Hel Yes! is a temporary restaurant and exhibition imagined and realized by a creative team of Finnish designers and food visionaries. It is commissioned by the Finnish Institute in London and the first event took place during The London Design Festival 2010.

Antto Melasniemi is the Executive Chef and Concept Director of Hel Yes! He leads his team in a straightforward and simple style of cooking, “It is all about the delicacies of primitive Finnish cuisine, which is typically more about pure ingredients than, for example, restaurant culture”, says Melasniemi. Hel Yes! serve their dinners on porcelain and glassware from both classic Finnish design houses like Artek and Ittala and smaller design companies, Saas Instruments and Nikari. The clothes and looks on waiters are created by fashion designer Heikki Salonen.

After the great success in London, Hel Yes! travelled back to its roots and in early 2011 they opened a restaurant during 13 days in Helsinki’s Kalasatama. In the dark and freezing winter this concept brought warmth and atmospheric hospitality into the old vegetable warehouse where the dinner experience took place.

The Hel Yes! experiences differ from each other as the creative team constantly explore new concepts and bring in different partners. In February 2011the tour went on to Stockholm and Eric Ericssonhallen in Skeppsholmskyrkan. They offered an experimental social gathering that combined gastronomy, design and dance. Artist Maria Duncker brought her Bone Orchestra and Helsinki Dance Company performed numbers choreographed by Kenneth Kvarnström.

Get your own Hel Yes! experience later this year when the team executes an event in London between the 18th of September – 2nd of October.

Sofie Brodén

helyes.fi

finnish-institute.org.uk

heikkisalonen.com