Wild & the Moon now has two locations in Amsterdam, after Paris and Dubai

Do you also sometimes find it difficult to decide what to get when you want to pick up lunch instead of spreading a peanut butter sandwich yourself? Something healthy but more filling than a few leaves of lettuce, something that also allows you to soothe your sustainability conscience a little, and hey, it may look attractive too…

And if you also have a bit to spend, because it isn’t cheap, and you enjoy trying out an international success, then this breakfast and lunch spot may be just right for you: Wild & the Moon. The second Amsterdam location recently opened, following earlier openings in Paris and Dubai.

Juicing at the highest level

We attended the opening at Amsterdam’s Zuidas district and were given a tour of the highly professional and fresh kitchen, where the machines used to make juices and their own plant-based milk varieties have a prominent place of honor. The kitchen also produces very tasty savory dishes, as well as a whole range of breakfast bowls.

Low-carb noodles

Wild & the Moon calls itself a movement and talks about a ‘tribe’ to belong to. That makes us feel a little queasy, but if the food is genuinely good, you won’t hear us complain about marketing terms for a while. The noodle bowl we tried was genuinely delicious, and unusual: the noodles are konjac noodles, made from a very low-carb plant. So even if you’re trying to watch your figure, you can happily polish off a big bowl of them.

The art of leaving things out

Also delicious: the banh mi. Fresh, crunchy vegetables, chicken that isn’t chicken, and a creamy, smooth peanut sauce. Gluten-free too. And it’s not just this sandwich: there is no gluten anywhere on the menu, so people with a gluten allergy can order anything, including the bowls with granola and all the sweet treats. You also won’t find animal products, plastic (the juice bottles are made from sugar cane!), or additives here. There are also various colorful ‘frozen bowls’ available, which are sure to prove popular.

Enjoyably plant-based

Healthy, good for the planet, and delicious savory dishes—we’re very enthusiastic! What we found less necessary was the emphasis that ‘everything here is about flavor’ because, let’s be honest, no self-respecting restaurant in the world opens its doors by announcing that this is, for once, not about flavor, right? That aside, we thought the dishes were well executed, and we sincerely hope that eating plenty of plant-based food will become increasingly normal in people’s diets. As long as it tastes good—and this noodle bowl and sandwich certainly did!

Wild & the Moon: Van Woustraat 138 & Arnold Schönberglaan 9, Amsterdam

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