Shortly before midday, the restaurant on Avenue John F. Kennedy gradually fills up. Between men in suits and women in blazers, a woman in a sports outfit makes her way to one of the tables.
She is carrying a jute bag over her shoulder and is still slightly sweaty from training. The clientele is mixed, but the demands are similar: they all want healthy, colourful food that is also filling.
This is exactly what they find at Happ, which stands for Healthy and Pure Products. According to the restaurant, it does not use artificial additives and favours local ingredients.
The menu mainly includes plant-based salads, sandwiches, soups and warm bowls, which can be supplemented with fish or chicken on request. But the question remains: does it taste good?
I opt for the “Indian Bowl” for €17.80. Brown rice forms the basis, with green peas, lentils and roasted carrots piled on top. The whole thing is garnished with coconut flakes, fresh coriander, radishes and marinated onions.
The curry sauce has a mildly sweet flavour and the creamy lentils melt in the mouth. The dish is exactly to my taste and warms my palate in a pleasant way. If you like it spicier, the “Green Curry Bowl” might be something for you.
My companion reaches for the menu of the day and orders the “Protein Tunacado Toast”. The handmade wholemeal bread is topped with a paste made from tuna, avocado and Greek yoghurt.
It is topped with wafer-thin courgette spaghetti and pine nuts. The whole thing is topped with green pesto with intense basil and garlic flavours and sweet and sour pomegranate seeds.
The saying “You eat with your eyes” is apt at this sight. Unfortunately, it is so generously topped that you can hardly take a bite without something slipping down. But to complain would be to nitpick.
You also have the option of ordering the various dishes with soup or salad. This then costs €21.90. My companion opts for the soup of the day, a tomato and basil soup with coconut milk. It comes with bread and curry hummus for dipping.
The soup itself is surprisingly tasty: the coconut milk makes it nice and creamy, while the basil adds a fresh, almost peppery flavour. My companion seems satisfied, but is visibly struggling through the portion.
In hindsight, the sandwich alone would probably have been enough, but such judgements are difficult when you order a dish for the first time.
When it comes to drinks, we avoid soft drinks and opt for freshly squeezed juices. I go for the “Sunshine Juice” with orange, carrot, lemon and ginger. The latter is clearly noticeable and has a sharp finish.
My companion chooses the “Green Juice” with spinach, rocket, avocado, apple, ginger and lemon. The colour is reminiscent of young grass, the taste is surprisingly mild and the bitterness of the rocket is well drowned out by the sweet apple. As both juices cost €5.20 each, they could be a little more generous.
After this protein-rich meal, we didn’t really have any room for dessert. But the cakes on display had already caught our eye when we walked in. We both opted for the vegan carrot cake for €6 each, which turned out to be the best choice of the day.
The cake is moist without being too heavy and contains whole walnuts. There is a thick layer of cashew cream on top, which is not too sweet and has that typical buttery flavour.
There is also a raspberry sauce, which adds a tart flavour and balances the whole thing out. Our conclusion: the dishes are uncomplicated in their composition, but well thought out in terms of flavour.
They fill you up without weighing you down – you leave the restaurant feeling energised instead of sluggish. The ingredients are fresh and have an intense flavour. And while sober office facades tower into the sky outside, the owners have actually created something of a retreat inside – a place where you can consciously do something good for yourself while eating.
Info
Address: 44 Av. John F. Kennedy, L-1855 Neudorf-Weimershof
Monday – Friday: 08:30 – 14:00
Saturday and Sunday: closed
The restaurants reviewed in the “Table Talk” column are not informed that a reporter is visiting. Mediahuis Luxembourg pays a contribution towards the cost of the meal. The rest is paid by the reviewer.
