This post is an informative journalistic coverage of a PR event with editorial & reportage elements that do not aim to promote any business, organisation, product or service.
Today - on the day of publication- I am a member of Ruokatoimittajat ry (Finnish Food Writers' Association), and attended this PR event as a food writer (not as an influencer).
4 November 2025 - Helsinki
This sunny autumn afternoon, I looked forward to an intimate event at KaJo Culinary Studio, a new dining concept by the head chef of the Finnish National Culinary Team, Katja Tuomainen, where the heart of competition cuisine meets the soul and intimacy of home cooking.
Hidden in the calm streets of Helsinki’s Eira, the space feels like a secret shared: part kitchen, part storybook. Upstairs, guests are welcomed with a glass of sparkling wine and a delicate amuse-bouche. Downstairs, a long table awaits ten diners for a five-course exploration of Finnish ingredients, served with both precision and ease.
Photo by © Reka Csulak - Three Pod Studio
Katja’s background as a long-time member — and now team manager — of the Finnish Culinary Team shapes everything here. You can taste the discipline, but it never overshadows the joy. The plates carry the quiet confidence of someone who knows every detail: textures that never echo one another, flavours that play distinct roles, and presentations that feel refined yet relaxed.
She spoke about how years of international competition training changed her idea of simplicity — to see mastery not in luxury ingredients, but in how deeply one understands, for example, a potato, and treats it like a hero. That thought stayed with me.
“When you start with something strong, you don’t need to hide behind caviar,” Katja smiled — and the plate proved her point.
Photo by © Reka Csulak - Three Pod Studio
The idea for KaJo came suddenly, as Katja told us. Within months, she found this two-storey space and transformed it into something uniquely hers. Every corner reflects that blend of practicality and poetry: a kitchen where competition techniques meet the comfort of vintage dinnerware and wooden counters that have seen real work.
The seven-Friday pop-up dinners running through the Christmas season are already mostly booked — not surprising, given the concept:
- Ten guests per evening
- Seven courses, starting with small bites and ending with sweets and coffee
- €139 per person, including drinks — a price Katja intentionally kept accessible to make the experience open to more than just fine-dining regulars
No hidden extras, no pretence. Just an honest, beautifully executed evening around food that tells stories without words.
Photo by © Reka Csulak - Three Pod Studio
More than a restaurant, KaJo feels like a workshop of ideas. Katja sees it as a place to test, teach, and collaborate — a creative nest and calm ground for herself after years in the adrenaline-fuelled competition circuit. There’s also a clear nod to community: the studio connects with local makers, neighbours, and Helsinki’s evolving food scene that’s rediscovering intimacy over grandeur.
Instead of chasing trends, KaJo Culinary Studio focuses on slowing down enough to notice what really matters — the story behind a local ingredient, the rhythm of service for ten, the joy of creating something small, intentional, and deeply personal.
Photo by © Reka Csulak - Three Pod Studio
Thank you to Katja Tuomainen and Laura Moisio for inviting me to this event. I loved the chance to experience Kajo’s concept first-hand before the first dinner later this week.
You can see more insights and photos on my Instagram.
DISCLOSURE
The organiser has not set any special criteria and has not initiated any financial/alternative compensation that would require the creation of any written or visual content related to this PR event nor the promotion of any products/services in exchange for attendance - but I decided to share my experience anyway as I think you'd enjoy exclusive insights from my recent gastro adventure. Any PR products/samples/food, drink/services/raffle prizes handed out by the organisers, other participants or exhibitors (if applicable) were not a form of compensation, nor part of an exchange agreement.
❗️Remember to drink responsibly, and that you must be over the minimum legal drinking age of your country. ❗️
