Schlicht Vegan in Vienna is not only vegan. The chefs cook with local and regional ingredients, trying to minimise waste and even aiming for zero waste. So when I saw that they are organising a brunch on my last day in Vienna, I didn't hesitate.

It's more than one hour's walk from my accommodation to Schlicht Vegan, so I decide to take public transportation. The restaurant is located outside the tourist area, which means it is also quieter. Perfect for the end of a rather tiring trip.

I arrive 10 minutes earlier than the starting time, so there is not much surprise to see that I am the only guest for the moment. The host invites me to take a seat. I choose one of the 4 tables outside, while worrying that I'm taking up the space for 4 people. The drink menu arrives, as it is not included in the brunch. I order some lavender water. By the time it arrives, I notice the white textile napkin, the sophisticated metal salt and pepper shakers, and the small succulent plant placed in a glass, on top of some orange and brown pebbles.

How many appetisers can you stack on a plate?

The lavender fuzzy water has a very subtle sweet taste and smells great. I get up from the table and head to the buffet to try the starters. I notice the white, simple plates, as well as the variety of dishes: 

• green and white asparagus, most likely raw or steamed, marinated in strawberry sauce; a surprising combination to me, but common from what I see on the internet; the sauce has an intense but simple taste of strawberries, without any seasoning, so as not to completely overpower the extremely tender asparagus; the reddish dots are probably sumac; great combination, worth replicating at home!
• hemp paste, towards which I was sceptical at first, thinking the hemp flavour will be too prominent; it isn't, as it probably also contains something else, maybe yellow lentils, maybe some fried onions; it's a bit salty, but tasty;
• lentils with tomatoes and diced pickled cucumbers; this is already the second time I come across this type of lentils salad in Austria and I wonder why I has never crossed my mind to cook it this way; its taste is quite plain and ordinary, but goes well along other dishes, complementing them with its sour taste and nutritional value;
• boiled potatoes, with chives and a drizzle of mayonnaise with mustard, just enough to prevent being too heavy from the oil;
• antipasti - eggplant, yellow and red baked peppers, floating in too much oil for my taste, without any interesting seasoning;
• curry rice ball, fried, very tasty;
• the pepper tart, my favourite until now; it has a very thin crust, sliced yellow peppers, a very tasty vegan cheese, plus dry green spices; I refrain from taking another piece, to save some space for the following dishes.

In terms of flavours and unexpected combinations, the strawberry asparagus salad and the pepper tart stood out. Otherwise, I think that the dishes lacked some spices. 

Asparagus, the ultimate star

They weren't kidding with their local ingredients statement. It is May now, so the asparagus became the superstar. After the strawberry salad, here comes the soup. A super creamy, sweet and sour, slightly too salty white asparagus cream soup. It has an interesting taste that I can neither define nor identify.

Asparagus was also present during the main course. This time, the green one, dressed in sauce hollandaise, made from soy milk, turmeric, mustard and some olive oil or vegan butter. The simple boiled potato and parsley salad complements it well.

Aldreay kind of full after so many dished, I tried hard to also taste:

• the rather bland green lentil stew with onion and carrot;
• some pasta with peppers, potatoes and onions, a strange combination from a nutritional point of view, but somehow tasty;
• the sour red cabbage pie, which looks spectacular but is seriously lacking spices.

After finishing with the main course, I have reached a conclusion regarding the cooking style at Schlicht Vegans. They use quality ingredients, but the combinations are too simple, as if they lack the courage to surprise us with new flavours or bold combinations. Or maybe that's exactly what they're trying to do, that is to highlight the ingredients, through simplicity?

Let's move on to dessert

The cocoa sponge cake is a delight, while the dense pecan cake would have been perfect with some frosting on top. In the glass, there is some fluffy syrupy dough with strawberry sauce, whipped cream and some fresh mint. The texture and taste remind me of the classical savarin.

On the verge of exploding, I save the rest of the cake for later. Despite the simplicity of many dishes, I appreciate the variety and values that Schlicht Vegan promotes and implements. It would be great if we would have some sort of a Schlicht Vegan in every city.