Funky Jungle

Sink your teeth into a vegan Habsburger at Funky Jungle

Meet Marjan Keijzer and Razvan Masuri from vegan restaurant Funky Jungle: a duo that is at least as creative as the chefs at the court of Margaret of Austria. They make all their own dishes from scratch. Like the Habsburger: a lentil burger in a soft bun with a smooth sauce of fig jam. You'll definitely be back for more!

Surprising Renaissance cuisine

Marjan Keijzer: ‘Just like the chefs from 500 years ago, we also work with what nature gives us. The Habsburger only contains ingredients that already existed during the Renaissance. We wanted to find that simplicity again. I made a burger bun from wheat and rye: crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with caraway seeds as a finishing touch. The burger itself is made with green lentils and oven-roasted carrots. I add herbs with onion and chopped hazelnuts for the bite. On top of that, there is a sauce of lentil cream and fig jam.’

‘Lentils, almond milk, meat substitutes: today those products are very hip and contemporary. But 500 years ago, the nobility and rich bourgeoisie were also experimenting with these ingredients. And that was because of fasting. People were not allowed to eat meat or dairy. So they had to be creative. They used plant-based products in the kitchen and looked for alternatives to meat, butter and eggs. All the ingredients Funky Jungle started working with were also available in the early 16th century. Lentils, wheat and rye which was called maslin then, dried figs, caraway seed, apple, fennel ... If you want to taste fine cuisine as it was during Lent in the time of Margaret of Austria, then you have to come to Funky Jungle. With her vegan cuisine, Marjan is even more inventive than her predecessors, who also had fish available during the fast. As if that wasn't enough, she even provides a contemporary drink with a Renaissance touch: the apple-fennel spritzer, a combination that was typical of that time.’

 

Jeroen Van Vaerenbergh, The Food Archaeologist

Popular, vegan and delicious

‘Funky Jungle is a popular, small and cozy restaurant at the foot of St Rumbold’s tower. We offer a Funky Deluxe burger, Vegan Kapsalon or Maharaja salad: completely vegetarian. Those who are not familiar with vegetarian or vegan menus are sometimes a bit wary when they come in. But we see them coming back with great enthusiasm. We have three regular salads and three burgers on our menu, and every week there are changing specials.’

Come and try it, says Marjan

‘If you visit Mechelen, be sure to try out the three other vegan businesses in our city. Stop by coffee shop and vegan patisserie Kato Gâteaux, take-away Cristina’s Kitchen and street food store Také. Enjoy a nice show at nona. Or head into Rivierenland natural reserve on the Animalinas route. Along the way, you will come across the colourful and educational graffiti works of street artist Dzia, who has depicted animals from this region.’