4 years Vegan Restaurant La Mano Verde Berlin - time for a interview
Jean Jury Interview / September 2012
-When did you found La Mano Verde and why a vegan restaurant?
I founded La Mano Verde in June 2008 and opened the restaurant November 1st 2008 on World Vegan Day. My inspiration came from witnessing the negative impact on health of mass producing and consuming comfort food, increasing sicknesses, obesity and allergies. I spent half of my youth on our family farm; we always had beautiful and tasteful fruits and veggies around us. Later I spent 14 years in Asia Pacific where I had also access to fantastic tropical food. When I came back to Europe in 2001 I was shocked by the lack of quality of the veggies and fruits on sale in stores. They looked good; they were shiny and colorful but had no taste, so I started to search for better products and swiftly found that local farmers are a good and suitable solution. If we want people to distance them selves from junk food we have to introduce quality products. Junk food is made with artificial flavors; we are living in a world where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons. People today care more about having all the comfort and neglect the most important which is having a balanced and healthy diet.
-Is four years later the world a better place?
We have to stop to think that our leaders and politicians will help us in our quest for a better world. It is up to us to make the effort and go the extra miles to build a better world. What ever we do to damage the planet will only affect us and all the remaining species. Pollution and global warming are frightening for future. Going green and organic is great, but can we control the quality of the rain? How much pollution is falling on organic soils and crops? According to our leaders, all forms of pollution and environmental damage are in decline in the west, so we apparently made some progress, how long do we have to wait to see the same progress in the east? A century ago man lived in harmony with nature, and now we fear for our survival. Every year, around 250 million cases of water-based diseases from polluted drinking water are reported around the world, leading to millions of deaths. Biodiversity is the planet life support system. The more species present in any given area leads to a greater number of relationships between those species, and to greater genetic variation within those species, this includes predation, pollination, competition, and grazing. We are toughness’s killing the biodiversity without knowing how much damage is being done, the same way we protect vertebrate species and kill countless invertebrate species putting the eco system in jeopardy. Biodiversity is what makes the planet work, and therefore is what keeps us humans, and all other living things on Earth, alive. What was the question again?
-Where do you get your ingredients from?
I do my shopping at local organic markets, I taste all the fruits and veggies to make sure they have the right flavor and texture. The last two years I distanced myself from suppliers giving no access to their storage room. I feel guilty when I order fresh ingredients by phone. I prefer my local market. My relation with local merchants helps me to keep the standard high. One of the best addresses in Berlin is the Breslauer Platz Market, the outlet is called Frisch and Frei and most of the products are regional. For dry ingredients and nuts I use the service of a company called Keimling. Thanks to them I have better access to organic raw products coming from all around the planet. It helps me remain creative and to work with a larger choice of ingredients.
-Are you cooking in the restaurant during trading hours?
Only in worst case scenario, if two of my cooks are sick at the same time for example, which sometimes happens. When clients ask who is cooking when I am not in Berlin my answer is: “the same cook as the one cooking when I am in Berlin”. I love to create dishes and brainstorm with my team but to stay behind the stove for hours is not my favorite part of the business. Since I opened La Mano Verde cooks are come and go. It is not a real issue. I am still the man behind the concept and direct the kitchen. I make sure that the quality of our cooking remains at the required standard. I spend time every day to control the quality of the food, I want every single customer to be treated with the same attention, and this applies also for the service.
-Are your customers facy?
Some of them are, but this is the same in every business :>) our food is unique; it is for many of them a new experience. Raw food is the healthiest food on the planet; it is a real pleasure for us to introduce our clients to it. I recently worked on creating a raw algae salad, probably the healthiest dish on our menu and also the favorite treat of our dear Hannelore Elsner. She discovered raw food recently at La Mano Verde and became a big fan, same scenario for my dear neighbor Udo Walz. Both had a radical change of diet at the age of 69. I am so happy to see them getting a bit healthier everyday. The fanciest customer at La Mano Verde is my self. I apply a zero tolerance for the preparation, cooking and plating of the food and I am proud of my team, they are doing an excellent job.
-What is your goal with La Mano Verde?
My goal with La Mano Verde is to introduce vegan-raw food at its best and change the alternative image of veganism. I am not cooking vegan food for ethical reasons. We can really make a huge difference in our health and bodies by becoming vegan again. When I say vegan again I mean like we used to be when earth was still a pacific paradise. The way we feed ourselves today is a mistake. All those unhealthy products added to preserve our food are a threat for our health. This is a very serious matter and we should take the right steps today, not tomorrow. Producers of junk food should be prosecuted. Look at our kids. Over 50% of them are overweighed. Not because they eat too much but because they eat the wrong food. The amount of sugar and flavoring agents used in processing fast food should not be tolerated. Why are our leaders not taking the right steps to protect us? They just ignore the subject. Shouldn’t our health be a priority? So my goal with La Mano Verde is to create a tasty and healthy alternative and try to change the way people think about food. I just started to produce raw cheese made with macadamia nuts, chive and garlic; I serve it with home made raw crackers. Taste and texture are very similar to classic cream cheese. My goal with La Mano Verde is to develop more and more creative vegan food.
-Is vegan lifestyle popular in Berlin?
More and more. Back in 2008 there were no many options available. The only chance for me to survive with a vegan restaurant was to develop Berlin as a vegan destination. Four years later 3 of my ex cooks opened they own vegan restaurants, another ex cook works in a vegan pastry shop, another one in a vegan catering company, another one will soon be cooking raw food in a restaurant opening November 2012, so a lot happened in Berlin in the vegan world and this is just the beginning…
-What do you think of the green/sustainable character of Berlin? Is is it good? What can go better?
Berlin is very green, a lot of space, lots of parks and trees, but we can always do better. I wish we had more terrace gardens and roof gardens. We need to bring the bees back to city center. It is vital for the flora. We could transform the city centers in beautiful green areas and grow products suitable for a healthy diet, add extensive use of electric cars, a better isolation for houses and flats and we have the green Berlin of tomorrow :>)
-What is your favourite place(s) in Berlin to relax? To eat?
To relax it is my flat, located just behind Charlottenburg castle, on the bank of a river, very close to a huge park, the best oasis were I relax in the middle of my cook books and movie collection. My home kitchen is a well equipped laboratory where I secretly develop new recipes. I spent 14 years in Asia and South East Asia and I am a big fan of Thai and Japanese food. My favorite places in Berlin are Two Buddha’s in Mitte, nice Asian-fusion food and Dao Restaurant on Kantstrasse, authentic Thai food, but my all time Berlin favourite is the cooking of genius chef Pino Bianco at La Muntagnola, Fuggerstrasse., a very talented food artist and great host.
-How do you see the future of La Mano Verde?
I am working on developing the franchise project for La Mano Verde. I have several requests for opening the concept in Zurich, London, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Frankfort, Köln, Munich, Hamburg, and other cities. Before committing to the franchise project I need to open my cooking school and food academy, this ambitious project needs more human resources, I have to train more cooks. To do that I need to expand my kitchen, need more equipment and cold storage space. I have a great business relation with the Kempinski Hotel; we are talking about providing vegan and raw food room service for the hotel guests but one of the condition is a 7 days/week operation. The future of La Mano Verde looks bright but I still have a lot on my desk and need to find investors to back up the project.
-What gives you inspiration?
Over 75,000 visitors coming from 54 countries visited La Mano Verde website since January 2012, this is for me very inspirational. I have the feeling that I am part of a very special moment in time. We understand much more about nutrition. I started a raw food diet 6 weeks ago and can see and feel the changes. My skin is getting softer, my vision is improved, my level of energy has increased; I can think more clearly and I sleep like a baby. In general I am a little bit like St. Thomas, I am inspired by action or facts more than by ideas or theories. In my view, the most difficult part of being vegan is to be able to share everyday life with people who choose to remain in denial, or simply don’t care about having a healthy diet, people who believe that convenience or habit justifies animal abuse, enslavement and slaughter. What gives me inspiration is to give to the vegan community the opportunity to showcase vegan food at his best. If you need inspiration, read Attila Hildmann latest book “Vegan for Fit”. Attila started a fantastic project and a lot of people are taking the challenge to become vegan because they love the feeling of being part of a very special world and achieve something good and healthy for themselves. The only regret I have is that it took me so long to change my diet. Today, I am excited as I have never been before. I am happy and I look forward to a long and healthy life. http://www.lamanoverde.com
http://www.lamanoverde.de
-When did you found La Mano Verde and why a vegan restaurant?
I founded La Mano Verde in June 2008 and opened the restaurant November 1st 2008 on World Vegan Day. My inspiration came from witnessing the negative impact on health of mass producing and consuming comfort food, increasing sicknesses, obesity and allergies. I spent half of my youth on our family farm; we always had beautiful and tasteful fruits and veggies around us. Later I spent 14 years in Asia Pacific where I had also access to fantastic tropical food. When I came back to Europe in 2001 I was shocked by the lack of quality of the veggies and fruits on sale in stores. They looked good; they were shiny and colorful but had no taste, so I started to search for better products and swiftly found that local farmers are a good and suitable solution. If we want people to distance them selves from junk food we have to introduce quality products. Junk food is made with artificial flavors; we are living in a world where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons. People today care more about having all the comfort and neglect the most important which is having a balanced and healthy diet.
-Is four years later the world a better place?
We have to stop to think that our leaders and politicians will help us in our quest for a better world. It is up to us to make the effort and go the extra miles to build a better world. What ever we do to damage the planet will only affect us and all the remaining species. Pollution and global warming are frightening for future. Going green and organic is great, but can we control the quality of the rain? How much pollution is falling on organic soils and crops? According to our leaders, all forms of pollution and environmental damage are in decline in the west, so we apparently made some progress, how long do we have to wait to see the same progress in the east? A century ago man lived in harmony with nature, and now we fear for our survival. Every year, around 250 million cases of water-based diseases from polluted drinking water are reported around the world, leading to millions of deaths. Biodiversity is the planet life support system. The more species present in any given area leads to a greater number of relationships between those species, and to greater genetic variation within those species, this includes predation, pollination, competition, and grazing. We are toughness’s killing the biodiversity without knowing how much damage is being done, the same way we protect vertebrate species and kill countless invertebrate species putting the eco system in jeopardy. Biodiversity is what makes the planet work, and therefore is what keeps us humans, and all other living things on Earth, alive. What was the question again?
-Where do you get your ingredients from?
I do my shopping at local organic markets, I taste all the fruits and veggies to make sure they have the right flavor and texture. The last two years I distanced myself from suppliers giving no access to their storage room. I feel guilty when I order fresh ingredients by phone. I prefer my local market. My relation with local merchants helps me to keep the standard high. One of the best addresses in Berlin is the Breslauer Platz Market, the outlet is called Frisch and Frei and most of the products are regional. For dry ingredients and nuts I use the service of a company called Keimling. Thanks to them I have better access to organic raw products coming from all around the planet. It helps me remain creative and to work with a larger choice of ingredients.
-Are you cooking in the restaurant during trading hours?
Only in worst case scenario, if two of my cooks are sick at the same time for example, which sometimes happens. When clients ask who is cooking when I am not in Berlin my answer is: “the same cook as the one cooking when I am in Berlin”. I love to create dishes and brainstorm with my team but to stay behind the stove for hours is not my favorite part of the business. Since I opened La Mano Verde cooks are come and go. It is not a real issue. I am still the man behind the concept and direct the kitchen. I make sure that the quality of our cooking remains at the required standard. I spend time every day to control the quality of the food, I want every single customer to be treated with the same attention, and this applies also for the service.
-Are your customers facy?
Some of them are, but this is the same in every business :>) our food is unique; it is for many of them a new experience. Raw food is the healthiest food on the planet; it is a real pleasure for us to introduce our clients to it. I recently worked on creating a raw algae salad, probably the healthiest dish on our menu and also the favorite treat of our dear Hannelore Elsner. She discovered raw food recently at La Mano Verde and became a big fan, same scenario for my dear neighbor Udo Walz. Both had a radical change of diet at the age of 69. I am so happy to see them getting a bit healthier everyday. The fanciest customer at La Mano Verde is my self. I apply a zero tolerance for the preparation, cooking and plating of the food and I am proud of my team, they are doing an excellent job.
-What is your goal with La Mano Verde?
My goal with La Mano Verde is to introduce vegan-raw food at its best and change the alternative image of veganism. I am not cooking vegan food for ethical reasons. We can really make a huge difference in our health and bodies by becoming vegan again. When I say vegan again I mean like we used to be when earth was still a pacific paradise. The way we feed ourselves today is a mistake. All those unhealthy products added to preserve our food are a threat for our health. This is a very serious matter and we should take the right steps today, not tomorrow. Producers of junk food should be prosecuted. Look at our kids. Over 50% of them are overweighed. Not because they eat too much but because they eat the wrong food. The amount of sugar and flavoring agents used in processing fast food should not be tolerated. Why are our leaders not taking the right steps to protect us? They just ignore the subject. Shouldn’t our health be a priority? So my goal with La Mano Verde is to create a tasty and healthy alternative and try to change the way people think about food. I just started to produce raw cheese made with macadamia nuts, chive and garlic; I serve it with home made raw crackers. Taste and texture are very similar to classic cream cheese. My goal with La Mano Verde is to develop more and more creative vegan food.
-Is vegan lifestyle popular in Berlin?
More and more. Back in 2008 there were no many options available. The only chance for me to survive with a vegan restaurant was to develop Berlin as a vegan destination. Four years later 3 of my ex cooks opened they own vegan restaurants, another ex cook works in a vegan pastry shop, another one in a vegan catering company, another one will soon be cooking raw food in a restaurant opening November 2012, so a lot happened in Berlin in the vegan world and this is just the beginning…
-What do you think of the green/sustainable character of Berlin? Is is it good? What can go better?
Berlin is very green, a lot of space, lots of parks and trees, but we can always do better. I wish we had more terrace gardens and roof gardens. We need to bring the bees back to city center. It is vital for the flora. We could transform the city centers in beautiful green areas and grow products suitable for a healthy diet, add extensive use of electric cars, a better isolation for houses and flats and we have the green Berlin of tomorrow :>)
-What is your favourite place(s) in Berlin to relax? To eat?
To relax it is my flat, located just behind Charlottenburg castle, on the bank of a river, very close to a huge park, the best oasis were I relax in the middle of my cook books and movie collection. My home kitchen is a well equipped laboratory where I secretly develop new recipes. I spent 14 years in Asia and South East Asia and I am a big fan of Thai and Japanese food. My favorite places in Berlin are Two Buddha’s in Mitte, nice Asian-fusion food and Dao Restaurant on Kantstrasse, authentic Thai food, but my all time Berlin favourite is the cooking of genius chef Pino Bianco at La Muntagnola, Fuggerstrasse., a very talented food artist and great host.
-How do you see the future of La Mano Verde?
I am working on developing the franchise project for La Mano Verde. I have several requests for opening the concept in Zurich, London, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Frankfort, Köln, Munich, Hamburg, and other cities. Before committing to the franchise project I need to open my cooking school and food academy, this ambitious project needs more human resources, I have to train more cooks. To do that I need to expand my kitchen, need more equipment and cold storage space. I have a great business relation with the Kempinski Hotel; we are talking about providing vegan and raw food room service for the hotel guests but one of the condition is a 7 days/week operation. The future of La Mano Verde looks bright but I still have a lot on my desk and need to find investors to back up the project.
-What gives you inspiration?
Over 75,000 visitors coming from 54 countries visited La Mano Verde website since January 2012, this is for me very inspirational. I have the feeling that I am part of a very special moment in time. We understand much more about nutrition. I started a raw food diet 6 weeks ago and can see and feel the changes. My skin is getting softer, my vision is improved, my level of energy has increased; I can think more clearly and I sleep like a baby. In general I am a little bit like St. Thomas, I am inspired by action or facts more than by ideas or theories. In my view, the most difficult part of being vegan is to be able to share everyday life with people who choose to remain in denial, or simply don’t care about having a healthy diet, people who believe that convenience or habit justifies animal abuse, enslavement and slaughter. What gives me inspiration is to give to the vegan community the opportunity to showcase vegan food at his best. If you need inspiration, read Attila Hildmann latest book “Vegan for Fit”. Attila started a fantastic project and a lot of people are taking the challenge to become vegan because they love the feeling of being part of a very special world and achieve something good and healthy for themselves. The only regret I have is that it took me so long to change my diet. Today, I am excited as I have never been before. I am happy and I look forward to a long and healthy life. http://www.lamanoverde.com
http://www.lamanoverde.de
Rose Marie Donhauser - 26. Sep, 09:02
