Good Eats in Amsterdam

[mogsob]

Five days in Amsterdam -- here are the highlights.

1.  Cafe Roux.  Wonderful restaurant with excellent service, good wine list (although a bit pricey) and creative food.  The wife had cream of asparagus soup as a starter and pan roasted halibut in a creamy curry sauce as a main.  I had roasted figs and blue cheese wrapped in Bayonne ham as a starter (really great!) and roasted venison (a bit late in the year, but excellent again) as a main.  We split an average chocolate souflee for desert.  A 1996 Trimbach Gewürztraminer Cuvée des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre complemented the meal nicely (and was well priced at 60 euros).  The only drawback was the crowd, which was too casually dressed for the restaurant (several of the diners dressed and acted like they were at home in a BBQ joint in Texas).

2.  Bordweijk.  My kind of place, delivering a relaxed elegance that defies the casual surroundings.  Kind of like Il Buco in NY.  We both had the tasting menu (a deal at 45 euros).  Seared tuna with artichokes alla romana was a fine starter, followed by roast red mullet with clams and squid, roast lamb, selections from a fine cheese tray (no Dutch cheese, btw, but several unusual cheeses from Burgundy, Champagne and Alsalce), and a light desert of walnut ice cream with rubarb.  Choosing from a well-priced, extensive and intersting wine list, we settled on a 1999 Phillipe Alliet Chinon Coteau de Noire (at 45 euros a great deal).  The best part of the restuarant was the service, from the chef presenting the menus and discussing the various dishes with us, to the unsolicited decanting of the Chinon, which benefitted greatly from the exposure.

3.  Le Garage.  Also cited with merit in Michelin, but failed to impress.  Snooty service and mediocre food.

[anil]

We are headed out to AMS next week - In-n-Out kind-of-a-deal.

[Mrs Woman]

I will be once again visiting Amsterdam in June after an enjoyable few days last year. We dined at some abysmal places unfortunately. The first night was a touristy Chinese place, beacuse we'd only just arrived and we're too tired to search. One night we ate at an awful steak place (on the Singel I think, next to a pancake restaurant). I had a kind of chicken satay which was edible, if a little cloying. However, my partner's teak left a lot to be desired. It was almost raw and when alerting the waitress, she pretended she didn't know what we were talking about! hey ho

The best place by far was Morlang on Keizersgracht. Informal atmos, great staff, and lovely modern Dutch (I assume) food. To start I had bruschetta with Dutch goat's cheese, and a salad of chicory, dried ham and fried apples, which was lighter than it sounds, while blokeyo had Quiche made of green asparagus, Monchou (Dutch soft cheese) and baby leeks with tomato and caper chutney.

Mains were thoroughly enjoyed, myself having the pappardelle with smoked mackerel, truffle oil, scallions and Noilly Prat and the other half trying the 'Blinde vink' (a kind of steak sausagey thing made of beef steak, beef tartare and Dutch ham) with white asparagus, boletus cepes and roseval potatoes.

I had a rather unintersting selection of Dutch cheeses for pud but I nicked  a bit of the Dutch apple cake from bloke ad was very nice.

As I said, I'm going back this summer so if anyone has any recommendations... I'd like to try the Super Club, is it hard to get reservations?

[anil]

Last week, we spent a long weekend in AMS and surrounds.

It was essentially to see the Floriade 2002. The three restaurants worth mentioning are -

Memories of India -- (Only place that dared to present a dish from bengal with modicum of authenticity)

Sahid Jaya, Indonesian - A bit expensive, their Rijjstaffel offering was about 32Euro per person - Quite good.

and finally Winter Garden @ Kraznopolsky. The first two are near Rembrandtsplein (or that's where we got off from the trolley/tram)

For street food, do try pickled or raw herring from this stand right by the Centraal Station.

[Billy D]

Most memorable is by far the Super Club; there is nothing else like it.

[Andy Lynes]

Cafe Roux is in the Grand Hotel Amsterdam, located South of the Red light District. This made for an interesting stroll from my Hotel just down from the Central Station, offering as it did the opportunity to purchase some crack, peruse a little hardcore porn, say hi to the scantily clad ladies or toke on the odd joint or two. None of which I actually did I hasten to add, but there were plenty of my country men of all ages who it seemed were only too keen to take advantage of all that Amsterdam has to offer.

I was glad therefore to get in out of the rain and squalor and into the very welcoming surroundings of the restaurant. You can view the interior by clicking here so I won’t attempt to describe it in any great detail. It’s art deco appearance doesn’t completely overcome the general corporate hotel dining room/breakfast room feel, but it’s an attractive enough space to while away a few hours.

I was sat by the door opposite the bar area, one of the worst locations in the room. I wasn’t in the mood to argue however, and was happy to go with the flow, especially as the waitress allocated to my table was possibly the most beautiful woman ever to bring a plate of food to me in a restaurant. I also had a pleasant view out of the window at the canal and it’s passing glass topped barges, which gave me a nice sense of place.

An amuse of beetroot cured salmon with sauce aigre doux was an excellent start to the evening, but the chilled pea and mint soup with scallops which followed was a great disappointment. The soup itself was ordinary and under seasoned, the scallops, two rather meagre specimens. The real killer however were the leaves of fresh spearmint which exploded on the tongue with a very unwelcome Colgate flavour. One was enough, and when I had pushed the remaining greenery to the side of the plate, the soup was at least edible.

Things picked up considerably with a truly awesome rump of lamb with boulangere potatoes and artichoke. Three healthy pink slices of beautifully seasoned and cooked meat were arranged alternating with halves of artichoke around a potato rosette topped boulangere, which in turn sat on a bed of spinach. A limpid jus and some drizzlings of a cream based reduction completed one of the nicest restaurant dishes I have eaten in a restaurant for some while.

The meat was tender and bursting with sweet lamb flavour. A top class bit of protein handled with great skill by the kitchen. A very simple creation, a little dated it’s conception perhaps, but an unalloyed joy to eat. Each element was on the plate for a good reason, and prepared with care and precision. What, it made me wonder, had happened with that soup?

Dessert was a more than competent dark chocolate fondant with white chocolate ice cream, good espresso and petit four to finish. Service was impeccable throughout, with my favourite waitress showing great patience and restraint with some bloody awkward customers (guests in the hotel I gathered) at a nearby table who seemed to have something critical to say about everything placed before them.

The sommelier was of the old school, and, bedecked with the ritualistic silverware of his profession, looked more like he should be addressing a meeting of the local council than pouring me wine. He took great care to find me the most appropriate bottle in the price range I had given him for the food I had chosen, which turned out to be a viognier vin de pays and was right on the money.

Total damage was 79 euros including service, beer, wine and water, which seemed excellent value for such an enjoyable evening.

[tony h]

the opportunity to purchase some crack, peruse a little hardcore porn, say hi to the scantily clad ladies or toke on the odd joint or two. None of which I actually did I hasten to add...

oh, you little fibber.

[Andy Lynes]

Scouts honour....

[John Whiting]

. . . the waitress allocated to my table was possibly the most beautiful woman ever to bring a plate of food to me in a restaurant.

And why no photo?!

[Andy Lynes]

I'd have found it difficult to explain to the wife...

[tony h]

Scouts honour....

scouts - isn't that where you learn about vice for the first time?

[mogsob]

I also had a very fine meal in Cafe Roux back a few months ago. The food was excellent and the sommelier exactly as you describe him.

The only disappointment was the room and the other diners, who seemed too casual in the somewhat formal room. It didn't help that a loud man from Texas and his, um, newly acquainted female companion, were seated directly behind us.

Quite good value for the money, but I much preferred Bordweijk (sp?) in the Jordaan -- see my post below.

[SamanthaF]

I've had a few recent visits to the Dam. Last month I went to dinner at the only/fisrt ( i think) Indonesian Michelin starred restaurant. Spandershove (sp) is located in Hilversham about 1/2 hour outside of Amsterdam. Indonesian is not usually on my wish list of restaurants, but I will be the first to admit that the whole experience was delightful from start to end. We had a tasting type menu and at 45€ per person, I'd say that is a bargain!

I had a so so meal at the Akura hotel on Monday night. Not fussed about returning.

Last night I had dinner at the Excelsior in Hotel De L'Europe. Old fashioned luxury al a Ritz. Food, service and ambience were delightful. I'd like to go back again and again and again.......

[Akiko]

Has anyone seen any food markets there? Food products you can get in Amsterdam that you don't see anywhere else?

I'll be there soon on an in and out sort of trip and would hate to miss something special...

[mogsob]

I hear that you can get really good homemade brownies there.

[Orik]

Has anyone seen any food markets there?  Food products you can get in Amsterdam that you don't see anywhere else?

I'll be there soon on an in and out sort of trip and would hate to miss something special...

There is an excellent market on Albert Cuypstraat, I believe it operates Mon-Fri from around 9am until around 4pm (although some stalls open later and/or close earlier). Most of the produce sold there is not portable, but the cheese stalls offer some of the best of dutch cheese. I'll also be there again soon and would be happy to hear about other markets and shops of interest.

edit:

mogsob - the problem with the homemade brownies is that their effects are rather unpredictable (and the timing can be most inconvenient).

edit2:

a brief report of a recent decrease in the number of food stalls here.

[Orik]

Bordewijk was mentioned here before, but I thought it deserved a more detailed desctription.

The restaurant is located at the edge of the Jordaan, occupying a space that is so sparsely

decorated it feels temporary. Acoustics and ventilation are bad, so on crowded nights (which

are just about any night) it gets loud (in European terms) and very smokey (in absolute terms).

Service tends to be friendly and knowledgable, but expect long pauses (for better or worse) between

dishes if the kitchen is busy. Bordewijk serves food that is basically French, but has both Mediterranean

and Flemish influences, an unlikely combination that mostly works.

For our meal there this time we had:

Amuse - Grilled calamari with olive oil and herbs - nice but too salty

6 Oysters (fines de claires)

A most generous portion (3-4oz after cooking) of roasted foie gras with truffled hollandaise sauce

and 5-6 sliced of black truffle grated on top. At $22 this was the most expensive appetizer on the menu,

but still it was an amazing bargain.

Monkfish and scallop risotto with a scallop coral sauce. Very good risotto and sauce, adequate fish.

Saddle of young venison with pumpkin and ? - reportedly good

Veal kidneys and a veal liver and mashed potato kroket. Lovely.

Cheeses - a small but good selection of French, Italian and Dutch cheeses.

Tiny poached pears with praline ice cream.

Food totalled just under $130 (all included). An average a la carte meal for two should cost about $100.

Bordewijk offers a daily menu, comprising of 3,4, or 5 dishes (I think for $35, $45 and $55 approximately).

Wine mark ups are relatively modest.

Cafe de Klos has been a fixture of Israeli culture for as long as anyone can remember.

Legend has it that the first Hebrew language guide to Amsterdam featured de Klos as

serving 'the best spare ribs in the world'. This might be an overstatement, but certainly

they serve a large portion of excellent ribs, very meaty, with confit like properties and a

lightly charred outside. Other dishes on the menu, which is conveniently printed

on the staff's shirts, are not as good (lamb chops are particularly disappointing).

CdK is tiny and gets very crowded, so you should try and get there early, preferably before 6pm.

$40 for bread and garlic butter, two servings of ribs, two huge baked potatoes and four kiddie sized

Amstels

Nam Kee

Nam Kee is one of Amsterdam's oldest Chinese restaurants and appears to have inspired at least

one Dutch film. We only sampled their steamed oysters (served with 'Nam Kee' sauce, based on

black bean sauce), which were very nice, and an excellent duck and pickled vegetables soup. Low

prices, chinatown decor, rice is not served (or offered) by default.

[Eric_Malson]

Old thread, I know, but ran across it and thought I'd toss in a rec as well.....

Tempo Doloe--very good Indonesian restaurant in more or less the center (I can't remember exactly where it is, but almost everyone knows about it and is pretty easy to find.....Leidseplein, maybe? Anyway, you'll want to look it up and make a reservation because it is extremely popular.). They have a fantastic rijstafel that I still remember 8 years after the fact (that must count for something!)--easily my best meal of two or three separate trips to Amsterdam.

[peterpumkino]

There's an old rule: never eat on anything more than 3 floors high, never eat on anything that is on the water and never eat anything in Holland!

Frankly the food isn't great (unless you like Mussels, Chips and Mayonnaise!) but the Rijjstaffel ('rice table' - Indonesian food usually with 15 or 20 'courses' - small dishes) is an absolute must, and they are everywhere (like the Indian restaurants in England).

Thus endeth my three cents worth on Amsterdam.

Edited April 4, 2003 by peterpumkino (log)

[macrosan]

As the guy who decries appallingly inaccurate decalarations by others on the subject of eating in Italy, I think you've got some cheek saying that, PP. Shame on you

And incidentally, you're talking at least as much rubbish as those you have previously decried. It certainly wasn't worth the three cents.

[peterpumkino]

As the guy who decries appallingly inaccurate decalarations by others on the subject of eating in Italy, I think you've got some cheek saying that, PP. Shame on you 

And incidentally, you're talking at least as much rubbish as those you have previously decried. It certainly wasn't worth the three cents.

It was a joke Macrosan. But I really don't think the food is exceptional n Holland. do you?

[macrosan]

Peter, please put at least one smiley in when you're joking. Otherwise it's so hard to tell (see?

I've had some very good food in Holland. One of my top 20 meals ever was at Die Boerderij in Amsterdam, I've had several other excellent meals in Amsterdam and The Hague, many highly acceptable mid-range meals in those two cities and Scheveningen and in the countryside. I do like Indonesian food, which helps, of course, but I have also found traditional Dutch food to be of good quality.

My guess is that if you go to any country as a tourist and (over several years) spend maybe 50 days there and eat 80-100 meals, you're likely to get a skewed opinion of the "national cuisine". You can be lucky or unlucky. I have spent more than that number of days in Spain, and have never had better than a "kind of OK" meal. But I know that's not a reasonable basis for judgement, because I've always tende to look out somewhere conveniently close to my hotel, or the place I just happen to be passing when I'm hungry, or whatever. So I would never say "the food in Spain is poor" because I just don't know enough to make the comment.

[peterpumkino]

Actually Macrosan, the 'three places you must not eat' in joke came from a book written by a....er.......Dutchman!

I find it extremely difficult to believe you have never found bettter than a "kind of OK" meal in Spain although I admire you for admitting it. Maybe you just don't like the base taste of Spanish food (I had an Argentinian girlfriend who didn't - she hated it) either that or you are ordering the wrong things as, like in Italy (as long as you avoid the tourist spots), it;s very difficult to find a "less than great" meal! IMHO

(Is this alright?!)

[macrosan]

      (Is this alright?!)   

Oh that's much better, PP, almost as good as your avatar

In fact, I do very much enjoy many elements of "Spanish cuisine". My problem is that I've never found a really good restaurant there. I took a few business trips to Barcelona several years ago, but that was pre-eGullet and I had no recommendations for good restaurants; so I ate in a few typically business-style "smart" restaurants and they weren't great. I have had holidays in plenty of resorts, and eaten out on a classic holidaymakers "this looks like a nice place let's try it" basis, and almost always been disappointed. I have found that my best meals have been lunches where I've eaten tapas only.

It's interesting that I have found the same in Greek and Moroccan restaurants --- the best dishes I have sampled are the starters. I have been to many Moroccan restaurants where I just tell them to keep bringing a variety of starters until I tell them to stop.

Anyway, my problem with Spain has not been the style of cuisine, it has been the quality of the restaurants I've been to. Let me repeat that it's clear to me that there must be good restaurants in Spain, it's just that I haven't found them, and that is partly because I haven't sought them out. I have friends who have a villa in Torrevieja (20 miles from Valencia on the coast) and I've stayed there four times. When we go, they always take us out to the "best restaurants in town" and the best of them has been what I described as "kind of OK". An equivalent town in Italy would (in my experience) have many more "best restaurants in town" and they would all, be of a clearly higher standard than Torrevieja. I accept that's a very subjective comparison of one Spanish town with Italian "equivalents" but it's the best I can do

[fresh_a]

Nice to know there are some decent restaurants in Amsterdam- I've always eaten in asian or Indian establishments while there, and didn't know about the other places...