A Vegan Obsession

A Vegan & Gluten Free Guide To Leipzig. Plus Handy Travel Tips

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I arrived into Leipzig on the fast (70 min) ICE train from Berlin. The fare was not cheap (costs between €29-40) and I could have taken the more leisurely 2 hour, €8 bus, but I was impatient to get here. My first view of the city was the fun yellow and blue trams zipping in and out of the zone in front of the station.
Leipzig is another town hailed as the ‘new Berlin’, I heard that about Budapest (I visited recently) as well, but seriously, no where can be the new Berlin. Berlin is Berlin, Budapest is cool and very inexpensive and Leipzig has a charm all of it’s own. My curiosity, and my obsession with getting to grips with places that have a large vegan following (though that is becoming less and less unique..I am happy to say), were the driving forces behind my visit. I’ll give you a bit of background first and then we will delve a bit deeper and show you want you want to know…what I did I eat?.

The city of Leipzig borders a lush riparian forest, a forest which lies adjacent to a river, with towering trees. The Elster Saale canal runs alongside too. It is beautiful and surprisingly you can feel like some of the paths are leading you to the depths of nowhere, but the city is never that far away. Leipzigers really enjoy this area, and a canoe or two are always gliding through the shaded waters. I did not do that, but I did have lovely bike lent to me and I took the bone shaking cobbled street from my apartment, through the beautifully landscaped Clara Zetkin Park for a bit of red squirrel and nordic walkers spotting, to the forest everyday for some ‘green time’. I also biked to the Cospudener See, a large picturesque lake south of the city with white sandy beaches, where clothing is optional, or just biked along the canals that weave through the city. I could not help but note whilst exploring Leipzig, just how clean it is. No litter droppers here!

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and another thing about Berlin..A Round Up And Some More Suggestions Of Places To Eat

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Now that I have completed my obligatory 20 posts for Vegan MoFo 2013, I’m breathing a little easier and realising that there is a world outside my kitchen and the local supermarket.  I’ve been getting all nostalgic for my recent trip to Berlin (see a list of all my Berlin eats at the end of this post).  These are a few places that I visited but didn’t write a dedicated review for.  Really, Berlin’s vegan food scene leaves you spoilt for choice!


Gluten Free Vegan Pizza in Berlin  so good!  There was hardly a crumb left!


One of the million or so photos I took of TV Tower


German Parliament. So little of it was original, inside was a totally modern building of glass & steel.


Potsdam…the area of Berlin that is awash with incredibly beautiful parks and palaces(12 of them, King Frederick II certainly had a bob or two!)…and two vegan restaurants.  I talked my way into this one even though they were closed, so I could inhale the smell of cakes cooking take photos for you.  





I also went to Markthalle Neun a few times. When I heard they had a recurring event for those with a sweet tooth I was on my bike as quick as you could say schwarzwalder kirsch torte 


I had to go back to see Sun Day Burgers to get another hit of the Dali Lama trio of homemade sauces.  I so wish they sold it in jars! Also some of that skillet fried tofu burger..look at it!    To the right of the plate you can see a crepe like thing..it was vegan and gluten free chick pea bread from a bakers across the other side of Martkhalle 9.  It was so tasty..the best socca I’ve ever tasted.



Amazing VEGAN, fondant filled schokolade  by Edlemond  The chocolateir was so sweet, chatting with me in English.  Her creations are delicious. 


chocolate wurst!!!  from Delicacao have you ever heard of anything more awesome than a chocolate sausage?  





Freckles.  Cute little cafe serving cakes and pastries, and a gluten free tiramisu.


Sfizy Veg. An adorable little pizza restaurant.  Totally vegan, but no gluten free pizza..yet!



For more Berlin  food porn..

Viasko - Gastro Pub Fine Dining In Berlin. Vegan MoFo 2013 [Day 4]

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Day 4 of Vegan MoFo 2013 - 

I hope you don’t mind but we are still focussing on Berlin.  I did want to present you with a recipe today as  I thought I was moving in to the housesit I am at for September (in the city of my youth!).  Alas, the dates went skewed and I don’t move in until tomorrow.  More hanging out time with my Mother is good, but..less time in the kitchen…..not so good.  So I have a restaurant review for you, from the Berlin that captured my heart and messed with my waistline!

I was coming to the end of my time in Berlin and with such an abundance of vegan restaurants I was forced to make choices (I know, I know, what a great dilemma to have!).  It was a toss up between Kopps and Viasko.  I’d made my mind up for Kopps but a last minute word from a friend nudged me over to the latter.  

Viasko is set in an old Berliners pub, down a few steps and across from a park. It was not easy to find. The road it is on crosses several streets and was a bit confusing. Me and my bike got there in the end though.
It was a warm evening and I was near humming with contentment.  Being gluten free can be a pain in the ass  challenge but mostly it comes up trumps. I used this as an excuse to mix up the menu a bit.  The chef was very obliging.  I ordered the green salad with walnut pate stuffed eggplant (aubergine) rolls.
It was to be my last evening meal in Berlin. I crossed my fingers hoping it would be good.  Some reviews on Happy Cow had spoken of sulky, hipster staff and bad service.  I thought I’d found this to be true when the waitress first arrived at my table.  But she broke into a smile and was so helpful and nice.  In fact the whole place had a relaxed atmosphere.  The tables outside are long and strangers mixed to sit and enjoy the company and the breeze.


I was watching waiter take plates, piled high to the other diners.  They looked so good.  When mine arrived you’d have thought I’d been handed the Crown Jewels. My face lit up like only a food fools does. But it looked so good!  And, do you know what?, it was good.  Incredible in fact.  I don’t know how they made their vinaigrette but it dressed the salad couture style.  The eggplant rolls almost brought a watery tear to my eyes.  They were warm, roasted, silky.  The stuffing was unbelievable.  The seasoning was perfect pitch, and I haven’t a clue what they added to the walnut paste-type-cream inside but I’d sell my grandmother for the recipe!



I followed it with a creme caramel. I love the texture of creme caramel, cool, smooth.  It was perfectly sweetened and fragrant with vanilla.  Yum.




I thought I’d leave you with these two little doggie darlings.  Berliners bike everywhere, I saw kids sat on handlebars driven by their dads, delivery bikers, tandem bikers, and even bikers with their cute pets.  Adorable!


Erkelenzdamm 49, 10999 Berlin
For more Berlin  food porn..

Lucky Leek - Rather Decent Food In Berlin [with very poor photos!] - Vegan Mofo 2013

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MoFo Day 3
If you read yesterdays post you’ll know I was flying back from Berlin.  I’m back.  Drowning among a month’s worth of post and a whole heap of crap I dumped at my mother’s house before high tailing it off.  I’m overwhelmed.  My brain is dashing around in my skull to try and compute where the bloody hell I am NOW!  I’ve taken solace in a bright little cafe in St.Albans. I think this is called ‘burying my head in the sand’.

I am going to comfort myself by telling you about a fabulous gourmet vegan restaurant in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin.  It’s  such a pretty area.  It feels so relaxed and the tree lined streets are full of gorgeous little independent shops, cafes and (not loud) bars. 
Lucky Leek is run and owned by Josita Hartanto.  Her restaurant motto is simple, she uses fresh, local, seasonal and ever changing dishes to delight her guests. It did delight. Josita has written a cookbook, full of gorgeous recipes with beautifully shot photos. 
There were a few gluten free dishes to choose from.  The staff all spoke English (THANK YOU!).  The only ‘con’ to many, many ‘pros’, the waiter bring me a gazpacho soup with brochette on wheat bread but, luckily, I asked just to check and they realised their mistake and swiftly whisked it away.  They brought me the potato soup instead.  It was drizzled with pesto and they’d scattered over tempeh croutons (great idea..I’m stealing that one!)  It was utterly delicious.


For the main course I had a beet carpacio salad with the most delicious, potato salad, it was delicate and full of flavour.  The peached coloured swirly cream thing in the picture was a red pepper homous paste.  It was one of those meals that takes an age to eat just because you want to saviour each flavour nuance and texture.  My dining companion had a truffle pasta dish, which she enjoyed, but did confess she’d wished she’d ordered what I had.



Dessert was crazy good.  So sweet.  It was raw.  A little pot of berry sorbet.  Vegan ice cream on a raw tulle. A darling little slice of raw mango cheesecake.  The base was the best raw almond base I’ve had.  All perfectly executed and, in the manner of team work, all perfectly polished off by moi.



Doesn’t she look adorable?!  

If you find yourself in Berlin, admid the overwhelming choice of vegan restaurants, make this a definite visit. Such a nice place to relax and linger.

Kollwitzstraße 54
10405 Berlin, Germany ‎


Lemon Cream Cheesecake. Cafe Vux. Berlin Love.

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Welcome to MoFo Day 2!

I’m not cooking today. I’m eating, but not cooking.  I fly to the UK today (boo!..don’t want to leave Berlin).   I was like a woman possessed yesterday peddling like the clappers from Prenzlauer Berg to uber hip Neukolln.  So many vegan joints in this area it makes my head spin!

I can’t believe I didn’t manage to get down to Cafe Vux until my penultimate day in Berlin.  It is probably just as well, I probably saved myself from imbibing a day fix of their gluten free zitrone cheesecake.  Oh my dear heart…whipped, creamy, citrusy, melty on my tongue..y!   Their cake display was raising my oxytocin levels! LOVE.

I visited on Sunday.  It is their brunch day but I’d already eaten somewhere else and only had room for CAKE.  When I return this place will be my first stop.  The vegan berlin grapevine hailed this joint as an amazing brunch spot.  As for the cakes?  They make all eyes roll heavenwards. All homemade, reported to be Brazilian inspired, they serve waffles, bagels and smoothies too. They told me they have Vux, create everything with such care, from the interior design, creating such a nice atmosphere,  to their amazing sweet creations. They have been cooking with passion since they opened in 2009. My friends, over visiting from London Vegans, have eaten cake here EVERY DAY!   Ok, now go feast your eyes on the rest of the photos…

See you tomorrow. 



opening times
Wednesday to Saturday, 12 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday, 12 a.m. – 6 p.m.

wipperstrasse 14, berlin-neukölln
(near Richardplatz, corner Kirchhofstraße;
S+U / Neukölln, Bus M41 / Hertzbergplatz)


For more Berlin  food porn..





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

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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

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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 Eat Vegan Brunch In Berlin - Cafe Morgenrot

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Weekend brunch seems to be the thing here in Berlin.  A time for all to relax, gather with friends and eat great food.  You are spoilt for choice.  If you are vegan, it narrows it down a little.  Gluten free?  further narrowing, but still plenty of choice.

If you head to Prenzlauer Berg, you’ll find Cafe Morgenrot.  It is a Berlin kollectiv.  They believe breakfast/brunch should be affordable for all, so they have the quirky idea of offering their buffet on a sliding scale.  The idea is richer people will pay a little more so the less rich can indulge within their means.  


The atmosphere is good.  Background music to suit all tastes.  The staff (thankfully) speak English if your German language skills are wanting (such as mine).  It is all you can eat (lethal for some…me!).   It is not all vegan, but the vegan options are mostly marked, so do ask to be sure.  If you tell them you are celiac or gluten intolerant they will make sure you are safely guided.  They offer a great selection of salads, vegan cheeses, lots of amazing spreads and dips.  Cereal, yogurt, jams..of course PB.








All I tried was pretty good.  Coconut marinated tofu (good but I prefer my tofu a bit more macho..I’m not a ‘silken’ fan..unless it is in a phd), green salad, veggie crudités.  What had me returning for a refill?  The humous was delicious. The vegan cream cheese spread was dazzling (can a cheese spread be dazzling?  this was..it was light pillows of savoury mousse), and the tofu scramble, flecked with vegetables and mushrooms…so GOOD.

They were constantly refilling and took a lot of care over presentation.  They obviously care about their offering and this is always a good thing to witness.




I didn’t get a photo of the soy yogurt and the chocolate cream/spread but it was devilishly good.  My greedy eyes clocked a gluten free and vegan cake in the chill cabinet.  Made by Eve, one of the kollectiv.  Finding gluten free and vegan is not always an easy task so I take my opportunities when they present themselves. I got some to go and slowly devoured it that evening.  A hazelnut base, topped with a layer of chocolate cream and then a generous layer of cherry compote.  It was pretty near perfect.



Cafe Morgenrot
Brunch  11am - 3pm  Friday to Sunday
Kastanienallee 85  10435 Berlin

For other food reviews in Berlin.



Lots more to follow!

Vegan Eats In Berlin - Emma Pea [review]

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So, apparently there is no Emma Pea, not an Emma, not even a woman, but two guys behind the vegan food joint, Emma Pea. The chef told me it was something to do with hip hop, or beat box, or something. I feel decidedly uncool.  James, the Chef, is not from Berlin, but the West of Ireland. Does that matter?  I guess not.  Speaking to him briefly,  it was clear to see he is passionate about food.  That does matter.

The cafe is situated in-between Friedrichsain and Kreuzberg, a stones throw from the river and a long section of Berlin Wall, within the hub of Urban Spree. Emma Pea shares it’s space with climbing walls, outdoor bars, music venues and an arts space.   It looks somewhat like a trailer, with steel steps up to the restaurant. It’s cozy inside and feels relaxed.  Outside you can sit out on the high deck and people watch. If you are lucky, enjoy the sun too.

James, teased me about my lengthy deliberations on choosing the menu.  “you’re a blogger?  Jesus, how long does it take you to write?!’   Writing is easy I say, picking the food I want is a bit more complicated.  I explain I may only get to eat there once. My time in Berlin being limited and with so many vegan places to eat. ‘It’s got to be right’. I say.  He then asks me how I’m feeling, and it’s like food therapy.  I see how ridiculous I’m being and choose the stuffed paprika. I pay, and go and sit outside in the sun.  Lucky (?!) for me I’m gluten free, or I’d have been there forever deciding. Alas, not everything on the menu is suitable for the gluten intolerant among us.

The food takes just a few minutes to arrive, giving me time to relax.  It looks fresh.  Obvious care is taken over presentation.  The paprika (red pepper) is roasted and stuffed with lentils and soft, fluffy buckwheat.  Blanched green beans are pepper flecked, and sprinkled with rough chopped hazelnuts, a hint of olive oil adds richness.  An abstract flash of cherry pink vinaigrette, (perhaps a little too acidic for my palate) cuts through the dish and adds a modern twist to a vegetarian favourite.  I was happy with my selection.




Nice atmosphere, relaxed ‘urban’ dining. Inexpensive.

Other things on the menu - chilli with mole (27 ingredients..this guy knows his stuff).  Burrito’s.  Green coconut curry. Spinach & chickpea soup, to name but a few. Some gluten free options.  Sadly, no gluten free cakes or treats, at this time.

I popped over the road to veganz for a slice of mud cake.  The perfect end.


For other food reviews in Berlin.

Best Burger In Berlin?
Totally Vegan Collective
Visiting Berlin
Veganz Sunday Brunch

Lots more to follow!

Revaler Straße 99, 10245 Berlin
nearest S-Bahn Warchauser Strasse
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