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Reigersbos, Amsterdam Zuidoost · Amsterdam · Netherlands

Yemayá's Vegan Corner

A fully vegan Surinamese-inspired eatery in Amsterdam Zuidoost, bringing affordable plant-based cooking to the Reigersbos neighbourhood.

The essentials, at a glance

◐
Impact score
3 - Endorsed
→
Documented practices
Sustainable meat/fish plant-based kitchen
Social impact
Plant-forward menu
Health-intentional kitchen

Style
Casual
Cuisine
Fusion
International
Good to know
Terrace

The delicious details

Yemaya's Vegan Corner is the first fully vegan restaurant in Amsterdam Zuidoost, opened in 2020 by the Ong-A-Kwie family. Named after the African-Caribbean goddess of the sea, it brings plant-based cooking to a neighbourhood shaped by Surinamese food traditions, demonstrating that veganism and cultural heritage sit comfortably together.

The kitchen works with spelt-based breads and pizza dough, fresh herbs, and vegetables sourced in part from Bloei & Groei, a local community garden. Dishes like saoto soup, tempeh pitas, and oyster mushroom shoarma draw on Surinamese and Caribbean flavours, reimagined without animal products.

Counter service keeps things relaxed and affordable, with most mains under thirteen euros. Beyond the dining tables, the space hosts cooking classes and vegan food fairs, functioning as much as a community hub as a restaurant.

Menu
What's on the table, and what's left off

Entirely vegan menu built on Surinamese and Caribbean staples. Pitas and pizza feature spelt dough; fillings include sweet and sour tofu, spicy tempeh, and veganised pom. Saoto soup, oyster mushroom shoarma, and plant-based burgers anchor a kitchen that favours whole grains, fresh herbs, and minimal processing. Counter service keeps mains under thirteen euros.

Cuisine
Fusion
International
Dietary options
Vegetarian options
Fully plant-based
Dairy-free options
Health-intentional kitchen✓
Specific health practices named in at least one sub-area
Self-declared

Spelt flour is used for all breads, pizza bases, and roti; whole grain pancakes are offered as a standard choice. Fresh herbs and healthy oils are emphasised throughout. The kitchen claims no processed or pre-packaged ingredients. Matcha, tulsi, fresh herbal teas, and homemade ginger-lime lemonade are offered, alongside plant milks (almond, oat, coconut) as standard.

Impact score
How this restaurant rates
3 - Endorsed

The restaurant is the first vegan eatery in Amsterdam Zuidoost, explicitly bringing plant-based food to a predominantly Surinamese community. Student discounts for nearby schools, cooking classes, and vegan food fairs have made it a regular meeting point for residents. It is a member of Verenigde Foodondernemers Zuidoost (United Food Entrepreneurs Southeast).

TEDxAmsterdam has recognised it as an example of culture and sustainability working together.

The impact dimensions
Local & direct sourcing
Seasonal cooking
Low waste & circular practices
Social impact✓
Plant-forward menu✓

Bloei & Groei community garden and a local kimchi producer are named sources; core ingredients including tofu, tempeh, and spelt flour are not locally sourced.

The restaurant partners with Bloei & Groei, a local Amsterdam community garden, for seasonal vegetables, and sources from a local kimchi producer. Both suppliers are named and confirmed by independent editorial coverage.

The scope of local sourcing is limited. Tofu, tempeh, spelt flour, spices, and tropical staples such as banana and coconut represent a significant share of the menu and are not sourced locally.

Strongest sourceVan Amsterdamse Bodem ↗

Collaboration with a seasonal community garden supplier indicates awareness, but the core menu appears largely static across sources with no evident seasonal rotation.

The partnership with Bloei & Groei, a seasonal community garden, and description of the salad as seasonal indicate engagement with seasonal availability.

The core menu items (pitas, burgers, soups, pizza) show no variation across available sources and seasons, with no evidence of menu rotation driven by seasonal availability.

Strongest sourceVan Amsterdamse Bodem ↗

Reusable bamboo straws are sold and eco-friendly packaging is used; no specific waste management systems or quantified reduction targets were evidenced.

The restaurant sells reusable bamboo straws and uses eco-friendly packaging. NovaCircle notes the restaurant minimises food waste.

No specific composting programmes, waste segregation systems, or quantified waste reduction targets were documented. General waste awareness without detailed practices limits the scope.

Strongest sourceNovaCircle ↗

As the first vegan restaurant in Amsterdam Zuidoost, it explicitly serves a Surinamese community; student discounts, cooking classes, vegan food fairs, and membership in Verenigde Foodondernemers Zuidoost form its community role.

The restaurant is the first vegan eatery in Amsterdam Zuidoost and explicitly brings plant-based food to a predominantly Surinamese community, demonstrating how veganism and cultural heritage can coexist. This addresses a real cultural gap and shapes local food conversations.

Concrete initiatives include student discounts for nearby schools, cooking classes, vegan food fairs, and membership in Verenigde Foodondernemers Zuidoost (United Food Entrepreneurs Southeast). The space functions as a community hub beyond its restaurant role.

Multiple independent sources (OneWorld, TEDxAmsterdam, Van Amsterdamse Bodem, De Gezonde Stad) corroborate these social impact claims.

Strongest sourceTEDxAmsterdam ↗

Entirely plant-based menu; every dish is vegan, with vegetables, legumes, tofu, tempeh, and mushrooms reimagined through Surinamese and Caribbean traditions.

Every dish on the menu is vegan — no animal products. The menu is built around vegetables, legumes, tofu, tempeh, mushrooms, and whole grains.

The kitchen demonstrates genuine culinary creativity in plant-forward cooking, with Surinamese staples reimagined as vegan dishes: veganised pom (made with mushrooms instead of fish), oyster mushroom shoarma, plant-based burgers, and tempeh pitas. Diverse vegetable preparations include fresh salads, saoto soup, and vegetable-topped pizzas.

Fully plant-based concept is confirmed by multiple independent sources including Vegan Amsterdam, HappyCow, iamsterdam, OneWorld, and TEDxAmsterdam.

Strongest sourceRestaurant submission
Sourcing signals
✓
Direct named-farm sourcing

Bloei & Groei community garden is named as a direct source for seasonal vegetables; a local Amsterdam kimchi producer is also referenced in editorial coverage.

Visit & practical info
Address, price, and more
Address
Reigersbos 3A, 1106 AP Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Open in Google Maps ↗
Price
€
Format
Counter service, à la carte, no reservation needed
Hours
MondayClosed
Tuesday12:00–20:00
Wednesday12:00–20:00
Thursday12:00–20:00
Friday12:00–20:00
Saturday12:00–20:00
SundayClosed
Style
Casual
Good to know
Terrace
Web
yemaya.estate
Reviewed by My Treats
Last reviewed 29 Apr 2026
Reserve
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How we score
The My Treats impact scale

Every restaurant is assessed against SEERO, our six-dimension sustainability framework — covering sourcing, seasonality, waste, animal products, social impact, and plant-forward cooking. Each finding is weighted by how strongly it is corroborated. The combined result is translated into a planet rating from 1 to 5.

The five levels

SEERO is an acronym for Starting, Engaged, Endorsed, Recognised, Outstanding:

Starting First verified signals of sustainable practice.
Engaged Credible practice across two dimensions.
Endorsed Meaningful practice across three or more dimensions.
This place
Recognised Strong practice across four or more dimensions, with independent corroboration.
Outstanding Top-tier practice, confirmed by recognised third-party audit.

How a level is reached. Each level needs two things together: a minimum number of dimensions covered, and a minimum overall strength of evidence across them. A dimension only counts once its evidence is specific and substantiated — a passing mention doesn't qualify. Meeting only one of the two keeps a restaurant a level lower.

Ratings of four or five planets require human validation and, at the top tier, an external audit. Scores are based on publicly available evidence and restaurant submissions at the time of assessment.

Full methodology→
Impact dimension
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How this dimension works
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How evidence is weighted
Self-declared Stated by the restaurant on its website, menu or in a submission. Plausible, but not yet independently corroborated.
Researched Found through independent research; one credible third-party source backs the claim.
Vouched Corroborated across more than one independent source. Some gaps may remain.
Audited Fully corroborated across independent sources or by a recognised third-party certification.
What the sourcing checkmarks mean
✓ Full check — independently verified: corroborated across more than one source, or audited / third-party certified (vouched or audited).
✓ Light check — self-declared or from a single source. Not yet independently verified.
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