Luxembourg Airport vegan restaurant Yuícery: plant-based bowls and cheesecake

From luxtimes.lu

By Sabrina Backes

Modern, bright and entirely plant-based: Yuícery offers sweet and savoury bowls, juices and vegan cheesecake

The café also has a small terrace from which you can watch the planes. © Photo credit: Sabrina Backes

Until now, people following a vegetarian or vegan diet have found themselves in a culinary no-man’s-land at Luxembourg Airport – and it’s no different at many other airports.

That’s all changing now, as Yuícery has opened its doors at Findel just a few weeks ago. It isn’t located in the terminal itself, but just a few steps away in the new Skypark Business Centre.

When we flew off on holiday recently, our flight didn’t leave until the afternoon, so we wanted to have a leisurely meal beforehand.

The chain behind Yuícery hails from Stuttgart, where it operates several outlets.

With Luxembourg, it is now taking its first step abroad. Its motto is clear: plant-based is to be the new normal. Accordingly, this fast-food chain serves exclusively vegan dishes.

As soon as you step inside, you can tell that a great deal of attention to detail has gone into the design.

Yuícery at Luxembourg Airport impresses with its modern design, colourful bowls and a view of the airplanes. © Photo credit: Sabrina Backes

A terracotta-coloured ceiling arches above the entrance, lending the space a warm, almost gentle feel. The light oak flooring makes it even cosier and doesn’t feel at all austere, as is often the case in airports.

Behind the large window front, the bronze-coloured façade of the Skypark is reflected. Depending on where you sit, you’re also treated to a great view of the apron, where the airplanes are parked or taxiing towards the runway. If you’d rather sit in the fresh air, there’s a terrace for that.

Orders are placed via a screen, in keeping with the times. You then choose a seat and your meal is on the table within a few minutes.

This is ideal if you need to dash straight over to check-in or through security, but it’s also very handy for a quick lunch break.

After all, numerous companies are set to move into Skypark. If you’re in a particular hurry, you can order your food to take away or do so in advance online.

The selection of food and drinks is extensive and extremely tempting. The menu features colourful sweet and savoury bowls, as well as burritos and sandwiches.

Among the savoury bowls, there’s plenty of colourful vegetables and pulses, as well as chicken, minced meat and a tuna alternative. But you don’t have to settle on anything in particular, as you can put the bowls together yourself however you like. You can choose from rice, quinoa or chickpea pasta as a base.

To drink, we opt for two juices. The Green Tonic combines apple, spinach, cucumber and lemon to create a grass-green drink and costs €6.90.

The Apple Carrot Ginger, made with apple, carrot and ginger, is also available for €6.90 and has a pleasant kick.

Almond crisps and cranberries give the classic Caesar salad a new twist. © Photo credit: Sabrina Backes

As is often the case with such drinks, neither is exactly cheap when you consider the amount in the glass. They were certainly refreshing, though.

I opt for the Thai Bowl with sesame dressing as my meal, which costs €16.90.

Hidden beneath the colourful surface are rice, a chicken alternative, red cabbage, edamame, peppers and crunchy peanuts. You can choose your own dressing.

The options included sesame, Thai, Caesar and herb, amongst others. The bowl is generously filled – particularly with rice – and is really filling. The vegetables and the various protein sources complement each other well.

There are a few minor drawbacks with the chicken alternative. To me, it seemed a bit dry and tough. The dressing was almost too sparse for such a large portion; I would have liked a bit more here.

My companion opted for the vegan version of the Caesar salad for €17.50. The crisp romaine lettuce was topped with plant-based “chicken” and croutons.

There were also a few ingredients that gave the classic dish an interesting twist: edamame, spring onions, flaked almonds and cranberries. The cranberries, in particular, add a fruity, tangy note to the salad.

The bowls filled us up nicely, but as we have a sweet tooth, we shared the vegan cheesecake for €5.60 to round off the meal. The vegan cream on the base, intended to replace the cheese, could have been a bit more generous.

On top sits a bright red fruit coulis, which gives the whole thing a lovely tang. The cake tastes delicious, but is more reminiscent of a fruitcake than a classic cheesecake. The menu also features pancakes, banana bread and raw cakes.

We leave the café feeling satisfied and pleasantly full. I can well imagine coming back here on my next holiday, city break or business trip. It would even be worth popping in just for a little sweet treat from the display case at the counter.

The impressive seven-group espresso machine suggests that the coffee might also be of high quality, and the screens above the counter showcase a whole range of matcha specialities.

Details

Address: 1 Avenue de l’Aéroport, L-1110 Luxembourg

Opening hours:

Monday to Friday: 7:00 to 18:00
Saturday and Sunday: 8:00 to 18:00

Contact: Website

https://www.luxtimes.lu/yourluxembourg/foodandnightlife/a-vegetarian-option-at-luxembourg-airport/162426268.html

Veganuary - what it is and how to take part in Luxembourg

From today.rtl.lu 

Find out more about the campaign's background, benefits, and how to make the most out of it here in Luxembourg

Much like Dry January, which asks you to give up alcohol for a month, Veganuary encourages people to go vegan in January.

After adopting a vegan diet out of their love for animals, Jane Land and her partner Matthew Glover founded Veganuary, a UK non-profit organisation. The couple wanted to share their way of life with others and what started as a personal choice soon became a successful charity organisation. Unsure what to expect, the founders launched a small website from their kitchen in 2014, when veganism was far from widely known. Ever since, their project just kept growing and is now an internationally recognised charity. The founders chose the name Veganuary because, just like Movember, it encourages people to do something together for one month; the community this creates makes taking part and sticking to it much easier.

Moreover, January is a time of new beginnings for many people, making the campaign even more appealing. Although the campaign primarily focusses on January, the organisation advocates for a vegan lifestyle throughout the year and encourages people to maintain their vegan diet beyond January.

Since its beginnings, Veganuary has become much more than a simple campaign to promote vegan eating. The organisation not only wants to change your life, but its mission is also to make the world a better place for animals and humans.

To achieve this, they promote the benefits of a vegan diet, such as its positive impact on the environment, while raising awareness about the living conditions of farmed animals. With the help of celebrity ambassadors, like Evanna Lynch and Joaquin Phoenix, and a strong social media presence, they achieve global reach.

So how can you take part?

Ideally you would already have started at the beginning of January. But you can begin at any point of the year.

The best resource to start is Veganuary’s own website, where you can take a pledge and officially commit to living vegan for a month. Once you have signed up, Veganuary will send you a free e-cook book and a dedicated email each day with helpful information and tips to make the transition easier. The website also has loads of recipes, nutrition guides, and a blog, among other valuable resources.

In 2015 the campaign reached around 12,000 people, which already seemed a lot to the founders. Six years later, in 2021, they reached a staggering 580,000 people, and the number is set to increase in 2022.

This large number of participants reflects the growing popularity of a vegan diet and people’s willingness to try something new. These numbers are promising; even if some people start eating animal products after the month, they often do so more mindfully. Raising this awareness and promoting plant-based alternatives is precisely what Veganuary wants to achieve.

The project’s popularity allowed the founders to get their voices heard by large corporations, which now release more and more vegan products specifically for Veganuary. Restaurants add new items to their menus, and supermarkets broaden their range of vegan products. The most popular items often stay on the shelves or the menu after the dedicated month has passed.

Veganuary in the Grand Duchy

Because Veganuary started in the UK, their biggest impact is there. Therefore, the UK is probably one of the most accessible places to take part, as companies plan for it and vegan options are everywhere.

Although Veganuary has now reached more countries, such as Germany, India, or Spain, it has not yet taken off in Luxembourg. However, that does not mean you can’t take part; you might just have to put slightly more effort into it.

Most large supermarkets and organic shops will have a reasonable range of vegan products, so you don’t have to change your habits dramatically. It's worth checking out different shops to get an overview of the vegan options - there are more than you might think!

Eating out can be trickier, as most restaurants in Luxembourg don’t specifically cater for vegans, let alone prepare for Veganuary. Luckily there are several dedicated vegan and vegetarian restaurants that you can visit. Find them here.

International chains might even release their vegan products in Luxembourg, so look out for any announcements. The website of the Luxembourg Vegan Society  is also worth delving into, especially if you are looking for a vegan community at home and not just online.

https://today.rtl.lu/luxembourg-insider/dining-and-drinking/a/1848040.html