Restaurant Kle Refined plant-based cuisine

Filigree sophistication, a small blossom here and there alongside a plate that is already beginning to look like an enchanted little garden. And this is no coincidence, as the Kle restaurant in Wiedikon cooks exclusively plant-based dishes. Not only the restaurant itself but also head chef Zineb "Zizi" Hattab has quickly become a vegan shooting star of the Zurich food scene.

And rightly so, as her charming corner restaurant Kle has been serving seasonal and modern European cuisine since the start of 2020. A success with an announcement, considering Hattab's masters, with whom she immersed herself in the trade after her first profession as a software engineer: Andreas Caminada, Massimo Bottura, and the Roca brothers.

To ensure that all the dishes on the evening surprise menus are vegan, the Kle kitchen is exceptionally creative, serving smoked carrot tartare or Kentucky fried mushrooms, for example. Hattab likes to use all kinds of marinades for her dishes, as is customary in her ancestral country of Morocco. The vegan top chef has been recognised for her efforts with 14 GaultMillau points, a star for her cuisine, and a green star for sustainability in the Michelin Guide.

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Hattab does not necessarily want to convert people to veganism but is rather fascinated and inspired by "the beauty of nature and respect for other living beings [...]. Becoming vegan is the quickest way to have a positive impact on our home, the planet," as she explains to Nicole Giger and fempop. The outstanding culinary experience at Restaurant Kle may convince people to go vegan after all.

Ronja C. Kolls

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