From field-to-table exclusive fine-dining at SOO restaurant in Maidla
Welcome to the edge of a bog! A little Yellow House that greets you in the middle of nowhere – to SOO restaurant (which was awarded a high 4th place by the White Guide in autumn 2022)
SOO dining experience is not a usual restaurant. It is the most private fine-dining journey for ten guests only where the majority of the ingredients are foraged from surrounding swamps, bogs, and forests, but turned into a fine-dining flavor experience. The whole concept is to introduce the versatility of pure and natural flavors, but offer open-minded, rule-breaking, yet minimalistic and exclusive dishes.
Let’s get to know the backbones of SOO – our amazing house fairy and forager Geete and talented head chef Daanius, whose symbiotic relationship brings magic to the table.
Geete, where did you find the passion for foraging?
Geete with her dog Aston
Moving about for the majority of my adult life, I recently found myself back in the familiar countryside. Nature is my sanctuary, offering much-needed solitude and stillness. The amount of food and healing it provides us for the small price of gratitude is incredible.
Growing up in the middle of meadows, forests, and boglands, one will learn to measure time differently. The knowledge of how to not go hungry when wandering in the woods came in handy. My love of foraging and curiosity for indigenous produce only increased by being raised in an environment where jars were filled with homegrown and wild food, cabinets were hiding dried herbs and there was always something to drink, smear or apply for any and all ailments you could come up with.
Today, I try to fill the pantry of SOO Restaurant and help in reintroducing our local wild foods. Whether it be the superfood called sea buckthorn, wild bog cranberry, different types of rosehip, mushrooms, or even lichen, that was lesser known medicine for cold and a part of our diet during the famine. Wandering in the different landscapes from thick forests to wetlands and seashores reminds me how generous Mother Nature is – how lucky we are to be where we are and have so much in abundance.
Daanius Aas isn’t just a head chef, but a true one-man band in the kitchen. From ideation to recipes, from cooking to serving the dishes to the table – all lies on him. He personally brings all the dishes to the table and introduces the story and idea behind them. He is your private chef, yet he will decide what you will eat.
Daanius Aas. Photo by Lauri Laan
Can you describe the customer experience in the restaurant SOO?
I think that it usually begins with a lot of confusion and caution. Having that very unique and minimal style is kind of strange to most of our customers, but after a couple of dining courses, it slowly begins to change, and people start to understand the concept and ease into it.
We are breaking a lot of rules with the dining experience. Instead of giving you bread at some point, we would ask you to have a little walk or a tour of a manor. To take in all the inspirational surroundings and to give you a better overall feeling in the end and doesn’t end up with a bloated stomach and a tired feeling.
How do you see the future of gastronomy?
I strongly hope Estonian gastronomy will become more local and customers will start appreciating the things we have close to us. Good food does not have to be only the most expensive products that come from far away, and we don’t have to define our cuisine and food from some other places. We have a lot here that is underrated and undiscovered. My other strong hope is that restaurants will move towards vegetables and meats that are more sustainable.
Why is sustainability important in today’s culinary world?
As a restaurant, you have a lot of influence on the customers, food culture, and community. If I run a restaurant sustainably, I can help improve the local farmers and the ecosystem around us. Sharing these stories during dinner evenings with our customers might spark light on them as well to follow that. For me having ingredients that are local, shares much more value and makes the whole experience richer. At SOO Restaurant we do a lot of considering about how to waste as little as we can in general and how to get our everyday items respectfully and sustainably. The importance of all of that will lead to a more diverse and healthier ecosystem around everything that we do. Hopefully, more and more people will understand the importance of sustainability.
Welcome to dine & experience at SOO!
Open publicly: Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays – 6 PM (seasonal opening hours)
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