Cheese platters and cheesecake: this vegan restaurant serves it all!

Mr. & Mrs. Watson is a vegan restaurant in Amsterdam. Luckily there’s more and more of those because it’s great for the planet!
At this vegan restaurant however, you don’t have to miss the cheese platter and the cheese fondue, the tiramisu and the cheesecake.

Mr. & Mrs. Watson

At Mr. & Mrs. Watson vegan dining means enjoying their famous cheese platter and sharing a cashew cheese fondue. This Amsterdam based restaurant shows that vegan dining in2019 is a delicious and fun experience.

Changing the World with Good Food

Often the transition from eating vegetarian to eating vegan is too great because of all sorts of animal products we’ve grown accustom to, like cheese; for many people an unmissable favourite in whichever form.

Kirsi Rautiainen and Aleid Koopal prove that these favourites can be plant-based as well. Their cheese platter is delicious and their pepperjack can’t be distinguished from the ‘real’ one.

They are aware of the impact that the meat and dairy industry have on the earth and know this has to an can be done differently. They are trying to change the world by making vegan food appealing ánd accessible to everyone.

“We want to show that you can make delicious dishes without the use of animal products.” – Kirsi Rautianen in an interview with the Triodos bank.

Toast ‘N Egg This vegan take on scrambled eggs is made with tofu. Due to the way it’s made and the way it’s spiced, it’s almost indistinguishable from the animal version. Source: BrightVibes

Omnivores are Welcome too

Their Amsterdam based restaurant is Art Deco meet Art Nouveau, with sustainable (and, naturally, plant-based) materials. There are paintings on the walls of the investors who have made the crowdfunding for the restaurant a success. The combination of interior and lighting give the restaurant a great atmosphere. But as beautiful as the restaurant may be, it’s nothing compared to the art that is served on the plates. A  sublimely plated cheesecake, scrambled egg (tofu!) with everything on it and an a Reuben sandwich; the American classic, but then entirely vegan.

The dishes lack nothing in taste and that’s how they look too; the average omnivore can rest easy here. Because they work without any animal products, the kitchen is challenged to  think differently about food and experiment more. You see that with a lot of vegetarian and vegan restaurants. Mr. & Mrs. Watson serves dozens of tasty vegan disches, but they specialise in the one thing many vegetarians think they can’t do without: cheese.

Mr. & Mrs. Watson planning on visiting Amstersam any time soon? Here’s one fine dining tip that will make your heart beat faster if you’re a vegan cheese lover! Source: BrightVibes

Unique Cheeses

In 1944 mister and misses Watson put the term veganism on the (Western) map. Aleid and Kirsi named their restaurant after these vegan pioneers. 

Aleid and Kirsi can be seen as vegan pioneers as well. They redefine cheese as something plant-based. They make all sorts of different cheeses with a (cashew)nut base. They have a cashew-fondue and a goat’s cheese, but also imitate all sorts of blue mould cheeses.

They serve a roquefort; a blue mould cheese with a cashew base. The cashews are crushed and fermented for about six weeks, which allows the blue mould to come into existence. There are also a couple of slightly firmer cheeses, some cheese spreads, almond cream cheese but also a firm Italian pistachio cheese; with a base of slightly fermented cashews, then rolled in pistachio with Italian herbs.

All cheeses are made locally at their restaurant. Their latest project is an extension of their cheese production. They will be opening a vegan cheese factory in Amsterdam. Here they will develop bries and they can produce larger quantities of cheese, so that their vegan cheeses can be bought by other restaurants as well.

This Italian cheese has a cashew base, but is rolled into pistachios and Italian herbs, giving it a great texture ánd flavour. Source: BrightVibes

Veganism

In 2017, the popular food delivery service Just Eat saw an increase in the demand for vegetarian food of no less than 987%

Worldwide there’s more and more people living on a vegetarian or vegan diet. The last numbers are from 2010, so bear in mind that these numbers are now much higher.  In 2010, the nuber of vegans was already 67.000.000.

In big cities in the Western world, more and more vegan restaurants are popping up. In London, Berlin and New York, more vegan options are available.  Unfortunately in Amsterdam, that’s not yet the case.  For every 300 people, there is 1 restaurant but for each vegan restaurant, there are about 1000 vegans.

Say Cheesecake! This cheesecake with a nut base is decorated with vegan cream, basil and berries. Source: BrightVibes

What does it mean for the world when you choose vegan

It should be clear by now that we’re at a crucial point in modern times where it’s time for positive choices. The earth can’t handle our demand for resources: we’re exhausting our planet. The meat and dairy industry take a huge toll on the earth.

Two-thirds of all agricultural land in the world is used for grazing animals or the production or cattle feed.

The emissions of greenhouse gasses are about 60 times higher when producing meat or dairy instead of plant-based products; it uses 10 times more land and up to 40 times more fresh water.

Choosing to eat vegan is one of the most important and most positive choices you can make for the environment.  

By eating vegan for a month, you save, on average:

• 124,917 liter water

• 84 square meters of forrest

• 543 kilo’s of grain

• 273 kilo’s of C02 emissions

• and 30 animal lives

This spicy pepperjack can’tbe distinguished from the real deal! Source: BrightVibes

Week Without Meat

Making the switch to eating vegan may seem daunting; there’s so many standard products in your diet that contain dairy or meat that are no longer available in a vegan diet. It can however also be an interesting and fun challenge. There are oh so many products that didn’t even cross your mind before because there was a standard piece of meat on your plate, or cheese on your sandwich. 

From the 11th til the 17th of March is the Week Without Meat in the Netherlands. Everyone is encouraged to not eat meat for (at least) one week. That seems such a short amount of time, you might as well try it! But even with one week of eating no meat, so much can be gained and saved!

Many restaurants support this initiative by offering meatless dishes.

All dishes and all cheeses are prepared downstairs in the kitchen of the restaurant. But soon there will be a vegan cheese factory, initiated by Kirsi and Aleid. Here they will experiment more with the fermentation process of the cheeses (a brie as well!) and they will be able to produce larger quantities. Source: BrightVibes