Fressen

April 21, 2012

Eight years ago, Cindy in addition to I spent about fourth dimension inward the States of America living amongst a vegetarian couplet - I decided to cash inward one's chips veg for the duration of the trip to run into whether I was upwardly to it and, earlier nosotros knew it, Cindy in addition to I were both enjoying the smugness of beingness meat-free. One of the telephone substitution moments that tipped us into sticking amongst it happened inward Toronto, when nosotros stumbled onto high-end veg house Fressen. It was veg nutrient similar we'd never realised it could survive in addition to has instruct ane of our fondest nutrient memories. So it was amongst a mixture of excitement in addition to trepidation that I used about gratuitous fourth dimension on a function trip inward Toronto to revisit. Could Fressen maybe survive every bit skilful every bit nosotros remembered? Was it exclusively in addition to hence impressive because nosotros were such naive vegos? Or is it really a veg dining Mecca?

Well, skilful intelligence everybody: it's even in addition to hence great! To survive fair, we've definitely eaten fancier food, but Fressen does a similar affair to Shakahari inward Melbourne or (the sadly departed) Sirens inward Hobart - high quality, well-presented, slightly pricey veg meals.

It's a pretty pop house - all the tables were booked or full. Luckily they squeezed me inward at the bar in addition to left me amongst the menu. Which. is. massive. Seventeen appetisers in addition to 10 mains, around of which are gluten-free in addition to all of which are vegan. I had a tough fourth dimension trying to figure out what to swallow - this is the form of house where y'all desire a biggish grouping in addition to hence y'all tin instruct a sense of savor of heaps of dishes. Alas I was forced to select only ane appetiser in addition to ane main.

I kicked things off amongst the spinach blini (warm avocado in addition to corn salsa sandwiched betwixt fluffy herbed poppy seed in addition to spinach blinis, $9).

What a start! The blinis were puffy, soft in addition to delicious in addition to the salsa mix was a fight tangy in addition to a fight sweetness in addition to rich amongst charred corn pieces in addition to creamy avocado chunks. Amazing.

For my primary I was tempted past times the grilled dark edible bean seitan but eventually settled on the battered tempeh (herb battered in addition to fried tempeh, topped amongst a mango coriander salsa in addition to served amongst fresh sautéed vegetables in addition to roasted potatoes, $16).

This didn't quite stair out upwardly to the blinis but it was even in addition to hence a massive in addition to delicious meal. The mango/coriander salsa tasted pretty peachy but was a fight besides liquidy. The tempeh crust was perfect though - crispy in addition to lightly flavoured, housing about first-class tempeh chunks. The veggies were skilful besides in addition to in that place were loads of them. It was a large repast - way besides much on move past times of the starter for me to cheque out the dessert carte (which is a shame, because dessert was ane of our favourite 2004 Fressen memories).

Fressen is wonderful. The service is lovely - friendly in addition to helpful but happy to instruct out me quietly reading my volume at the bar. The vibe is prissy besides - moody lighting, polished woods tables in addition to a buzzy (but non deafening) atmosphere. I've got a tough alternative for the residuum of this calendar week - produce I cash inward one's chips dorsum or produce I explore all the other options that Toronto has to offer? I'm non certain I tin facial expression about other 8 years for to a greater extent than Fressen.

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Fressen's been around forever, in addition to I don't actually know the Toronto spider web log scene, but a quick search turned upwardly a bunch of really positive reviews inward the final twelvemonth - cheque out Vegan Band Dude, One Healthy Munchkin in addition to short review of their (sadly no longer operational) weekend brunch.

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Fressen
478 Queen Street West, Toronto
416 504 5127 (if you're going on a weekend it's likely wise to book)
Cold tapas iii dishes for $15, Appetisers $9, Mains $16 (although the combination of GST in addition to tipping way y'all destination upwardly paying a fair fight to a greater extent than than those prices - I've no thought why they listing pre-tax prices everywhere, but they do)

http://www.fressenrestaurant.com/

Accessibility: Fressen has a pocket-sized pace every bit y'all cash inward one's chips inward in addition to is dim in addition to fairly crowded. There's about other couplet of steps betwixt the bar surface area in addition to the forepart room. I didn't cheque out the toilets, but I think they're somewhere inward a higher house these steps (see MeShell's comment below). Ordering in addition to payment happens at the tabular array (or bar inward my case).

Lucky Leek

June 19, 2011

We'd had a position out of people recommend Lucky Leek to us inward real glowing terms, hence nosotros were dying to banking firm check it out land nosotros were inward town. For a land though it seemed every bit though nosotros were cursed - our initial booking was cancelled because their chef was unwell, nosotros turned upwardly without a booking a duet of nights afterwards to uncovering that the staff had all been sent dwelling menage to spotter the football game too and then they were unopen on Mon night. Our finally shot was Tuesday - the black earlier nosotros left. Our 24-hour interval had been pretty disappointing - Chipps hadn't rocked breakfast, the cafe nosotros headed to for dejeuner was closed, the house nosotros ate instead was overpriced too had ridiculously bad service, too the contemporary fine art gallery nosotros went to inward the afternoon was pretty patchy (although the Anthony McCall room was fantastic). Anyway, a lot was pinned on Lucky Leek working out for us. As nosotros wandered upwardly Kollwitzstrasse at virtually 7pm nosotros saw a lot of total tables out the front end too began to instruct worried. But finally, luck was on our side - everyone was but enjoying the sunshine too in that place were yet plenty of tables indoors (although inside an hr or hence it was basically chockers).

There's mayhap room for 20 people inward there, amongst a pleasant plenty fit-out of cute silhouettes on the walls too a large toy sheep parked yesteryear the kitchen (not pictured sadly).

The (very friendly) waiter dropped off or hence staff of life too an astoundingly expert smoked edible bean dip land nosotros perused the menus. It's non huge: 2 soups, 2 starters, 3 mains too 2 desserts, but everything sounded hence wonderful that nosotros were keen to sample every bit much every bit possible. We decided to striking upwardly 1 starter, a duet of mains too both desserts.

First up, the spiced Balinesian tofu amongst a chive pancake, chilli cucumbers too Lycopersicon esculentum salsa (7.9€ AU$9.80).

The pancake reminded me a chip of the blinis I enjoyed hence much at Fressen inward Toronto - it was a chip puffy too quite soft. The existent highlight was the tofu though - marinated inward a wonderful too slightly spicy concoction, which worked good amongst the salsa too fresh, crispy salads.

The outset of the mains was the daily special: seitan medallions amongst walnut crackle, rucola murphy mash, ratatouille vegetables too cranberry jus (13.9€ AU$17.20).

I actually liked this. The seitan was nicely textured too non also dry, amongst plenty of flavor from the walnut crackle too the cranberry jus to instruct inward to a greater extent than interesting than but a chunk of faux-meat. The squash too other veggies were corking every bit good - every bit amongst most of our meals inward Berlin I had to halt halfway through this to swap amongst Cindy. It wasn't easy.

Our instant original was the gratinated Lycopersicon esculentum walnut canneloni, amongst grilled zucchini, bell pepper bechamel, pear too chicory (12.9€ AU$16)

This wasn't quite every bit expert every bit the seitan dish - the canneloni filling was tasty plenty but didn't bring the depth of flavor that nosotros were hoping for next the previous 2 dishes. It was yet an first-class repast though, amongst the vegan bechamel a especially impressive component.

We ordered both of the desserts, starting amongst the peach too white chocolate mousse, amongst hazelnut piece too toffee sauce (6.9€ AU$8.50).

The mousse was dainty too creamy (although mayhap non quite upwardly to the high standards laid yesteryear Kopps), too the diverse components of this dish were all pretty tasty, although zero actually stood out.

More impressive was the caramelised lime tarte amongst mango yoghurt H2O ice cream (6.9€ AU$8.50).

The mango H2O ice cream was belike the star, combining fruitiness too creaminess inward an impressively vegan package. The piece was dainty plenty but both Cindy too I would bring been to a greater extent than excited yesteryear something to a greater extent than chocolatey.

We were real glad nosotros finally made it to Lucky Leek earlier leaving Berlin. It's a nice, slightly high-end vegan house amongst excellent, friendly service, an interesting carte prepared good too a lovely atmosphere. If nosotros alone had 1 black inward town, we'd belike become dorsum to Kopps, but Lucky Leek wouldn't last also far behind.

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Lucky Leek is universally loved - banking firm check out: My Veggie Pill (German), Kikkertterroristen (Norwegian), A Cherry On Top (German), A Finn inward Berlin, Tofu Jen, TheKua Does Food, Vegan Mage (Swedish), släng dig veggen! (Swedish), Until We Eat Again, xleiax (Swedish) too Food Worm (German).

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Lucky Leek
Kollwitzstrasse 46, Prenzlauerberg, Berlin
030 66408710
appetisers 7.9€ AU$9.80, mains 12.9€ AU$16, desserts 6.9€ AU$8.50
http://www.lucky-leek.de/

Accessibility: The interior of Lucky Leek is downwards a small-scale flying of stairs too is relatively crowded (although the tabular array side yesteryear side to us did care to instruct inward in amongst a pram). The exterior tables bring bench seats too tin last accessed without the steps. There's total tabular array service.

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The (excellent) Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

 

The Hamburger Bahnhof Museum for Contmporary Art (in an one-time develop station)

Part of the Anthony McCall exhibit, Five Minutes of Pure Sculpture