Finnish Fast Food -- Fast Yes -- Not necessarily unhealthy.

Go for Finnish fast food at Hesburgers if you want to satisfy your hunger pangs with some Finnish rye bread. If you have to have American style fast-food, and want something filling, try Hesburger's Rye-burger.

When I asked a local, while I was on-a-job in Kangasala, where there was a good place to eat, he suggested going to the nearest shopping center where I would find a Hesburger fast food restaurant. So I went.

Hesburger's, according to Aura, has better tasting french fries than Mc Donalds.(Ouch!) I have tried the Mc Donalds fries in the U.S. and in other parts of Europe....I agree, those Finnish fries are delicious.

I had a Ruis-filet, or Rye-chicken-hamburger meal. That included fries and a small Tropicana 100% orange juice or a choice of soft-drink.

My Rye-chicken-burger

• Onions
• Tomatoes
• Chicken Filet
• Lettuce
• Pickles
• A Tartar like sauce.

Just how healthy is my Hesburger's Finnish fast food meal?

I asked the Hesburger manager for a nutritional-values chart regarding that Rye-chicken-burger. Hmm! 35,5 grams of fat compared to Hesburger's Mega-hamburger which has 72 grams of fat.

Finnish Fast Food at a "Prisma" shopping center. Lunch with a money saving tip!

Well, since I was working in the cool outside the whole day, I am sure I lost lots of energy. I could eat a Finnish purebreed horse.
Suprise, Suprise! After eating two slices of pizza I felt full.

Tip: You can get a complete almost 'All-You-Can-Eat' well-balanced full course meal for the same price as running to the grocery store to get a few odd-and-end items to make a lunch. The advantage--you get a warm meal.

I decided to get some fast food at Prisma's Rosso Express, where they also serve a Lunch Buffet.

It is common in Finland to find full course 'Lunch Buffet' style meal for under 10 euros at restaurants/eatery/kebabs/gas-petrol stations/large stores/malls. The special term the Finns call this is... "Lounas".

At the Tampere Prisma shopping center at 'Rosso Express', I mixed my buffet- style lunch around a bit, deviating from the norm. So instead of ordering the main dish at the buffet, I got a deep dish pizza instead.

Along with the main dish you get: salad, bread, coffee. Mix and match the salads around to your liking.

The number on my tray indicates to the staff who ordered what. My salad arrives. A salad with julienne-cut carrots, red cabbage, cucumbers and peas

They served me my cheese pizza at my seat.


I chose my own pizza toppings (pizza toppings adjusted to the basic Finnish palate) for my deep dish pizza, and that made it a bit more expensive. 13 euros for lunch, which would normally cost 9,50 euros. Heck...I just LOVE pizza for lunch.

Finnish Fast Food at Waynes Coffee : Alexis Kiven katu : Downtown Tampere

Although Waynes Coffee has a cafe- style flair, they serve fast-food like presto! And at this one in Tampere, our waitress served us super FAST!








Go there during lunch time. Watch the time!! If you are like me, and want to eat in peace and quiet, go between 12 noon and 2 PM. Locals love to start eating lunch at 11.00 A.M. If you want to avoid small crowds of hungry people.

Sitting together in a corner.
Inside the walls are high adding to the atmosphere there is comfortable background music dimming the sounds of busy streets. But there is still the downtown atmospere.





Succumbing to temptation ...I just had to try the rye bread sandwich. Bell peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, fresh-turkey ...Choose your own toppings.




Battery on the center left in a black can. -a drink similar to Red Bull. Lot's of orange juices, Coke and diet Coke, Sprite. There is even beer.(top right)





Tomi's chocolate muffin has soft icing, soft muffin batter. Sweet dark chocolate, tasty and filling!

Rosa had the chocolate cookie, with French pastilles. (like M&M's) and a rhubarb-strawberry pastry, which has a moist/soft filling, while Aura had a glutenfree Daim cake.

What the kids did not eat -- Daddy got! And he topped everything off with an iced- cafe latte, (decaf).. Mostly milk with a dab of coffee.

Toast is a big hit! -- yes...this is Finnish Fast Food ...the locals just love it.

Toast at Waynes Coffee -- with white/whole wheat. She may even toast some rye bread up for ya!

Lunch specialties are salads, and there is a wide variety. Our salad here has chicken, roast beef, feta,tofu and mozzarella cheese. All for Eur.7,90.

Best time to go? Our waiter said... Saturdays...since Waynes Coffee offers All-U-Can-Eat for 8 euros. It is a Breakfast Buffet. Here is what you can eat:

• Juice
• Cucumbers
• Fresh Cheese
• Jalapeno Bread
• Muesli
• A choice of coffees with breakfast.

Restaurant Fregatti in Vuosaari Helsinki : semi-traditional Finnish Fast Food.

Fregatti's is a mid-priced restaurant, and during lunch, this semi-traditional finnish fast food is served fast.

Aura ordered the 'Pork Steak' filled with cheese. Cut like a 'Beef Steak.' But really IS Swine-on-fries

Sliced pickles, mashed potatoes, fresh dill. This fried Fish Finnish Fast Food makes this little restaurant attractive... their specialty.

Their Fried Vendace (Muikku). is not in-stock every day. So call before going, make sure they are available. This is the most popular dish they have and worth a try.

Here our Vendace 101 lesson -- How to eat Vendace!

This itsy bitsy fried fishy does not have a super fishy taste. It has a mild taste of fish, however you can tell that it is fish. The fish is fried in bread-crumbs.

Right when the plate is placed before you, squeeze some lemon on top. I prefer lot's of lemon!

Notice the pickles. Eat the salty pickle with some mashed potatos and a fish or two. This combination balances out the taste in your mouth, between the salty fish and the sourness of the pickle.

You can eat the whole Vendace except for the tail.. Just keep biting off of the fish, staring with the head until you get to the tail

The Vendace comes fried in bread crumbs,it is soft so you can eat the bones and all...except for the tail, of course.

There is more on the menu:

• Fish
• Poultry
• Pork and Beef (10 different varieties)
• Large list of pastas and Mexican foods
• Pizzas
• Many types of desserts

The waiter served us immediately.

My Vendace plate (Muikkut) was 13,80 euros. Auras Beef Steak was 14,50

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