Being a vegan in Vienna can sometimes be a gamble. Of course, more and more vegan restaurants, shops and even supermarkets are opening up, and in a lot of joints you’ll get to choose a vegan option. But still, lots of uncertainties remain. It’s vegan, but is it bio quality? If it is, is it regional produce or did it travel here by plane?
At Deli Bluem, you can throw all of these worries overboard, which is one of the many treats you’ll get here. Andrea Vaz-König – former finance expert for one Austria’s largest banks, turned chef and owner of Deli Bluem – just wanted to do things right. And she did, which becomes clear upon the first look at the menu.
“We work with what the soil gives us right now. Which is why our menu is going to change throughout the year,” she explains. So everything you eat here is biological, seasonal, fresh, natural and vegan. On top of it all lays the principles of traditional Chinese Medicine, e.g. the thermal characteristics of the ingredients.
“Orange cools you down, while fennel is a rather warm vegetable. By combining the two, we create a soothing and balancing dish.” And that’s just one out of many examples for the teachings of TCM, put into delicious practice at Deli Bluem.
You don’t have to be into far-eastern learnings to enjoy the food and drinks here, though. Take the time and enjoy brunch here. (But be warned: on Saturday, the place can be quite full.) Go with a chilled macha shake with homemade cashew milk, get yourself a few slices of Gragger’s wood-stove bread (the white one harmonises beautifully with the various spreads, while the darker ones show a bit too much taste of its own), and simply indulge in the “Keinei” (no-egg) spread. I also had a sweet congee, a thick asian rice soup with roasted hazelnuts and maple syrup, which made me feel very warm and happy in my tummy. (To put it like the friggin’ 6-year-old I still am inside.)
If you’d rather fancy a more savoury taste, get yourself a plate filled with the various salad creations. I very much liked the grilled aubergine with saffron yogurt (again, vegan), pomegranate and pine seeds, and the quinoa with red cabbage, dates and peppermint. And if you’re still hungry – or at least a bit frisky – buy a choco chip rosemary cookie for the way. You won’t regret it.
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