Link to original article published on 10/11/22
and the convenient translation for the non-Dutch Speakers.
"Soil Vegan Café is also there for non-vegans: 'You can't get a smoothie bowl or green juice here'
Every day new shops, restaurants and cafes open in the city. You can read about it in our Just opened section. Today: The step from meat to vegan doesn't have to be a big one, Soil Vegan Café wants to show that. Last week the second branch opened in the Javastraat.
“This is not a place to get a smoothie bowl or a green juice, although most people think of that when they think of vegan food,” says owner Remco Groeneveld (47). Co-owner Gustavo Bottino (47) previously owned an American BBQ restaurant in Brazil and came to realize that we need to drastically reduce the amount of animal products we consume.
About six years ago, Groeneveld and Bottino, who had been good friends for years, came up with the idea for their business and opened the first branch of Soil Vegan Café on the Bilderdijkstraat. The second location is now open in Javastraat, in a former fish restaurant, whose logo is still on the wall. The gray and burgundy wall and the warm brown colors of the first branch can also be found in the second cafe.
Amsterdam already has many vegan hotspots, but Bottino thinks Soil Vegan Café fits in perfectly. "I wouldn't say we are better than others, I'm just happy that more and more people are looking for solutions in eating without meat and fish." With their concept they want to make that as easy as possible and to be a new place, also for non-vegans.
Bottino researched how to make popular meat and fish dishes taste as similar as possible with other ingredients, such as kimchi and jackfruit. The Ben Ben Noodles (€16.50) is the most popular dish on the menu and he also recommends Kimchi Fried Rice (€16.50)."