A Vegan Obsession

The Best Kebab in Berlin? Voner. A MeatFree Institution!

by





Yes.  Looks are not deceiving (not in this case anyhow) that is a kebab spit.  And yes, this is a vegan blog.  And yes, that is a vegan doner kebab.

Vöner (pronounced vooner…but then their V’s sound a bit like an English language F..so it might be more like ..fooner?! yes, I’m still confused too), is another vegan joint in Friedrichshain, Berlin.  

I’d read so much about this place on Happy Cow, I had to try it out.  The staff were quite friendly and the menu is in both German and English.  
After a little ingredient checking I was to discover that, sadly, I couldn’t have the doner kebab as it is not gluten free but it looked so good.  The burger, however, is gluten free, so I ordered that, along with fries and salad. They also had gluten free goulash which I sampled and was delicious, and standard fast food fair such as nuggets in addition to the doner and burgers.  For afters they had squares of fudgey brownies.

A steady stream flowed in an out as I waited. It smelled so good in there. A lot of people were getting their orders to go.  Watching all this food in front of me, I has so hungry when mine arrived.   It was a generous portion.  The burger was moist and quite ‘meaty’ (whatever that means..I guess I’d say it had the presence of umami). The salad was made up of crispy iceberg lettuce, toms, cucumber wedges and a little sprinkling of pumpkin seeds.  The fries were dusted with chilli and were delicious.  I also had fried onions as an extra.  They had a peanut sauce,, a vegan cheese sauce, and a tahini sauce.  All had gluten in from the soya sauce (please, start using wheat free tamari!), so I had lashings of chilli tomato sauce.  I enjoyed it for what it was. Good, fast food. Great for when a junk food craving strikes.

Good for vegans, vegetarians, AND sure to be an eye opener for meat eaters.  







I guess I liked it then!


Boxhagener Straße 56, 10245 Berlin

closest S-Bahn is Ostkreuz

A Must Do in Berlin - OhLaLa French Vegan Tartes Shop

by



OhLaLa V Tartes Cafe is located in the Friedrichschain kiez of Berlin.  Two blocks from my favourite Saturday Farmers market on Boxhagener Strasse (wonderful seasonal produce, a great place to gather AND the only place I found fresh, bio organic kale). 

The cafe is owned by an artfully tattooed, Parisian pastry chef, Clarissa Orsini. It began as a non-vegan cafe, serving quiches and crepes, and started offering a fully vegan, Saturday brunch, in 2011. The cozy, pink-themed cafe has minimal seating inside, and pavement dining with few tables outside so you can enjoy the sun. It’s an open kitchen so you can watch the chefs busy preparing the food to replenish the counter with breakfast items.

Everything is so dainty. So French. Tiny morsels to devour slowly.

I didn’t go on the once a month gluten free day, but I still had plenty of choice.  Polenta cakes with sun dried tomato tapinade.  Roasted squash, gazpacio soup in pretty little ramekin. Fresh green salad with strawberries and flaked almonds. Raw Zucchini pasta with marinara sauce (best I’ve ever eaten).  Smoked tofu. I was irked that the soy based fricassee was NOT gluten free (they use soy sauce with wheat, which is surprising…just as easy these days to use tamari), it looked so good.  On the day I visited they had plates of muffins with a swirl of vegan cream atop, crepes and croissants too.  Sadly not gluten free.
If you tell them you are gluten free they will give you some rice cakes too if you like.  I spooned over mounds of apricot jam on mine as a sweet end to brunch.

Their gluten free vegan brunch is the last Saturday of the month (check in the summer as they may be away for summer break)

 The rest of the week the cafe offers quiche, stews and tarts a la Francais.  Some of which are gluten free.  The staff are very knowledgeable on what contains gluten and, thankfully, some speak English, so do ask.

I recommend you reserve in advance.  Also, if you can be strong willed, walk past the sweet items and try the salads, ratatouille and stews first or you’ll never reach them!

ohlala had a lovely atmosphere.  The air was being littered with beautiful French language. Lots of ‘merci beau coups’ passing around.   agréable!


 




Photos fail to capture these two amuse bouche desserts, best sides.  Chocolate mousse and creamy rice pudding, served on a white spoon and in a tiny little cup. I had three helpings.






































Mainzer Strasse 18 
(between Frankfurter Allee & Frankfurter Tor U-Bahn)
Berlin, 10247

open Tues - Sun


There are a  few vegan restaurant /cafes in this area.  I hope to visit some more to share with you soon.

For other food reviews in Berlin.


Where to get Vegan Products in Buenos Aires

by

My time in Buenos Aires unearthed a number of vegan and gluten free products that I enjoyed.  Here are a few of them.  
From Veganius I found this little tub of vegan and gluten free trifle in Casa China (a great natural foods market in Belgrano…it is always super busy and has international products and a great bulk section).  Made with masa flour.  Not for soy haters.

The chia and alfa alfa meal made by Natural Seed was great for sprinkling on my breakfast.  So nutritious!


 I used tons of the nutritional yeast.  You can find tubs of flaked yeast or boxes of fine powdered nooch.  It is called Levadura de cerveza.  I think it tastes marginally different from US and UK offerings.  This yeast is grown on cervaza (beer) I guess.  Marigold Health Foods nutritional yeast are grown on molasses.   
A couple of dieteticas stocked Oh Yeah It’s Vegan raw flax crackers, which were really good and crunchy.  Esquina De Las Flores stocked lots of dried gluten free flours, including a green pea powder which was great to whip up a quick and filling soup with.


 Almacen Del Sur produce a berenjenas (eggplant/aubergine) dip very similar to baba ganoush.

Mercado Bonpland
 ‘ located in the heart of Palermo Hollywood, Bonpland market stands out from other traditional markets of Buenos Aires. Born in the heat of the crisis, this place is still relatively unknown so it offers a nice walk to give among the regulars.
The initiative comes from a French installed in Buenos Aires with the idea of protecting small artisans and producers: to create a market that is based on the principle of solidarity economy. A method in vogue in France that seeks to sustain ecological and human values: organic farming, sustainable development and fair trade in order to promote and protect local businesses. 
Members of the Neighborhood Association joined Palermo Viejo and knew where to get it done this initiative: Bonpland 1660.’
 I found these packets of dried soup and vegetable powders, sourced from different parts of South America, they also had dried potato from the Andes, made with a speciality heirloom potato (this is still unopened and sitting in my cupboard).  I must remember to try it.  

This tiny store within the Bonpland market sold lots of bulk items, vegan and raw snacks and nut butters etc.  They don’t have a website yet but the company is Nutricia.  They have a Facebook page.  

Beetroot and seaweed chips.  Expensive but a nice little treat.



My friends at Ana Dietetica on calle Sanchez de Bustamante, sourced these for me.  They proudly waved them at me, bouncing around like excited little kittens, when I went into the store….just before I was getting in the taxi to fly home! Never got to try them but, apparently, they were gluten free too.


 This was the shy young guy, with a retro ‘willy’ (remember those..ala 1980’s.  Short hair with one long, often platted, tail of hair from mid nape.  Bizzare, and at that time sported by many, along with their florescent ‘Frankie Goes to Hollywood’ T-shirt).  Charmingly (!) named, ‘the willy’.   I digress… He and the store La Dietetica de Ana, enjoyed a symbiotic relationship.  Everyday he’d stack his crates of vibrant veggies around the tree outside Ana’s store, so her shoppers could buy fresh produce to go with their health foods.   He had a little scale that weighed the produce and sold by the kilo.   These type of open air produce sellers are located on most streets.
Buenos Aires has dietéticas dotted all around the city.  They are not like Whole Foods or Fresh & Wild in the UK but they have a small selection of gluten free and diabetics foods and vitamins and minerals, alongside a small bulk selection of herbs, spices and some superfoods etc.  Celiacs should definitely locate their nearest when visiting the city.



































Finally, a store on Av Dorrego, the trendy street that cuts to Villa Crespo , Punto Verde Mercado Organico opens its doors every Friday and Saturday. You can buy fresh produce and many vegan/raw artisan products and even eco friendly cleaning products and cosmetics.  Lots of people come pulling empty trollies to fill or cotton bags to fill with beautiful organic veggies.  The community that gathers there also sell great salads, snacks and treats to sit and eat whilst chatting to new and old friends. Superfood brownies.  Equilibrio Gusto sell yamani aroz hamburguesa sin gluten (gluten free, rice bun burger with brown rice and millet pattie and salad, hummus). It is so supportive and a great hub of health and planet conscious gente (folk).  

There are many other places too. This is a scratch at the service of the organic and vegan products in Buenos Aires.  If you were worried about visiting the Federal Capital of Buenos Aires and not finding anything you can eat.  Rest assured their is a growing community that has it covered.
Check out my previous posts on the restaurants of Buenos Aires - here are a selection;
and here, oh and this one is good also  click here.  Have a look at this one too…clickety click
Have you visited Buenos Aires?  Do you live there?  Leave any tips you have in the comments box below.
Be well,
India xx
Vegan Cookbook Review and Giveaway
Lemon, cardamon cookies encrusted with dark chocolate and pistachio crumbs.
[Friday GIVEAWAY for Dog Lovers] Healthy Chew Bones For Your Darling Dog
Artisan Raw Chocolate Giveaway from Fine & Raw
A WEEK OF GIVEAWAYS!! UK National Vegetarian Week. Today A HUGE Box Of Hand Cooked Crisps from Ten Acre
Baked Zucchini Fries with lemon aioli – Gluten free, low fat and crispilicious