One Week in Shanghai: A Culinary Takeover at El Fant🍜🍹
📍 El Fant – Katariinankatu 3
🍜 Lunch: May 12–18, 11:00–15:00
🍸 Night Bistro: May 16–17, 18:00–01:30 / May 18, 18:00–00:00
What does a city taste like — when it’s far from home?
From May 12 to 18, El Fant will host a One Week in Shanghai project — a pop-up kitchen by Lacey, who brings the taste of her Shanghai home kitchen to Helsinki. The lunch menu centers around one of the most loved dishes from Eastern China: scallion oil noodles. Simple, fragrant, and and full of comforting flavors.
Each lunch comes with typical Shanghai-style toppings, and if you’re in the mood for more, there are also crispy-bottomed pan fried pork buns (生煎馒头), and steamed Shaomai(烧麦) - sticky rice dumplings.
From May 17 to 19, as the lights dim, El Fant turns into a night bistro. A small table, good friends, small plates to share, cocktails to sip, and maybe a round of mahjong.
Small plates draw from the rhythm of a Shanghai late-night table. Some are cold and boozy, like Shaoxing-marinated edamame or chicken feet for the adventurous. Others warm and nostalgic, like sweet soup with mochi balls.
A Shanghai-born bartender from Antwerp joins us for the weekend nights — known for playful, creative drinks that cross borders and memories. Her cocktail menu blends classic techniques with unexpected ingredients from the East: jujube, rice wine, sweet bean paste, teas, and beyond. Layered, aromatic, sometimes surprising — each drink is designed to pair with our small plates.
We’ll also be serving mocktails and refreshing cold brew teas from China — light, floral, and easy to sip all night.
This is not fusion. This is a temporary kitchen of attention.
A short week of scent, steam, and spirits.
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一周上海｜一间异乡厨房的短暂开放
📍赫尔辛基 El Fant
🍜 午餐｜5.12–5.18｜11:00–15:00
🍸 夜间食堂｜5.16–5.17｜18:00–01:30
🍸 夜间食堂｜5.18｜18:00–00:00
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当你远离家乡，家乡的味道对你来说是什么？
这个五月，在赫尔辛基的老城区，我们尝试把一个并不热闹的上海，临时搬进 El Fant。
这次 pop-up 的起点其实很普通。主厨 Dwight 那周休假，店里的午餐档期空出来了。我还没想太多，就和 Lacey 随口说起这事，她说可以来做一周午饭，做葱油面。我当时就答应了。前几天我们在厨房试菜、拍素材，那锅炸葱油的香味一出来，我整个人像被拽了一下。不是“想家”的情绪，而是某个被味觉唤醒的身体反应。
午餐主菜是葱油拌面，手工做的面条，偏细、柔韧，挂酱的力度刚好。配固定三款浇头，搭配生煎馒头和烧麦。生煎小只、底脆、肉馅有汤。烧麦包的是糯米、猪肉和香菇，清早蒸起时，厨房里是糯的香气。
那一周 Lacey 的妈妈也从国内来探亲，会和她一起在厨房里备菜、调馅、煮面。这不是关于“妈妈的味道”的叙述，而是一个家庭在异乡临时重组的厨房结构：两个人，一些经验、直觉、带来的习惯。母女做饭时很多交流不靠说，厨房的语法比语言多，节奏比情绪清晰。
在这个城市，异乡厨房很少出现“母女组合”。那一周，我们让一个完整的厨房关系真实地进入这座城市的食物节奏。
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每次关店后，如果朋友留下来喝杯酒聊几句，大家总会说：“你们晚上不开真的太可惜了。”我们原本就为夜晚留了空间。El Fant 开业初期也做过夜市，开到十点十一点，卖小吃和简单的酒。但那条街太安静，来客太少，人力撑不住，三四个月就放弃了。
那次停掉夜市，其实一直有点遗憾。夜晚的 El Fant 本可以是另一个样子。只是我们这些年太忙，白天撑着，晚上一直空着。
Lacey 说她的朋友——一个住在安特卫普的上海女生，是专业调酒师，愿意来坐三晚夜市。我听完就决定，再打开一次夜晚。她会带来四款特别设计的鸡尾酒，用米酒、红枣、花茶、豆沙等味道调制，一半可做成不含酒精版本。Lacey 会准备几样小吃搭配：茶叶蛋、绍兴毛豆、酒酿圆子、心太软，还有些临时想做的。
就这样，一个异乡厨房会在赫尔辛基老城区开七天，亮三晚的灯。不知道这三晚会发生什么，但希望厨房和吧台能并存，让味道在夜晚的空气中流动一会儿。哪怕只有三晚，也足够为这个地方留下一点新的记忆。
欢迎你来。中午吃碗面，或晚上喝杯酒都好。