Ravintola Juku: Enjoy authentic Asian cuisine in Western Finland

By Molly McPharlin

Ravintola Juku began as a vision. Kun Rahko had recently graduated from university in Finland and moved with her Finnish husband Juhani to Seinäjoki in western Finland’s Ostrobothnia region. A native of China, Kun had a dream of bringing authentic Japanese food to the area, where, at that time, no other Japanese food could be found. In 2014, her dream came true with the opening of Ravintola Juku.

Ravintola Juku is where many of Seinäjoki’s residents tried sushi for the first time. For the first two years, the restaurant’s only employee was Kun herself, working in a 17-meter square business space in a local shopping centre. In 2016, Juku moved to larger premises and expanded its menu, offering stir-fried wok dishes as well as sushi.

Ravintola Juku: Enjoy authentic Asian cuisine in Western Finland

A fresh selection of sushi at Juku. Photo: Hanna Solomon

“Despite the more traditional tastes of South Ostrobothnians, customers responded very positively to it,” says Juhani Rahko, who runs Ravintola Juku with his wife Kun. “By 2018, we opened a second restaurant using the same concept in Vaasa, Finland.”

Juku has expanded its eating establishments to include food courts inside supermarkets. “The concept is that the chefs are visible to customers, allowing everyone to assess quality and hygiene with their own eyes,” says Rahko. In 2020, several Juku food points were opened in Western Finland and they now have 14 locations and are still expanding. Juku also began a takeaway service in 2015 and now produces about twenty different products under their own label to retail in both local stores and supermarkets.

A fresh stir fried meal at Juku. Photo: Mika Alavesa

Experienced food entrepreneurs

The team behind Ravintola Juku has extensive experience in the restaurant industry. Kun Rahko, herself, comes from a family of restaurant entrepreneurs in China. Some of Juku’s chefs have special expertise in Japanese cuisine, others in different types of Asian cooking. Ravintola Juku now prides itself on its reputation as being an authority of Asian food in the region, not only concentrating on Japanese cooking.

The menu at Ravintola Juku features a range of Asian dishes. Some of the stir-fried options are fried noodles, pork with cumin, pineapple chicken and black pepper beef. And all locations have a fresh sushi buffet. “We get inspiration from the food cultures of other countries and some of our restaurants offer a Hawaiian poke bowl and Korean bibimbap,” says Rahko.

Over the years, the menu at Juku has evolved, Rahko explains; “While we maintain our core offerings, we regularly update the menu to keep the dining experience fresh and exciting.” In October 2024, Juku will start offering freshly made noodles in the Vaasa restaurant. Diners will be able to prepare their own noodle dish simply by pushing a button on a noodle machine.

Ravintola Juku can also host private events and special occasions. And in the supermarket food courts, large orders of sushi and other food can be made in advance to cater for large groups or private parties.

Enjoying sushi at Ravintola Juku. Photo: Hanna Solomon

Inclusive, go-to restaurant

Rahko feels that many people have adopted a Ravintola Juku as their neighbourhood go-to restaurant. “Our interior designers have created cosy, impressive spaces for eating. And our selection is wide, so if someone doesn’t want to eat sushi, they can have hot dishes,” he says. “We attract a diverse clientele, including locals, tourists, and food enthusiasts.”

Juku is also committed to providing an inclusive dining experience. The restaurant offers family-friendly services such as highchairs and free meals for children up to age three when accompanied by paying adults. From ages 3-12, children’s meals are only a euro each. For those with dairy allergies, all of Juku’s food is milk and lactose-free.

There are many types of Asian food on offer at Ravintola Juku. Photo: Hanna Solomon

In the future, Ravintola Juku will continue to expand the menu with innovative dishes and explore new venues to open restaurants and food courts. “We are also currently building a central kitchen where certain food products can be pre-prepared. This will expand the offerings in our food points and will give us the possibility of producing ready meals for sale in stores,” says Rahko.

Japanese food has gained great popularity in Finland due to its flavours and health benefits. There is also a growing interest in international and more exotic cuisines around the country as the population becomes more diverse. “Ravintola Juku has really added to the food choices in Ostrobothnia,” says Rahko. “For us, it all began in a 17 square meter shop front.”