Dimitri Gutjahr opened Greenside Café four years ago, when the vegan restaurant landscape in Joburg was barren. He conceptualised each dish on the menu, resulting in a food offering that is as rare as it is enticing. His focus is on unique dishes that burst with flavour, while remaining balanced and healthy.
The highlight for me was our starter, the Raw Wrap (R36). Made of dehydrated apple and banana, it is filled with spiralised raw sweet potato drenched in a macadamia nut mayo and pesto, and topped with cucumber, avocado and tomato. The result is a tangy, crunchy filling, with the wrap providing texture to the dish.
For mains, I opted for the Victorino, R79, crispy sautéed tofu, brown rice with sprouts, wilted spinach, carrots and beetroot, while my husband went for the Mexican Pizza: R82, Napolitano with spicy beans, avocado, tomato and cashew nut cream. Pizza bases are homemade sour dough, and contain a mixture of whole wheat, rye and white flours. We found ourselves picking the dishes apart, trying to identify the ingredients, while my carnivorous partner was bewildered at the fact that no animal products had gone into such an enjoyable meal.
It is refreshing to look through a menu and know that each item has been well thought out and put together based on its nutritional value, instead of having to comb through a menu to find isolated healthy options and wonder how healthy they really are. Gutjahr makes an effort to source organic ingredients where possible, and does not compromise on quality.
Even dessert was relatively guilt free. The Raw Maple Cheesecake, R45, is made from cashews, vanilla and lemon, and sweetened with agave nectar (a low GI sweetener extracted from a cactus.)
Expert Review
Dimitri Gutjahr opened Greenside Café four years ago, when the vegan restaurant landscape in Joburg was barren. He conceptualised each...
Dimitri Gutjahr opened Greenside Café four years ago, when the vegan restaurant landscape in Joburg was barren. He conceptualised each dish on the menu, resulting in a food offering that is as rare as it is enticing. His focus is on unique dishes that burst with flavour, while remaining balanced and healthy.
The highlight for me was our starter, the Raw Wrap (R36). Made of dehydrated apple and banana, it is filled with spiralised raw sweet potato drenched in a macadamia nut mayo and pesto, and topped with cucumber, avocado and tomato. The result is a tangy, crunchy filling, with the wrap providing texture to the dish.
For mains, I opted for the Victorino, R79, crispy sautéed tofu, brown rice with sprouts, wilted spinach, carrots and beetroot, while my husband went for the Mexican Pizza: R82, Napolitano with spicy beans, avocado, tomato and cashew nut cream. Pizza bases are homemade sour dough, and contain a mixture of whole wheat, rye and white flours. We found ourselves picking the dishes apart, trying to identify the ingredients, while my carnivorous partner was bewildered at the fact that no animal products had gone into such an enjoyable meal.
It is refreshing to look through a menu and know that each item has been well thought out and put together based on its nutritional value, instead of having to comb through a menu to find isolated healthy options and wonder how healthy they really are. Gutjahr makes an effort to source organic ingredients where possible, and does not compromise on quality.
Even dessert was relatively guilt free. The Raw Maple Cheesecake, R45, is made from cashews, vanilla and lemon, and sweetened with agave nectar (a low GI sweetener extracted from a cactus.)