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

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.

Lucky Leek

Kollwitzstraße 54

10405 Berlin, Germany ‎

Sun Day Burger - Markthalle 9 - Vegan Fast Food

do i need to say anything or are these pictures enough?!  

I'm here in Berlin to discover why vegans are sprouting up all over the city.  Let the reviews and eating commence!
I grabbed my trusty bike, plotted a route and rode over the Spree river to taste a vegan burger from Sun Day Burgers.  Everywhere seems to be hip in Berlin.  I'm actually spoilt for choice.  In truth a little overwhelmed.  How am I going to experience it all.  True Gemini style, I want to sit in every uber cool cafe, nibble every vegan cake.  Argh, too much!! You really can't go wrong in Berlin. It was certainly true of Martkhalle Neun where I found Sun Day Burgers. I felt the usual heart flutters of anticipation of trying something new. Ready to be disappointed, hoping to be met with ..

One generous bite into the crusty bun the flavours began to pop. I actually let out a satisfied moan as the trio of homemade sauces connected with my tastebuds.  

Lilith Rudhart - Sun Day Burgers

Sun Day Burgers is owned by Lilith Rudhart, a vegan convert of only three years (2010).  She gave up her acting career to run a food truck and weekly spot in the Market Hall.  It makes her happy to be selling fresh, healthy, organic (and local) where possible, vegan, mostly gluten free and (breathe!) delicious vegan delights.  Her (huge)burger rolls are from a local bakery (Bäckerei) Vollkern Backerei and are gluten free.  She has a trio of homemade sauces. I couldn't decide on one so I asked for all three. Chilli chipotle; mango chutney; and peanut-coconut.  Holy Lord, of The Hand-held Dinner. It was worth the half hour ride and umpteen consulting of my already worn map, to get to Markthalle Neun!
The tofu is thinly sliced with a golden crust.  It is nestled among a host of fresh, crisp salad, slices of beet, iceberg, alfa alfa sprouts, toms and thin cool cucumber.    Is this possibly the best gluten free vegan burger ever?! That I can't say but it's certainly strutting it's stuff on my 'vegan besties' list.

I was so full.  So FULL!  You may wonder how I had room for dessert. I wonder too. I caught the eye of one of the girls and pointed to the dessert cabinet at a slice of the Avocado Limentten Torte (Lemon).  It was raw, made with, yep, you guessed it, avocado and fermented cashews.  They'd prettied it with a dusting of pink, coconut sprinkles.  The naughty raw almond cacao slice fluttered it's eyelashes at me from the glass cabinet, too.  I almost asked them to wrap it up 'to go' but I admonished it for flirting with me and went on my way.  I've a LOT of vegan food to try in the next few weeks.  I've got to keep my head (just)!

The girls at Sun Day Burgers were lovely too.  Despite a hungry crowd and a long list of orders, they prepped with the zen calm of a orange-robed buddhist monk.

Hats off to all.

The place was packed.  If I'd had a Euro for every bike locked up 4 deep in places, around the perimeter of the market..well, I would be very rich!  It has a great atmosphere.  Definitely a good place to hang out.

You can find Sun Day Burgers on Thursdays @ Markthalle9 Eisenbahnstrasse 42, in Kreuzberg, 
& on Sunday in the Flohmarkt (flea market) am Mauerpark, 10997 Berlin

Makthalle 9 - Street Food Thursday 17:00-22:00pm

Visiting Berlin + Photos