While some vegan restaurants are entirely normal, others latch onto bizarre trends that may or may not have any proved scientific benefits for your health (but they’ll adamantly insist they do, anyway). The name of unorthodox vegan restaurant 42 Degrés, to take one such example, refers to the fact that none of your food will be cooked at temperatures surpassing – you guessed it – 42 degrees. Cooked any further, the menu explains, and the food’s nutritional value is ruined. Like at ‘100% raw’ restaurant Cru, we’re not totally convinced by the gimmick, but persevere none the less.
And it’s lucky we did. Here, the classic ‘tomato and mozzarella salad’ becomes something slightly strange but eminently satisfying called a ‘Green Zebra Rawzella’, a tomato filled with walnut cream and accompanied by a side of dehydrated flax bread. Another decent option is the moreish house burger – in the place of the usually bread-and-meat sandwich, here you’ll find a pair of mushrooms has replaced the bun, encasing a steak made from sunflower seeds, flax seeds, spinach and tomato.
With a smooth cashew nut cream replacing your standard Philadelphia cream cheese, their excellent candied orange cheesecake is also better than that of your average restaurant. Basically, they’ve been forced to get creative and it really works. Service is consistent and friendly, but with high à la carte menu prices, we say go for the lunchtime set menu.
TRANSLATION: LEONIE CATER