Kompressor: Famous Blini in Tallinn's Old Town
Regardless of my own opinion, Kompressor is famous for blini in this neighborhood, so I titled this post as a blini hotspot.
It was getting late and I was hungry, so I asked around for a place to eat dinner. I make it sound like a big deal, but all I really did was go back to my accommodation and search online. I had just traveled from St. Petersburg not too far away, but I still couldn't seem to adjust properly. Strangely, unlike Russia, I couldn't shake off this awkward feeling. I don't know if I'm just losing my sense of wonder because the trip has gotten so long, or if Tallinn just doesn't suit me as well as St. Petersburg did, but even looking at similar Orthodox churches didn't leave much of an impression. The weather was much nicer and the people looked happier, yet I was the only one feeling down.
After much thought, I decided on 'blini' for tonight's dinner. It was the most delicious thing I ate in Russia, so I wanted to compare it with Tallinn's version, and the other menu items felt too expensive to choose easily. After looking around, I found a place called 'Kompressor' not far from my accommodation, which is rumored to be a great blini spot in this area. Since it was a dish that made me marvel in Russia—thinking, "How can such cheap and delicious food exist?! Why isn't this famous in Korea?!"—I figured it would definitely be good here too, even if it's a different country.
The entrance is really small and hard to find, but I completely forgot to take a picture. I was just in such a rush to get inside and quickly fill my stomach with food. True to its reputation, the place was packed. I saw several people taking up tables and eating alone, which put me at ease at first, but I started getting anxious as a line of waiting people formed at the door. A woman who came alone in front of me caught my eye. If that person had been a guy instead of a woman, I would have asked to share a table, which was a bit of a shame. I can kind of understand now why the married men around me can never relax when they go out drinking and end up hanging out with strangers (especially women).
I ordered the most basic menu item: blini spread with honey. The price was about €5. It's cheap compared to Korea, absolute heaven compared to Western or Northern Europe, but expensive compared to Russia.
As I mentioned before, I really love pancakes, but blini is similar while being more moist thanks to the buckwheat, which suits my taste better. Plus, it has honey. There's no way it could taste bad. The difference from Russian blini is that the portions here are a bit larger and the thickness is a bit thicker. Therefore, it has a better chew when you take a bite, but the blini comes out more toasted than in Russia. Maybe it's because it's more toasted, but I think Russian blini has a more savory, nutty flavor. To summarize: "Large portions and a bread-like chew that fills your mouth, but not very savory and hardly moist at all."
As someone who doesn't eat large portions and prefers soft foods, the Russian blini was better for me. Of course, my data for comparison is extremely limited, so please just consider this comparison of the two countries' blini as a way for me to wrap up this trip.
Expenses
- Sparkling water 1.5L €1.05
- Breakfast bread €1.30
- Souvenir €8
- Niguliste (St. Nicholas) Museum €5
- Dome Church €5
- Water, beer, sausage €2.33
- Blini €4.90
Total Expenses €27.58
Total Travel Expenses 525,936 KRW + 47,499 RUB + $312.26 + €85.58