because we ♥ animals

If you still think that vegan food is boring, bland and not filling, let me present to you a restaurant that will definitely change your mind!

During a discussion about food in class, a girl from my group mentioned a vegetarian/vegan restaurant called Ginko. Today I did not feel like cooking myself so a friend and I decided to try the food there. Located in the city centre, the restaurant is easy to reach by public transport or bike. Ginko is a self-service restaurant, which means you do not sit down and wait for someone to take your order, but you pick up a plate and a tray and take your food from a buffet.

The buffet might look rather small at first, but believe me when I tell you that there is such a variety of dishes that deciding what to take is almost impossible. There were a number of different salads, but also warm food such as chili con soja or a chick-pea curry. My strategy was to simply load a spoonful of everything onto my plate - and of course I couldn't resist to also take a glass full of tiramisu with me.

All the dishes are either vegetarian or vegan and they are clearly labeled. If you have questions about the ingredients, for example because you have an allergy, the staff will gladly help you. In my opinion, this is a big plus. I suffer from an allergy myself and I have often experienced in other restaurants that the staff did not actually know what exactly their dishes were made of, which left me frustrated and slightly worried.

In Ginko, the cost of your food is calculated by its weight. I had expected it to be rather expensive, so I was surprised when it was only €10 for a plate full of most of the things from the buffet, a dessert and a drink! Of all the things on my plate, there was absolutely nothing I did not like the taste of. My favourite was the chick-pea curry, though, because I love dishes that have curry in them - or then maybe it was the tiramisu that was my favourite. :-)

A last point worth mentioning is the friendly and welcoming atmosphere. In Ginko, you will see all types of people - from businessmen to students, even some very old people who generally tend to be of the opinion that any decent meal must include a chunk of meat.

If you are a vegetarian or vegan, I guarantee you that this will become your new favourite restaurant - and if you're not (yet) vegetarian, this place might just change your mind... :-)