When in NY, do as the New Yorkers do. In other words, get your behind out to Brooklyn and eat vegan, maybe raw, maybe gluten free. Sun in Bloom fits all of those requirements. Not to mention it's also right next door to a sex shop in case you want to get saucy with your sunflower seed burger. Just sayin'.




The lighting was a bit sparse so some of my photos look a bit grainy but what a lovely place! There are single tables as well as a communal bench in the center. The room is not that big but the space is very organized and I don't feel like I'm shouting over the table next to mine. There is also a fridge on the wall to the left where you can pick up soups or raw desserts.



My friend Amy as I caught her talking on the phone. I swear I did not make her pose for this.




When it comes to dining out vegan, I'd say I'm a pretty seasoned pro. The thing I've noticed with many vegan establishments is that they cater to the idea that veganism is still a new idea and therefore the food is prepared like it ordinarily would be except with substitutions so as not to scare people off. Sun in Bloom is the total opposite in that they really celebrate vegetables and grains and seeds and actually make you like the dish for being vegan instead of a good second to a meat equivalent. My Sunny "Couture" Futomaki was delicious--I will definitely add roasted veggies to my rolls from now on. The ginger dipping sauce was also way better than any soy sauce. I'm not sure how the burger tasted but Amy seemed to enjoy it. For dessert, we split a gluten free oatmeal raisin cookie. Considering you could trick anyone into thinking it was a regular cookie, I'd say it was job well done.

Overall, it was my favorite vegan meal of this trip. My only qualm is I wish there was a tad bit more on the plate so you know, I could rub it all over my face. Haha, just kidding (but not really).

Sun in Bloom
460 Bergen St
Brooklyn, NY 11217

Sun in Bloom Restaurant

• , •
• dinner friends gluten free going out lunch new york restaurant reviews vacation vegan vegetables •
• No Comments •
• by Aya S
  Aya S

— Continue Reading —

Hey guys, as you may or may not know, I am currently in my hometown New York City! My flight consisted of an overnight layover in Helsinki, so I hit up my friend Marinka and we did a quick tour of the central area. It quickly became something of a food tour since, well, it's me, and there were just so many foreign foods to try!


My first night in, my friend Marinka picked me up from the airport and we went to a 24-hour grocery store. I have YET to find a 24 hour store in Berlin, especially on a Sunday, so I am in awe at how much more advanced Helsinki is already. But more so, I was intrigued by this Licorice flavored ice cream??! Finns love their licorice, eh?


The loot from the grocery store. Oh and I had that Susu bar yesterday and it reminds me of Twix candy bars.

The next morning we walked by a farmer's market near the ports.



THIS. It's OMG-good. It's like having your fish and chips in one go. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the fish or what this snack is called so if anyone knows, please inform me!

After maybe 20 minutes or so, we spontaneously decided to look for reindeer. It sparked from Marinka's idea to go get some reindeer waffles but because the place was closed, we went to a gourmet food store in the basement of a department store instead.




The man at the counter was so friendly and also recommended a lingonberry tart. It was very good--it's not a sweet berry so it went well with the savory tart. The reindeer, I concluded, tastes like a smoked ham. It could be the way it was prepared in the dish (also Marinka said the texture is quite different in real life) but none the less, it was salty and delicious.


Browsing the supermarket portion of the department store, I was somehow amused by a cereal called "Rude Health."

And then we found this jelly!


I have never heard of cloudberries before! I did a bit of research and they seem to be indigenous to Northern Europe and Canada. I wanted to take a jar with me so badly but we couldn't find a jar 100g or smaller (I only had a carry on so it was vital that it fit those requirements). I hope one day I can try this fantasticle sounding fruit . . .

Finally we ended up at Frazer cafe. It was quite big and pretty full of people enjoying lunch. I was completely distracted by all the cute Moomin goodies they had before heading to the pastry aisle and picking something out.




A butter eye? Well, it makes sense since it's buttery on top and looks like an eye. The taste was pretty similar to a Swedish cinnamon roll so in other words, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

I really want to come back to Helsinki and visit the other islands (and try to swing for a day other than Monday, when all museums are closed). I hope you guys liked what you saw and if you know of anything I should try in Finland but missed, let me know! Ciao!

Eating in Helsinki!

• , •
• dessert europe friends grocery packaged foods snacks street food sweets travel vacation •
• No Comments •
• by Aya S
  Aya S

— Continue Reading —

Hey guys, it's Aya! It's a lazy Sunday over here and I thought it was only fair to post a few pictures of what I've been up to. Summer has more or less arrived so Oli and I kidnapped the best people living in Berlin for a good ole fashioned BBQ.


Look at this gorgeous fire that Sebastian and Daniela tended to. People that know their grillin' amazes me (maybe because I know gar nicht a.k.a. absolutely nothing).


Only a small sample of the spread.




The goods.

Basically the night ended in . . . well, I don't quite remember details for reasons you can all assume. But there's not much point in asking the others because we all had similar experiences. ;)

In other not so new news, I got a new bike to replace the one that was stolen!


It's a Hauptstadt bike, made by BBF (a German company and the same company as my last one). My only qualms is that it is a smidgen too tall because I got a bigger bike with the seat just lowered to suit me. It only affects me very slightly on long distance rides but otherwise, I can ride my daily 30 km with no problem.

Finally, a simple salad:

I have a penchant for cleaning-out-the-fridge salads because I leave the flat on weekends to stay in Brandenburg and then I come back to a fridge full of things that need to be consumed immediately. This one is the latest and I do recommend it! It includes:

•  A mix of Arugula, Mint, and Coriander/Cilantro
• Cucumbers
• Carrots
• Shiitake Mushrooms
• Green Olives
• Chopped Roasted Peanuts (unsalted)

Basically from there I added a bit of olive oil, lime juice, and salt & pepper. I think if you omit the olives, it's fine (I just had them on hand) but the other flavors really make it refreshing and delicious! Try it out!

Anyway, that's all for today. Have a lovely Sunday and until next time!

Barbee, Bikes, and Quick Salads

• , •
• biking brandenburg event friends lunch random recipe summer •
• No Comments •
• by Aya S
  Aya S

— Continue Reading —

I have a bad habit of sleeping late, waking up early, and then just powering through the day and sleeping late again. Please excuse me if I start writing gibberish because my brain is rusting. Now onto content (what a horrible introduction)!


I recently went to see the Russian Ravens play in Mitte. I'm not just saying this because I know the band members (okay, Oli is totally the drummer) but seriously, they are great! I definitely had moments of Explosions in the Sky feels the first time around. The only set back is I have no idea what they're saying because the lyrics are all in Russian.

Also, I've been experimenting in the kitchen a lot more.


I bought these soy pellets to test out. You just soak them in water or broth and they become a sort of meat substitute. I'm really used to eating fake meat so it's not out of the norm for me but for any meat eaters out there, don't expect this to taste like what you're used to.

I also have been doing a lot of baking.


Gluten Free, vegan, and sugar free is really tricky if you don't have the right ingredients. In fact, I still don't have the right ingredients (much harder to find arrowroot powder or xantham gum here casually).

I did manage to create an edible sad brick!


Tada! It even has glue on top. Okay, it wasn't half bad (I just need to work on texture). But seriously, doesn't it look tragic?

Finally on Easter (or rather the night before), I went to a huge fire near Oli's house.




It's actually a practice here in Germany to have Easter fires. There are many in the more suburban parts of Berlin and Brandenburg, and they have little shows and play schlager music (it's the music you imagine drunk German people dance to). Definitely a cozy way to spend a brisk evening.


I stick out like a sore thumb.

What did you guys do for Easter?

The Last Few Days

• , •
• 21dayvegan bake berlin brandenburg challenge cooking event friends germany holiday update vegan •
• No Comments •
• by Aya S
  Aya S

— Continue Reading —

Recently 2 of my flat-mate's friends from Frankfurt came to visit Berlin! We stopped by an Irish pub called Killkenny (uhhh, South Park anyone?) right inside the Hackescher Markt train station. Now most people don't know that I love Irish pubs. I think I would much rather go to an Irish pub than a fancy bar. It's no frills, the bartenders are relaxed, and it's a great place to go with a group. Not to mention I have fond memories getting tipsy over pints of beer in good company. Anyway, here are some shots of that night!

The sisters who came to visit. They were both super sweet!


Oli and I!


Cheese!


Okay, so I got a cocktail. Apparently it's the house specialty cocktail. Why is maracuja juice amazing?


And finally the decor.

There was also a live performance happening in the other room. I got really excited when she started to sing Nora Jones! Upon leaving, we also chatted with a friendly Finnish guy outside. Overall, a very comfortable evening.

Irish Pub in Berlin: Killkenny

• , •
• bars beer berlin drinks friends germany going out winter •
• 1 comment •
• by Aya S
  Aya S

— Continue Reading —

To be honest, I have no idea what it feels like to be French in Berlin. I have met French people in Berlin. Usually they sound something like this:

"Oh, I thought I left France. Why are there French people everywhere?"
"Life is too short to learn German."
"Men here don't buy women drinks."

Oh, how I love the French.

Anyway, I recently took a trip out to a cute French bistro with my friend Pavel. Pavel and I know each other from Trader Joes (if you live in NY and do TJ's, you may have seen me stocking shelves), and clicked because I have this horrible obsession with people with smooth skin that I have to touch them. So that's where it all began and on this evening, it ended with a happy belly full of warm comforting food.


The place is called L'Origine du Monde and is located in Friedrichshain. The decor is very cozy: beige walls, wooden tables, and chalkboards. The menus are handwritten as well. The music bounced around classic rock to movie soundtracks.


If you look at the menu on their homepage, the items listed are quite different from what we saw. I think a lot of the items are changed daily or weekly depending on what they get. I like that because it shows a dedication to fresh ingredients but it's also unfortunate when you like something and it's not there.


Octopus Chorizo Soup


Pumpkin Risotto with Shrimp


Roasted Duck with Peach Sauce and Potato Gratin

The flavors were great and everything complimented each other on the plates. My only complaint might be the texture of the octopus and duck as both were slightly tough. Anyway, I really recommend it. The waiter was pleasant and friendly and the food came in timely manner. We were definitely stuffed after our meal.

L'Origine Du Monde

Gubener Straße 41 Berlin
030 53155629

Being French in Berlin

• , •
• berlin dinner drinks french friends restaurant reviews •
• No Comments •
• by Aya S
  Aya S

— Continue Reading —

You know what is really strange? Every time I think about dining out, I always think of Anthony Bourdain's episode of the Layover in NY, and how he wraps up the Upper East Side with the Papaya King (New York's institution of hot dogs and papaya smoothies).

First of all, I am not even going to start my ridiculous fangirling over Anthony Bourdain because he would actually disapprove and I think the whole world wants to be on Bourdain's good side. I also don't want to bore you with memories of going to school near Papaya King and knowing exactly what he's talking about. Instead I want to stress the idea behind why I mentioned this particular moment in television history: the fact that eating out never has to be glamorous for it to be good.

It all started with a train delay and a cup of coffee.


Weird start to the day considering I rarely drink coffee let alone buy it out. It was okay but I much prefer espresso--one whole cup is just too much buzz for me!

The rest of the day was a blur. I think I went to the gym. I think I ate rice cakes. I think I met up with Oli and got lost in Neukölln!


Needless to say it's not a neighborhood I know like the back of my hand.

Oli's friend Piotr was waiting at the bookstore we would be eating in.


We went in and saw a room filled with books and comfy chairs. The way it works is, there's a man at the register in the front. You pay 5 euros and get a plate. When the food is done, you pick whatever you want, buffet style. 5 euros for a huge plate of home cooked goodness. Who can say no to that?


Cheers!


I wish my library were this extensive.


Oli's Jever beer.


Here's an example of a plate. They had meat and veg options for all, along with a ton of bread and cheese. The carrot hash was yummy. The thing I really appreciated was that not only was it made by the owner of the bookstore but the food was not overly salty so people could kind of customize it themselves if they wished.
The three of us chatted about nonsensical things as always. Then another guy joined our conversation and we ended up talking about science fiction novels/films for a veeeery long time.

A few hours later, we left and parted ways with Piotr.


Oli and I heading back to our flat and camwhoring.   One of the greatest things about Berlin is that there are always places like this where you don't have to spend a lot of money and you don't have to be a certain type of person to enjoy yourself and make friends. It can be a Papaya King or the basement of a bookstore: just sit back and take in all what the world has to offer.

Dining Out in a Bookstore

• , •
• beer book dinner friends restaurant vegetables •
• No Comments •
• by Aya S
  Aya S

— Continue Reading —