, Sweatshirt & scarf – Kenzo, Blouse – Massimo Dutti, Jeans – Tiger of Sweden, Bracelet – Balenciaga, Ring – Deni design

Lifestyle, My Work

How to be a morning person

April 11, 2016

chungish6

Good morning dear readers! The sun is shining here in Helsinki and waking up wasn’t that hard of a “task”! I have literally jumped out of the bed and feel very energetic, even though I didn’t have that good night of sleep. I have always been a morning person… I love waking up early, starting my day with a long stretch, glass of warm water with lemon juice squeezed into it, some nice smoothie or couple of fruits as a breakfast and catching up with my e-mails/ blogs which I’m following, etc.

I also never had “beef” with Mondays as it seems that most of people are having. At least I can see and hear all the time somebody pointing out how Mondays are SO though and they’d rather just sleep through it. NOPE! Not this gal. No matter how challenging, depressing OR happy and positive day might be, I’m so thankful that I get to see yet another day and that the new and interesting adventure is just around the corner if I want it.

Being a morning person and a photographer, it was my big honour to collaborate with my favourite juice company God Morgon on their campaign “How to be a morning person.” I had to pick 3 interesting profiles/ people who are also a morning people and who might have not been a morning lover before. It was only natural for me to choose people who I’m very close with and whom I admire for their work, their skills and in overall who they are as people.

Let me introduce you to Maggie, Sofia and Ali. 🙂

GODMORGON

Name: Maggie Lindholm ( cook book writer, cafe owner )

“I wake up every morning at 4 am in order to make it to my
work at 6am. There’re three things that I do ritually every morning :
I take a hot long shower and use old school, handmade olive oil soap
which awakens me. I take a glass of cold orange juice that refreshes me
and I feed my dog treats. His jumping and “begging” for them puts a smile
on my face and I’m ready to face whatever the day may bring.”

GODMORGON3

Name: Sofia Ruutu ( mom of two, model )

“My children made me turn into a morning person. Ever since becoming a mom,
my favorite thing to do after waking up is to cuddle with my children, watch the
new day start, have a cup of fresh coffee which my husband brings me each morning
and just a thought of new day beginning, unplanned, new adventures that are awaiting
and the beauty of not being in rush, but instead living in the moment is what makes
me excited to open my eyes each morning.”

GODMORGON2
Name: Ali Suviala ( head chef of the busy kitchen and beer brewery )

“I’m the most creative and function the best in the mornings.
Today we’re opening Estonian Craft Beer weeks at Bryggeri Helsinki and
as a head chef, I have to prepare a special menu that will go along with
those selected beers. I’m very excited. My ideal morning is a lazy day off
with my family, started with a long newspaper read alongside of a cup of
good dark roasted coffee and hearty breakfast.”

For more information about this campaign, check out God Morgon’s website and Instagram!

*This post has been made in collaboration with God Morgon.

*Thank you to Maggie, Sofia and Ali for taking part in this campaign.

Lifestyle, My Work

5 for Friday

April 8, 2016

Good morning dear readers! Thank you so much on all of the comments on the previous two blog posts, I read every single one of them and I also try to answer all of them. Having you engaged in commenting and sharing your opinions with me is something that I value a lot and for me personally, it’s the best part of blogging – to be able to exchange the opinions on certain topics.

I’m kicking off this weekend ( Friday is weekend, right? :)) by taking it easy, running minimum errands and just chilling. Visiting a friend, possible take away or order in will for sure be part of my weekend too. 🙂 What are your plans?

I’m sharing 5 favourite Instagram photos of this week and I’m keeping my fingers crossed to have my answers video to your Q&A’s edited and up online by this Sunday! Stay tuned and take care!

Much love!

Follow me along daily on Instagram -> HERE!

Food, Lifestyle, My Work

Visit Helsinki: Krog Madame

April 6, 2016

One of my biggest passions besides photography and writing is cooking. Anything that has to do with food, from going to the Farmer’s market or Market Halls to cooking for friends or baking cakes and cupcakes for birthdays and such, gets me all happy and inspired because I get to create. To be able to make something with my hands is the best feeling ever. I’ve always loved to put my heart, soul and hands into a good use at the same time and cooking/ baking allows me to do exactly this.

Taking that fact and a fact of me having the privilege to travel around the Europe and States, having experienced eating at some of the best restaurants “out there” and in my own city makes it really “hard” to leave an impression on me when dining out.

I have been born in Russia and brought up in Croatia. Both countries have rich and long tradition cuisines and my both grandmas (and mom) were pretty amazing cooks too, so I am used to a very tasty, fresh and high quality meals of Mediterranean and Russian cuisines. So far, I’ve been mostly presenting Asian orientated cuisines and meals on my blog, but every now and then, a gem like Krog Madame makes it’s way to my beloved section of “Visit Helsinki” posts!

If you want a Top Chef contestant to cook a special meal for you, go to Krog Madame. If you want a unique experience of Spanish tapas, Mediterranean inspired dishes with a Lebanese twist, go to Krog Madame! 🙂

This very busy and hip bistro is located in Kamppi which is as central spot as it gets in Helsinki. Easy to find and an abundant lunch and a-la-carte lists bring in lots of happy foodies, business people, families, etc. to Krog Madame throughout the whole day, for a whole week.

During the Summertime, they also have a terrace on which you can enjoy cocktails, wine and for example just recently started “Spanish tapas Thursdays”. Every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday there’s also a DJ playing some good tunes to keep the Summertime vibes “on point”! 🙂

Joseph, the main chef at Krog Madame has positively surprised me with the delicious food which he’s created for Krog Madame. From the imaginative and different take on starters to beautifully presented and “lick your fingers” tasty main dishes to the best dessert platter there is in town. He definitely knows what he’s doing and how to give people “what they want” while still getting them to try something new and different. For instance, I was absolutely amazed by his beetroot – barely tartar. By the shape and color it does look like a usual meat tar-tar but this is the most delicious tar-tar I ever ate in my life. Sweetness of beetroot and honey combined with the density of barely, crunchiness of beetroot chips and smoothness of the goat’s cheese, made this as my favourite of all of the starters.

For mains we were presented Jose style lamb skewer “the Lebanese” way with his tzatziki dip and chicken breast with gnocchi and veggies with lemon aioli and ginger-coriander pesto. They say that photos speak louder than words and that is so true, so judging by my photos, you can imagine the goodness of the taste and how hard it is to not want to finish off everything thats ‘s your plate. 🙂

Then, the dessert platter arrived and I was overwhelmed by all of the colors and should I say shapes? Everything on this platter was something I have pretty much tried before in my life but made in such a new, “scattered” way which made “typical” cheese cake and tiramisu skyrocketed me into a sweet tooth world and left me craving for me ever since I have visited Krog Madame. Dear people, if you want to try the best dessert of your life, order the white chocolate cheesecake with salted peanuts, berry pure and white chocolate crumble… Oh my… I die! 😀

Mr. Joseph has also recently published a cook and travel diary book – Jose’s Meze with gorgeous photographs of his trip back home in Lebanon, traditional Lebanese cuisine recipes, daily and nighttime life of Lebanon as well as stories about his closest piers. You can buy this book at the restaurant or pretty much any book section at any store in Finland (Prisma, City Market, Sokos, Antilla) as well as order it online too – Adlibris , Suomalainen and Booky .

Krog Madame changes their menu to a Spring/ Summer appropriate one today, so this is another very good reason to why go there and treat yourself a nice, delicious dinner perhaps. 🙂

*This post has been made in collaboration with Joseph and Krog Madame.

*Thank you to Joseph for making this happen and to Rita for coming along.

*Photography by: Natali K. photography

Lifestyle, Outfits

Pulse

April 4, 2016

Pulse. Sometimes I just need to remember to stop for a moment and “check” my pulse. It’s incredible how much we’re capable of putting a big load of responsibilities and tasks on our shoulders, running around, making a living, trying to balance all of the roles that we’re so to say, playing in our lives… How often are we guilty of not putting ourselves in the first place much more often?!

Checking your own pulse… Being in a complete silence, not thinking about anything, not doing anything, just sitting or laying down, listening to your own heartbeat… When was the last time that you have done this? I truly can’t remember when was the last time that I have done it.

Even when I have my “down time”, it still involves some sort of electronics around me, thoughts still rushing through my mind and/ or worrying about “what could maybe be” with whatever it is that might be bothering me or which tasks I haven’t managed to take care of today and how can I solve them tomorrow, etc.

I had a pretty stressful week, esp. the weekend and I’ll do my best to remember and check my own pulse more often this week, worry less, stress less and treat myself a little bit more. New working BUT wise!! and relaxing week, here I come! 😀

Happy Monday everybody!

I’m wearing: Blazer – Alice & Olivia, Blouse – Acne, Skirt – Zara, Boots – Ten points, Bag – Lumi, Sunglasses – Celine, Lipstick – Mac

Photography by: Rita Miklan

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