Chef Amanda Cohen has been wowing New Yorkers for years with the amazing way she uses vegetables at her renowned restaurant Dirt Candy on the Lower East Side.
And now she’s bringing those magical powers to a new fast-casual all-vegan eatery called “Lekka,” along with co-founder Andrea Kerzner. The main feature of the menu is the Lekka Burger, which is based on a 900-year-old recipe Cohen started experimenting with in the Dirt Candy kitchen.
What she ended up creating was a delicious, plant-based burger, made with 14 ingredients that could be found in your very own kitchen. It has no soy or gluten, and is made fresh every single day. On the menu you can get it topped with “cheese” sauce, ketchup, mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, house pickles, or with peri peri sauce (a red pepper sauce).
There are also a bunch of different loaded fries on the menu, along with comfort-food-esque salads like a broccolini caesar and a twist on a Waldorf salad with cauliflower.
And let’s not forget about the dessert! Milkshake flavors include: chocolate, strawberry, caramel, halvah (a Middle Eastern candy made from sesame paste) and matcha (plus you can add a shot of bourbon or rum to them!). There are also beers and kombucha on tap as well as cocktails with a healthy twist like Carrot Juice Punch and a Beet Vodka Gingerade.
Besides just being better for your health, Lekka Burgers are also way better for the planet. They produce 98% less acidifying pollution than beef burgers and use 97% less land.
Now this is the kind of healthy lifestyle we can get behind!
Practical information
featured image source: Instagram @veganeatsnyc