Vegan | vegetarian cooking is a type of cuisine that can exist next to other respected cuisines. I studied Macrobiotic Cooking & Philosophy in Rotterdam (www.gimselacademy.nl/opleiding/natuurvoedingskok/), The Netherlands. I always have been interested in food that benefits our health. Also I have deep respect and love for traditional cuisines and their techniques. So I combined my macrobiotics study with an internship at a classical French restaurant with one Michelin star. (http://www.restaurantamarone.nl/).
These two places is where I work at the moment, since I moved to the Alpujarra, Spain.
- Casa Las Chimeneas, Mairena. https://www.laschimeneas.com/ Mostly work here when there are yoga retreats on, or when they are in need of extra help in the kitchen. Together with other chefs responsible for menu, ordering, etcetera.
- House of Light, Bayacas. https://houseoflight.love Retreat centre with fully vegetarian kitchen. With two other chefs we form the kitchen team and work together on menu planning, ordering, etcetera.
- Tibetan Buddhist Retreat Centre Oseling, Andalucia, Spain (www.oseling.org)
This beautiful place high up in the mountains at 1600 m, is a centre for retreats and courses. Everybody working there is a volunteer. This place I can call a second home. I cooked here for in total four months in 2016/2017. Responsible for mise en place, menu planning, keeping stock and keeping the kitchen clean of course.
Here below you find places where I have been working in the past.
- Itha108 yoga retreat, island Ithaca, Greece. www.itha108.com
Beautifully designed yoga retreat on the Greek island Ithaca. I worked here for a couple of weeks this year. Responsible for lunch and three course dinner, together with the local sous-chef, as well as making cakes and ordering ingredients.
- Tibetan Buddhist Retreat Centre Oseling, Andalucia, Spain (www.oseling.org)
This beautiful place high up in the mountains at 1600 m, is a centre for retreats and courses. Everybody working there is a volunteer. This place I can call a second home. I cooked here for in total four months in 2016/2017. Responsible for mise en place, menu planning, keeping stock and keeping the kitchen clean of course.
- Café-restaurant Korpoström, island Korpo, Finland (http://www.tritonmarin.fi/en/korpostrom-en.html)
Busy summer place where we ran the kitchen with three or four people. Seasonal menu with local fish and meat. Worked here the summer of 2016.
- Yoga retreat Vale de Moses, Portugal (http://valedemoses.com/)
Beautiful place with amazing people. I got the opportunity to be the chef here for five months in 2015. The owners Andrew and Vonetta gave me all the freedom and trust to manage the busy retreat kitchen.
- Restaurant ‘De Matroos en het Meisje’, Rotterdam, The Netherlands (http://www.dematroosenhetmeisje.nl/)
Great food with set menu every week, 3 to 6 courses. Worked here as a cook in 2013 and 2014.
- Buddhist temple Muryokoin, Koyasan, Japan (https://www.muryokoin.org/int/)
One of my precious experiences in Japan. Went to Japan in 2013 (after I quit my job at Spirit, see below) to find an internship in a Japanese temple to learn about the amazing shojin ryori (devotional kitchen, vegan Japanese kaiseki). I stayed here for a couple of weeks. TV Tokyo made a little movie about my search for the tv-series ‘Hey you, what are you doing in Japan?!). 
- Restaurant Spirit, Rotterdam, The Netherlands (http://www.spiritrestaurants.nl/rotterdam/en/)
Best vegetarian buffet food in Rotterdam, 100% certified organic. Worked here in 2012-2013, my first full-time cooks job (after being a journalist for 10 years).
Chez Sjaan 