Serving creative gourmet cuisine in a cozy environment, Lucky Leek operates in a city that is fast becoming the epicenter of the European vegan movement.

Is this your first restaurant?

Yes.

When did it open?

We started on April 1, 2011.

Do you want to have more than one restaurant?

No, we are focusing on one project only. It’s important to be able to have full control over what you serve your guests.

What’s your favorite dish on the menu?

We change our regular menu every week, and have a new daily menu every day, so my favorite dish changes all the time!

What’s your most popular appetizer?

All our appetizers are popular. We’re always careful to create and arrange them in ways to make them look and taste unique, fresh, and exciting.

What’s the most popular entrée on the menu?

Our homemade seitan has always been very popular. We steadily improve our recipes to surprise our guests with new flavor combinations and a diversity of texture. Many of our guests are new to veganism, and they want to eat something familiar, not experimental. For those guests, we offer new interpretations of “classic” dishes.

What’s your most popular dessert?

All of our desserts are something you shouldn’t miss. We really put a lot of work, creativity, and love into them, and we’re addicted to our own sweets.

What do you feel is special about your restaurant?

Everything we serve is done in house. That way we can assure the quality, and we’ll have direct contact with our guests to constantly improve and vary our creations.

How often do you change your menu items? Do you have daily or weekly specials?

We change our menu every week, and we have daily specials.

Do you have gluten-free, soy-free, and sugar-free options on your menu?

We always have gluten-free meals on the regular menu. Some of our meals can be done without soy and most can be done without sugar. If you have any dietary restrictions, just let us know, and we’ll create something to suit your needs.

What do you do to reduce your environmental impact?

We mostly use regional and seasonal ingredients. We also use renewable energy, commute by bike as much as possible, and inspire everyone around us to go vegan.

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned as owner or chef of this restaurant?

Every day is a challenge that you should enjoy. Never give up, even when everything seems to go wrong.

What led you to want to open a vegan restaurant, and/or what led you to the vegan diet yourself?

I’ve been a vegan for many years before I opened my own place, and I worked in many different restaurants. After I spent some time working as head chef in a vegan restaurant, I felt like I needed more freedom to experiment and express myself.

In the time since your restaurant first opened, how has the plant-based food movement changed? Do you find more demand now for vegan food?

More vegan places have opened in our city since we first opened. Even “old-fashioned” pizza parlors and traditional delis offer vegan alternatives now. In Berlin, you can see how fast vegan acceptance has grown, and with it the demand for vegan products.

Since your restaurant first opened, has your view of what constitutes healthy or delicious food changed? Have you changed the types of foods you offer?

Yes, it’s always in flux, and we always find new ways to realize new ideas.

Where do you see the plant-based food movement going in coming years?

I think the acceptance is growing very fast. Information on how healthy plant-based food is and how sustainable it is spreads incredibly fast and makes many people rethink their choices. It gets easier to go vegan, as more and more products are available. In general, I would say that the number of vegans/vegetarians is steadily growing and still is far from reaching a zenith!

Peach Polenta and Vanilla Tomatoes

Serves 4

For the vanilla tomatoes:

24 cherry tomatoes

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons agave syrup

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

1 vanilla bean, scraped and split

Pinch salt

For the polenta:

4 peaches

2⅛ cups soy milk

2⅛ cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 rosemary branch

1¾ cups polenta

Vanilla tomatoes (see recipe above)

Fresh basil

For the vanilla tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Score an X on the top of the cherry tomatoes with a sharp knife and put in boiling water for 20 seconds. After that, shock them in cold water. Peel the skin off the tomatoes with a small knife. In a bowl, stir together the rest of the ingredients. Add the tomatoes. Pour the tomatoes and sauce into a tray, and put them in the oven for 10 minutes. Set aside.

For the polenta: Wash the peaches, slice in half, remove the pits, and cut into slices. In a saucepan, boil the soy milk, water, olive oil, salt, and rosemary. Once the mixture has come to a boil, remove the rosemary branch and stir in the polenta and let it boil into a thick puree while constantly stirring for 5 to 8 minutes. Add the peach slices. Remove from the heat and immediately add the vanilla tomatoes and the basil. Sprinkle the polenta with some olive oil and serve.

Avocado Apple Tatare with Walnut Bonbons

Serves 4

For the tatare:

2 Granny Smith apples

2 ripe avocados

1 shallot

10 mint leaves

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Juice and zest of ½ lime

1 tablespoon walnut oil

For the chive cream:

½ bunch fresh chives

1 cup soy yogurt

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vegan cream

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the bonbons:

1 handful walnuts

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

4 dried tomatoes

1 grape tomato

1 tablespoon agave syrup

12 wonton leaves

To assemble:

Fresh dill (optional)

Fresh sprouts (optional)

For the tatare: Peel skin off the apples. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise. Remove the pits and scoop out the avocado flesh, running a spoon along the inside of the skin. Cut the avocado halves and the apples into fine cubes and cut the shallot and the mint leaves into fine strips. Then carefully stir the avocado, apples, shallot, and mint leaves together and season with salt, pepper, lime juice, lime zest, and walnut oil.

For the chive cream: Cut the chives into short strips. Put all the ingredients into a blender and mix the ingredients together. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

For the bonbons: Place all the ingredients, except for the wonton leaves, into the blender and blend together. Put a tablespoon of the blended filling onto a wonton leaf, roll up the leaf by moistening the ends of the leaves, and twist them to enclose the filling (like a bonbon candy). Deep-fry the wontons in a deep pan.

To assemble: Serve the wonton bonbons together with the tatare and the chive cream. Garnish with fresh dill or sprouts (optional).