It takes me a while wandering on the streets of Vienna until I find Pepper and Ginny. It's tucked away on a quiet alley that seems rather private when looking from the main street.
Afară, sunt 3 mese cu oameni, veniți la brunch. Termenul de înscriere trecuse când m-am decis eu să vin, dar am zis să îmi încerc norocul. Intru și întreb dacă pot sta. Mă informează că trebuia rezervare pentru brunch, dar mă poate servi normal dacă pot aștepta vreo 10 minute. Normal că pot. Se răzgândește însă rapid, îmi spune că mai are mâncare, așa că dacă vreau brunch și eu, se poate. Îmi prezintă meniul de două ori, dar mă pierde la scrambled tofu. Aleg sa merg pe varianta clasică a meniului.
Intimate atmosphere, like in a food pantry
I am invited to sit at a high table, in the only room where one can eat inside. The place is very small and crowded, being crammed with products. I notice that Pepper and Ginny is actually a hybrid between a bistro and a grocer’s store.
I am surrounded by shelves full of pasta, olives, dips, pesto, vegan caviar, wines, beer, champagne, chutneys, mustard, preserves, risotto, tomato sauces, artisan chips, chocolates and candies. But, precisely due to the size and the kindness of the host, I have a feeling of a private, personal place.
From where I’m sitting, you can easily see and hear how the two women are preparing the meals in a small, open kitchen. Instrumental jazz music is being played in the background.
Prepared for an unprecedented culinary experience
Browsing the menu, I spot the antipasti platter and the cheese one. I would try both, but decide to go for the vegan prosciutto and buy a few assorted cheeses to go.
The dish arrived faster than I expected. The light-coloured "meat" slices have a texture similar to Bologna sausages and taste like soy paste. The "prosciutto" slices are darker in colour and have pink stripes that imitate fat. They are both tasty, although a bit salty even for my taste. Luckily, they come accompanied by some bread slices containing big chunks of olives, further toasted in olive oil. The fig "salami" takes you by surprise, as it has nothing to do with a classic salami. However, its sweetness balances out the dish nicely.
Eventually, the cheese. At first glance, it has a firm texture, but it becomes extremely creamy once you chew it. There’s a burst of flavour if you accidentally smash some peppercorns in your mouth. Tasted individually, the cheese has all the characteristics of a matured cheese.
Overall, the dish was so salty that it made me drink water right after the meal, which I don't usually do. Before leaving, I spend about 5 minutes trying to choose from the many kinds of vegan cheese displayed in the main room.
