The foodlover's guide to Amsterdam

[gaf]

Klary, thanks for the suggestions on this and on other threads.

I just returned from a week in Amsterdam with a range of food memories.

The finest memory was a wonderful chocolateria in the Jordaan area - west of Central Station. Jordino has some really wonderful marzipan treats (a concoction of figs, chocolate and marzipan, and one of dates, chocolate, and marzipan. The other desserts were equally good. Their ice cream, in contrast, was only fair.

Jordino

Haarlemmerdijk 25

020-420-3255

A second worthy dining adventure was the Surinaam-Indian eatery Wan Pipel at Albert Cuypstraat 140 (020-671-8001). This small restaurant is behind the shops at the Cuypstraat street market. There are a number of Surinam-Chinese restaurants along Cuypstraat, but much of the food at these restaurants (according to the menu) seem Chinese in design. Wan Pipel is more South Asian. We ordered Roti Lams (Lamb Roti), Baka Bana (baked banana), lapis (a red and white coconut dessert), samosa, and a kip pastei (a chicken pastry). I cannot suggest that this was the most fantastic Indo-Caribbean meal I've had, but I enjoyed the food, the hospitality, and the bustling market.

Wan Pipel

Albert Cuypstraaat 140

020-671-8001

We also enjoyed Pygma Lion, a South African restaurant on Nieuwe Spiegelstraat. The food was less Afrikaans that I imagined it would be, and I was less taken by the game (zebra, oryx, etc.) with nouvelle sauces. But I did enjoy the fish cakes, the guinea fowl liver with hot sauce, and a coconut-pumpkin soup. They need a better selection of South African wines and more traditional Afrikaans dishes. It is a small, friendly restaurant. It is in a space that once was home to a gallery named Pygmalion, and thus the name Pygma Lion.

Pygma Lion

5a Nieuwe Spiegelstraat

We also ate two Indonesian meals: at Tempo Doeloe and at Blue Pepper. Tempo Doeloe is the more traditional in design (batik) and cuisine, and we had a 25 course rijsttafel. Unfortunately my party didn't like heat, and I would have preferred more spice. Even the medium spicy dishes lack much pepper (this is, of course, Amsterdam!). I would recommend the restaurant, however, mostly for the experience but also secondarily for the food.

The other was Blue Pepper, which is a very contemporary, stylish space with Indonesian-inflected dishes. The design of the food was compelling as well, although the combinations were not memorable. Still, it was a quite satisfying meal, even though t was a good deal more expensive than Tempo Doeloe.

For more traditional rijsttafel TD is a good choice, BP is an interesting up-scale restaurant that grounds its new cuisine on Indonesian flavors.

Tempo Doeloe

Utrechtstraat 75

020-625-6718

Blue Pepper

Nassaukade 366

Pancake Bakery was quite good for traditional (and not so traditional) Dutch pancakes (they have a collection of "international" pancakes). My apple and cheese baked pancake was excellent, particularly for the first night of my visit, when I needed a light repast.

Pancake Bakery

Prinsengracht 191

020-625-1333

Two disappointments

Sluizer on Utrechtstraat (near Tempo Doeloe) is a nothing special outpost of international cuisine.

D'Vijff Vlieghen [The Five Flies] (Spuistraat 294-302, 020-530-4060) was a restaurant that I first went to in 1959 when I was nine. The restaurant is a Dutch "theme park - a series of nine rooms that each in their own way captures images of Dutch history. As a nine year old, I ordered Duck l'Orange (and how Dutch is "[House of] Orange" Sauce!), and I was transfixed and transformed. It is the first "gourmet" food that I can recall (perhaps in that it suggested that a main course can be dessert!). When I returned in the 1980s, the food was OK. Now in 2006, it is awful. Dish after dish was poorly cooked, poorly conceived, and filled with off-tastes and cheap ingredients (A four course tasting menu was only 38 Euros, so you get what you pay for). The service was no better than the food (we had to keep asking for water). Very disappointing. I thought that I would return again in 2030, but I'm having my doubts, even though I'm sure D'Vijff Vlieghen will still be around.

[Timo]

dag,

thanks for the recommendations! sorry it's taken so long to report back. school and life does sometimes get in the way of food...we had a great weekend foodwise and otherwise in amsterdam.

two favorites:

- Balthazar's Keuken

Elandsgracht 108

http://restaurants.diningcity.com/amsterda...azarskeuken/en/

Balthazar's keuken was really special. easy to find and get to, but it still seemed like a pretty local place. (well.. we were the only ones not speaking dutch at least) the menu is fixed, your choice of entree. really nicely done, simple food. a few goofs here and there (overcooked veal, beatiful cheese that was unhappily drowning in a cloying sauce) but, to be honest, we arrived late with no reservation and things had to be a bit rushed for us. Super deal for your money.

- Restaurant Greetje

Peperstraat 23

http://restaurants.diningcity.com/amsterda...tml&top=top.jpg

(Thanks for the rec. Chufi!) Turns out none of the locals know where Peperstraat is... but don't let that stop you from visiting. Restaurant Greetje was so exciting because it seems so.. Dutch! We had mixed appetizers, heavy on the seafood, even a black pudding (not sure if that is dutch..). oxtail and pea soups were especially good. My boyfriend had a special dish - Limburgs Zoervleisch i think is the name - but it was a beef stew, in a vinegary broth actually. this sounds awful in words but it was in fact so piquant and the beef so well cooked that i think it was my favorite dish of the trip. i had north sea red poon (i don't get to try many North Sea fish in new York) that was not especially to my liking but i'm glad i tried it. for dessert, another sampling platter, like the appetizers. my favorite was the Hangop with chopped mint and prunes. sounds unexciting. but it isn't. hangop is something of a dutch yogurt, i take it. maybe someone can further enlighten us? anyway, it is delicious, and i have never had prunes that i enjoyed so much.

the space itself is nice and very homey. i think restaurant Greetje may be new? they seemed to be working out minor kinks still... but nothing so much that distracted from the food. they were very surprised to have two new yorkers for dinner though, which gives me the impression Restaurant Greetje is also largely undiscovered by the masses at this point.

[Weasel]

Timo - I agree on Greetje - and thank you so much Chufi for recommending it.

We ate there when we were in Amsterdam over Easter on Chufi's recommendation on this thread and were not disappointed. Firstly it is a lovely couple of rooms at different levels with a cosy atmosphere and very friendly and welcoming staff and a lovely view over a quiet canal.

We too had to have the "Greetje's big beginnings" which is a sample of all of their starters. These included a light but very deeply flavoured clear oxtail broth, fresh tasting pea soup, lamb stew on a flaky pastry round into which the stew soaked temptingly, fried black pudding with apple, scallop with some very good dutch cheese which highlighted the flavour of the scallops surprisingly well and a shot glass of delicious brown shrimps with a piquant sauce.

Then E had a good piece of steak, perfectly cooked with a vast piece of duck liver topping it. In the spirit of adventure I chose veal tongue which was a revelation, this had been poached then fried so the interior had the delicate, almost mousse-like texture of properly cooked offal and the outside was nicely caramelised by the pan. The flavour was superb.

With this we drank a good bottle of rioja and beforehand had a drink at the bar - some cheap options of wine by the glass or carafe were available and perfefctly drinkable

We were too full to manage puddings although these looked good and there was a similar tasting option of all puddings. Instead we were brought chocolate eggs and mints with coffee and the host brought us a complimentary liquer which was poured to the accompaniment of a story on its history.

I agree with Timo that we were the only non-dutch diners there and it is clearly popular with locals though it has only been open for a few months. Thanks again to Chufi for recommending such a special place and I would not hesitate to recommend Greetje to others.

[Chufi]

The finest memory was a wonderful chocolateria in the Jordaan area - west of Central Station. Jordino has some really wonderful marzipan treats (a concoction of figs, chocolate and marzipan, and one of dates, chocolate, and marzipan.

←

I used to live in that neighborhood, and often bought their chocolate. Very good indeed!

A second worthy dining adventure was the Surinaam-Indian eatery Wan Pipel at Albert Cuypstraat 140 (020-671-8001). This small restaurant is behind the shops at the Cuypstraat street market.

←

Another very nice place to eat Surinamese food is in the take-away section of my favorite toko, Toko Tjin (eerste van der Helststraat 64, in a little street just off the Albert Cuyp market):

D'Vijff Vlieghen [The Five Flies] (Spuistraat 294-302, 020-530-4060) was a restaurant that I first went to in 1959 when I was nine. The restaurant is a Dutch "theme park - a series of nine rooms that each in their own way captures images of Dutch history. As a nine year old, I ordered Duck l'Orange (and how Dutch is "[House of] Orange" Sauce!), and I was transfixed and transformed. It is the first "gourmet" food that I can recall (perhaps in that it suggested that a main course can be dessert!). When I returned in the 1980s, the food was OK. Now in 2006, it is awful. Dish after dish was poorly cooked, poorly conceived, and filled with off-tastes and cheap ingredients (A four course tasting menu was only 38 Euros, so you get what you pay for). The service was no better than the food (we had to keep asking for water). Very disappointing. I thought that I would return again in 2030, but I'm having my doubts, even though I'm sure D'Vijff Vlieghen will still be around.

←

I am sorry that you had a disappointing dinner there. But thanks for posting about it, it can be a warning for others!

- Balthazar's Keuken

Elandsgracht 108

Balthazar's keuken was really special. easy to find and get to, but it still seemed like a pretty local place. (well.. we were the only ones not speaking dutch at least) the menu is fixed, your choice of entree. really nicely done, simple food.

←

I haven't been there in a while, but I agree it has a very nice atmosphere, very relaxed.

- Restaurant Greetje

Peperstraat 23

(Thanks for the rec. Chufi!) Turns out none of the locals know where Peperstraat is... but don't let that stop you from visiting. Restaurant Greetje was so exciting because it seems so.. Dutch! (...)

My boyfriend had a special dish - Limburgs Zoervleisch i think is the name - but it was a beef stew, in a vinegary broth actually. this sounds awful in words but it was in fact so piquant and the beef so well cooked that i think it was my favorite dish of the trip. (...)

my favorite was the Hangop with chopped mint and prunes. sounds unexciting. but it isn't. hangop is something of a dutch yogurt, i take it. maybe someone can further enlighten us? anyway, it is delicious, and i have never had prunes that i enjoyed so much.

(...)

←

I'm glad Greetje is such a success! Maybe I should go there myself one of these days!

Timo, there is a recipe for Limburgs sweet and sour rabbit in the Dutch Cooking thread over here, which is, I think, similar to the beef you had at the restaurant.

Hangop means "to hang up" and is simply joghurt, drained in a cheesecloth for hours until it has become very thick and creamy.

Edited May 21, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[Chufi]

2 weeks ago I had a really good dinner at le Hollandais.

No pics cause it was our anniversary dinner and I left the camera at home for once.

I had a very rich and subtly flavored rabbit ravioli to start, my husband had a salad with grilled bay squid. We both had perfectly cooked turbot, and molten chocolate cakes for dessert. While this was not a 'dinner to remember' (as you can see I've forgotten most of the details of this dinner), everything is very well excuted - it's the kind of place you can trust to give you a very good meal, in a very pleasant atmosphere, every single time.

Service is excellent and the restaurant is located on the river Amstel, perfect for a nice after dinner stroll.

[Chufi]

I am going to cross-post some of the places I visited during my second blog, to make it easier to find them for future Amsterdam visitors.

a 10-minute ferryride from Central Station, in Amsterdam Noord, is this nice little harbor restaurant Wilhelminadok.

It has a lovely terrace with a spectacular view and I highly receommend it on a sunny day for coffee or lunch:

Kroketten, with Central Station in the background.

[Chufi]

de Koffiesalon (Utrechtsestraat 130) is a relatively new coffeeplace. Thet serve great coffee from very early in the morning, (7 AM) which is unusual in Amsterdam. Nicely decorated with large communal tables where you can relax with your coffee and a magazine. Another good thing about this place is that they sell pastries from one of the city's great patisseries, Lanskroon (the patisserie is located in the city centre, Singel 385). Lanskroon is famous for their stroopwafels and their stroopwafel variations, the one with figpaste is my favorite.

In the summer, the shop at Singel sells award-winning artisinal icecream.

Edited May 21, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[Chufi]

Yesterday a friend took me to cheeseshop Kef for a cheesetasting.

In business since 1952, this shop has changed owners a couple of times the past years. The present owners are running the shop for a year now and I was very pleasantly surprised with what they are doing!

The focus is on French cheeses, but one of the things that distiguishes this shop from other cheeseshops in Amsterdam is the fact that you can sit down with a plate of cheese and a glass of wine, while chatting with owner Frank about cheese, wine, or life in general. A very friendly and relaxing atmospehere.. and some excellent cheeses.

This was just the first plate of 3 that we had yesterday: a Dutch goatscheese from Brabant, a Spanish goatscheese with almonds, and a Reblochon.

My favorite from yesterday was a blue cheese called Persille de Malzieu.

Highly recommended!

[Chufi]

On another thread someone asked what's New in the Amsterdam restaurant scene.

here are some places that are new, and that have gotten some good reviews. Note: I haven't been to either of them!

Brasserie Flo

Amstelstraat 9 (in the Eden hotel).

French brasserie of the La Coupole empire. Classic French brasserie food: steak tartare, onion soup, crepes Suzette, tarte Tatin.

French is the trend, it seems. Another opening:

The French Cafe

Gerard Doustraat 98

De Kroonluchter

Beautiful location in de Utechtsestraat.

[Chufi]

IJssalon Pisa has been voted best icecreamshop in Amsterdam in newspaper Het Parool this weekend. No surprise to us because it has been our favorite for years . They have all the classic flavors, and novelties like liquorice icecream, ginger icecream, after eight icecream (chocolate & mint) and the best pistachio icecream I ever tasted.

It's not exactly in the centre but really worth the detour!

Just around the corner is IJssalon Venezia, so you could make it an Icecream comparison excursion!

Edited July 9, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[Chihiran]

I wish I read this thread before leaving Amsterdam! It was the last stop during our vacation (London, Paris, Brussels, Bruge), and we were only able to stay for three nights. I stayed at the Hotel Okura, which is very seperated from the center of the town, but it was very close to the markets on Albert Cuypstraat. I lived mostly on pastries during the trip, because we weren't able to go to any traditional Dutch restaurants (so sad!)

I tried Indonesian food at a restaurant near the Bloemenmarkt called La Selecta (?). I'm sure that it's not one of the best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam (we wandered in randomnly) because it really didn't match my tastes. The spices were so heavy, that both me and my husband were full until the evening.

I loved the speculaas, pofferties, pancakes, and every other sweet. The boterkoek that came along with my tea at Pattisserie Kwekkeboom (so close to our hotel, has anyone heard of this?) and was so deliciously buttery. I didn't have my camera with me the day I had the pofferties, there was such a huge scoop of butter on top of them that I thought it was ice-cream. I couldn't eat all of it, but the pofferties tasted like Japanese pancakes.

My favorite non-culinary attraction was the Van Gogh Museum. It's just the right size, I could have spent the entire day there. We also toured the Heineken Brewery, but we both thought it was too commercial after the tour in Bruge. But I'm so glad that we went to Amsterdam, it's joined Paris as one of my favorite cities in Europe.

[Chufi]

Chihiran, I'm glad you enjoyed your stay.

Yes, Kwekkeboom is a really good patisserie, they also make famous kroketten (the savoury deep-froed meat croquettes).

If you ever come back, let me know and maybe I can advise you on some other restaurants!

[carter]

Hi, I'm visiting Amsterdam soon and I'm hearing reports about Christophe not being so good lately. He's managed to keep his star, but I'm wondering if anyone has been there lately.

Thanks!

[markemorse]

wow chufi, this is just what I've been looking for, someone else blogging about food in Amsterdam in English! and blogging excellently...big yay. great, great posts...

i'd like to add a couple of recommendations (um, actually eleven at last count)...these would be things I would really really miss if I left Amsterdam for any length of time.

+++

1a) Broodje Pom at De Tokoman, Waterlooplein 327.

As you probably know if you're on this page, a broodje is a sandwich. As you may not know, pom is a Surinamese casserole, sort of. It's a baked, kind of Thanksgiving-y seeming dish with pomtajer (taro root), chicken, orange juice, a sort of bacon (zoutvlees), and nutmeg, with slight variations. When you order a Broodje Pom at De Tokoman, one of the extremely pleasant ladies behind the counter will ask if you want "zuur and peper" on it, and you definitely do: zuur is a yellow cabbage/carrot/onion relish, usually called an atjar...peper is fiery madame jeanette (scotch bonnet relative) pepper relish.

Anyway, the creamy comfort of the pom casserole combined with the tart relish and the (usually) gentle smoky heat, all on a crispy baguette...you get the picture. The Hete Kip broodje is also nice (spicy chicken), as are many of their other sandwiches--I just never really got over those two. Buy a cold coconut water to cool off with.

1b) Broodje Chili Kip at De Hapjeshoek, Metrostation Waterlooplein 6.

Another Suriname/Indonesian sandwich place, across the street from the Tokoman. This one's down in the subway station underneath the opera house (Stopera) and Waterloomarkt. Same general setup, but I find his pom to be less appealing. Instead order a broodje Chili Kip (also 2,50 i think, maybe 3,00). It's just sauteed chicken with both mild and hot peppers and onions on freshly baked bread, but executed perfectly and spicy as heck. Same drill, when he asks if you want peper and zuur, say yes...he makes his own zuur, which in this case are homemade, pink-tinged cucumber pickles, while the Tokoman's are off-the-shelf bright yellow atjar. Another great sandwich here is the Kip Ketjap, a dark sweet Indonesian chicken with ketjap manis.

2) Lamahcun/Turkse Pizza at Mercan Patisserie, Rozengracht 148.

They have great boreks and baklava here as well, probably because they're primarily a real bakery (as opposed to a bakery storefront, where everything is made offsite) and they make everything themselves. But, they also have a fine, fine version of the ubiquitous lamahcun (called Turkse pizza on Amsterdam menus), which is an oven-blistered flatbread coated with ground lamb, pomegranate syrup, garlic, tomato, and spices. When you order, she'll ask you if you want everything on it (she might say, "Alles erop?") and you say yes. A handful of chopped onions, lettuce, and red cabbage are placed on top of it, and THEN you get a squirt of a garlic-yogurt sauce and a squirt of spicy red sambal sauce on top. It's then rolled tight like a burrito, and you walk out as happy as anyone else in the city for the next 5 minutes.

This is not the only place to get a great Turkse pizza, but this is one of the few I've had that is truly excellent and reliable in the center of town, and where I can heartily recommend the rest of their offerings as well. There might be another Mercan on the Nieuwendijk, at the very top near the Singel, but they might not have a pizza oven. Another very reliable source is Kismet (Kinkerstraat 350), but they're a bit further off to the west. They also have an Albert Cuypmarkt location, but last time I visited they didn't have a pizza oven (the rest of their food is very nice, a lot of stuffed vegetables).

And having said all that: a "bad" Turkse pizza is still not that bad. And if it is, you're usually only out 2 euro or so. So at least have one somewhere if you can't get to Mercan or Kismet. The Albert Cuypmarkt and surrounding streets (for example, the corner of Van Woustraat and Albert Cuyp) offer an especially good chance for your hits to outnumber your misses.

3) Kibbeling , Gebakken Mosselen, Krabsalade at Volendammer Vishandel 't Centrum, Haarlemmerdijk 4.

Well, I've listed three of my favorites above (fried cod, fried mussels, and crab salad), but every single thing I've ever eaten here has been sterling, which explains the constant line out the door (I say out the door, but it's a small place. The line's never longer than 10 people), I guess. So, in order to not have to stand in line more than once: if I were you, I'd definitely get 1) something fried, 2) a sandwich, and 3) some herring. At least. Their smoked salmon is excellent too. Let's tackle these in order.

When you hear the words "something fried", don't think of generic cheap-style fried seafood, 1 part breading to 2 parts marine life. This is just the barest coating of thin batter, and the other 90% or so is fish. Cod, or kabeljauw, is the most common choice, but their fried mussels are perfect as well. So, to order, you want a bakje of kibbeling or mosselen, this is typically 150 grams or so (6 ounces?). Or you can just order by the gram. The cute-as-a-button girl behind the counter might tell you that it's only lukewarm and do you want to wait for a fresh batch. I wouldn't, it's still great lukewarm. She'll ask if you want sauce, and your choices are the Viswinkel Holy Trinity of ravigotte/tartar, knoflook/garlic, and cocktail/whisky. Cost: I think it's 2 euro per 100 grams, so 150 grams is..............3 euro.

Sandwiches? They make their own fish salads: smoked mackerel, herring and beet, paling (smoked eel), tuna, etc., and you can get these all on sandwiches. They're all good, but my favorite is the "crab salad", which is really surimi, but it's in an amazing dressing of mayo and oranges, just perfect on a hot day. So in this case you'd want a broodje krabsalade, or broodje makreel, etc. There's a menu on the counter.

And then herring. I'm not truly a convert to non-pickled herring yet. As in, I like zure haring in a jar a lot, but if it's the fresher stuff (which is only very lightly cured), I still have to be in the mood for it. When I am though (beer is usually involved), I ask for it with uitjes (onions) and zuur (pickles).

Pay, and then squeeze your way out the door and walk across the street to the little bridge...there are some benches there where you can devour your catch.

+++

Well, it looks like this may require several posts...I obviously got all nostalgic about my old neighborhoods and was eating vicariously through my writing. Stay tuned, though, for the other 7 or so (if your curiosity is killing you or you're coming to Amsterdam imminently, the full (and growing) list is here.

Edited July 23, 2006 by markemorse (log)

[markemorse]

One more thing, Chufi, I'm in 100% agreement on:

+Holtkamp (buttkicking Sacher tort, but everything I've had is good)

+Brouwerij 't IJ (great beer, great old-school no music hang)

+In de Wildeman (ditto)

+Yam Yam (Amsterdam's only real Italian pizza, I'll go so far as to say...although I just heard about a new place that rivals Yam Yam. Anyone know the name?)

+Lanskroon (stroopwafels)

And I really really need to go to Kef the cheeseman. I've been taking the bus to Zandvoort on these horribly hot days, and the bus stop is right across from Kef. But when it's 30 degrees the last thing I need is a stinky cheese to add to my own personal aura of potential stink. Or do I?

Edited July 23, 2006 by markemorse (log)

[BonVivant]

And then herring. I'm not truly a convert to non-pickled herring yet. As in, I like zuur haring in a jar a lot, but if it's the fresher stuff (which is only very lightly cured), I still have to be in the mood for it. When I am though (beer is usually involved), I ask for it with uitjes (onions) and zuur (pickles).

tut tut....

i think haring [specifically Hollandse Nieuwe] could probably be one of the main reasons why i can't leave NL! i eat it every fortnight when i go to AMS but it's never good. here at home in the south i go to the viskraam every other day and at the market on saturdays. super lekkerrrrrrrr! the rest of the country eats haring the way it should be eaten: by the tail

[26 Hollandse Nieuwe since the season started]

[markemorse]

I'm working on it, coach. My haring game is coming together, I'm sure I can make the team by next season, I know I can. I just need practice.

Maybe I can blame Amsterdamse haring...what's different about it other than the presentation (chopped and doused with onions and pickles)?

Or maybe it's me...I can't really enjoy a raw oyster without being prepared for it either. For example, I couldn't wake up in the middle of the night and stumble groggy-eyed, sleepy-headed to the refrigerator, open it up and down a few freshly shucked oysters. Whereas I might be able to have a bite of zure haring. Y'know?

Edited July 23, 2006 by markemorse (log)

[Chufi]

markemorse, welcome to eGullet and that is an incredible first post! Thanks for sharing your favorite Amsterdam food. I really like the mentions of Surinamese food.. this has sadly always been a bit below my radar.. maybe I should go and try out some of your recommendations!

2) Lamahcun/Turkse Pizza at Mercan Patisserie, Rozengracht 148.

Another very reliable source is Kismet (Kinkerstraat 350), but they're a bit further off to the west. They also have an Albert Cuypmarkt location, but last time I visited they didn't have a pizza oven (the rest of their food is very nice, a lot of stuffed vegetables).

←

Kismet (the Abert Cuyp location) is great. terrific baklava!

+Yam Yam (Amsterdam's only real Italian pizza, I'll go so far as to say...although I just heard about a new place that rivals Yam Yam. Anyone know the name?)

←

I think you might mean Da Portare Via. They have two locations: Leliegracht 34, and a recently opened one in the Frans Halsstraat. I seem to remember that the leading Amsterdam foodcritic Johannes van Dam pronounced these the best pizza in Amsterdam (not that I feel his word is always gospel - I often disagree with him ). I haven't tried them out yet but will report when I do!

And I really really need to go to Kef the cheeseman. I've been taking the bus to Zandvoort on these horribly hot days, and the bus stop is right across from Kef. But when it's 30 degrees the last thing I need is a stinky cheese to add to my own personal aura of potential stink. Or do I?

←

I see your point.. I personally feel more inclined to eat cheese in cooler weahter.. just wait, Kef won't go away I think...

Keep your recs coming markemorse! They are a great contribution to this thread.

[markemorse]

Hi again,

Thanks for the warm welcome, Klary! Happy to be here....

As for trying the recommendations, if you do nothing else, go to the Tokoman for Pom, around lunchtime...trust me.

OK, here's the second installment of (what might be several) Eating in Amsterdam recommendations:

+++

4) Okonomiyaki at Japanese Pancake World, Tweede Egelantiersdwarsstraat 24A (link).

This has been hands-down my favorite food discovery of 2006. I'll let Wikipedia give you the synopsis since it always takes me forever to describe them, but the Japanese Pancake World website has a ton of info under the "Japanese Pancake" section, and here's a decent article about JPW in a local expat magazine. I will say don't be deterred by the fact that the okonomiyaki ingredient list sounds like munchies gone wrong or two caterers colliding: dashi, cabbage, flour, Goudse cheese, tonkatsu sauce, mayonnaise, seaweed, and bonito flakes.

I found out about them completely randomly...I had my first one on Queens Day when I was between parties, wandering around looking for weird old LPs and happened to pass their stall. The JPW crew were happily griddling these vaguely galette-like discs. I looked at the handwritten menu next to them and realized I had no idea what they were making. Great! At a certain point the cook flew into action, squirting and spackling the cake with all manner of unidentifiable goo. Finally, he reached into a tupperware bin and with a flourish coated the top of the cake with what looked like live butterflies.

I'd just never seen katsuobushi in action before. The shavings are so thin that when they come in contact with anything hot, they flutter and move, making your dish look very very alive. Anyway, aside from the amazingly complex taste of such a simple dish, and the fact that it's a charmingly cool little space to eat in, another reason to go is that the chef (Frank, I think) could not be more inviting. When I went back to the restaurant three days later, he asked me if I wanted to come watch him cook my food (there's a sushi bar-like view of the grill), and I did, with him explaining everything he was doing and passing me the odd tidbit to taste. Very educational. BTW, I ordered plain Osaka style and plain Hiroshima style and preferred the Osaka by a nose. Go, you won't believe your tongue!

5) Roti Canai at Nyonya Malaysia Express, Kloveniersburgwal 38.

The interior of NME is quite possibly the mathematical opposite of JPW above. Just imagine a well-architected, gezellig, candlelit two-level dining room with subtle modern touches, quiet bossa nova on the stereo and a good shade of red on the walls....then reverse everything about it and you've got NME. I've never eaten there, I don't even wait for my takeout food there, I pretend to have an errand to run so I can order, leave, and come back. And come back I do...for the Roti Canai.

If you've never had Malaysian roti, it's quite different from the Indian version after which it's named. The ghee-ified bread seems even flatter, thinner, and more stratified than the Indian ones I've had, and instead of dipping your bread into dal or chickpea curry, you dip it into wonderfully rich and spicy coconut chicken curry broth. It's the kind of thing you hate to stop eating because it's doing everything right. But I'm sure it's a gazillion calories as well, so maybe it's best that they only have an appetizer portion on the menu. I think it's 2,50 euro for a 1-person serving. You won't want to share.

Everything else we've had there has ranged from good to excellent...I had the Malaysian equivalent of an ikan boemboe bali and it totally rocked. Girlfriend is addicted to the Nyonya Fried Rice, which seems expensive for 10 euro until you realize that it's really just chock full of chicken and whole shrimp, more like a biriyani than Chinese fried rice.

They're very sweet there. But geez guys...can we dim the lights a little? Or turn off one of the TVs? No matter. Take your grub 50 feet away to a bench on the Kloveniersburgwal canal and prepare for lift-off.

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More to come...

Mark

Edited July 24, 2006 by markemorse (log)

[Chufi]

+Yam Yam (Amsterdam's only real Italian pizza, I'll go so far as to say...although I just heard about a new place that rivals Yam Yam. Anyone know the name?)

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I think you might mean Da Portare Via. They have two locations: Leliegracht 34, and a recently opened one in the Frans Halsstraat. I seem to remember that the leading Amsterdam foodcritic Johannes van Dam pronounced these the best pizza in Amsterdam (not that I feel his word is always gospel - I often disagree with him ). I haven't tried them out yet but will report when I do!

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So I did. I had pizza at Da Portare Via last night!

They have an interesting concept. A large woodfired oven, a small restaurant space with narrow, communal tables. You order at the counter, get your own wine (whole bottles only) from the fridge, open it yourself. Then you go and wait for your pizza, which comes in a box, wether you take it home or eat at one of the tables. Last night was a beautiful evening so we sat outside with our cheap bottle of wine (7 euro).

The Frans Halsstraat is a street in the area known as De Pijp, where the Albert Cuyp market is. Although it's slowly getting yuppified it is still a place with lots of different restaurants and shops of all kinds.

I spoke to some of the people at our table and a lot of them were from the neighborhood, had been to the pizza place a number of times, and pronounced it the best pizza in Amsterdam.

They serve about 10 different pizza's, you can get them small and large, with toppings like quattro formaggio, pancetta, spinach and ricotta, anchoves, artichokes and tuna, etc.

My friend Suzanne had Prosciutto, rucola and parmesan:

and I had mozzarella, spicy sausage, fresh herbs (thyme and basil)

So, what did I think?

The pizza has a very light, thin and crisp crust with huge airbubbles at the edges. The taste of this crust was a bit odd to me. It did not taste yeasty at all, and was quite bland, as if there was no salt in it. I liked the texture of this crust but I'm not entirely sure I like the taste.

The flavor of the toppings was great. I loved the fresh herbs on my pizza, the ham and sausage on both our pizza's were very good. But in my opinion, there was way too much (slightly acidic) tomato sauce, too much cheese, basically too much of everything.

Final verdict: good pizza, different from all other pizza you can get here, cheap, great atmosphere, really wonderful pastries for dessert. I will definitely go again, but for me, YamYam is still the number 1 pizzaplace.

[racheld]

This is just the most amazing thread---it's like wandering those wonderful streets and stepping in for a bite or a feast.

And Welcome, markemorse; your posts are SO entertaining and informative--you really LOVE that place, and it comes through in your words.

I'm not officially on the welcoming committee, as I'm WAY-South USA, but Chufi, Ambassadress of all that is cheerful and charming, has made me an Amsterdam-Addict, so there you are.

Y'all keep enjoying and writing, and I'll just revel.

Edited July 29, 2006 by racheld (log)

[markemorse]

Hey, Klary....

Glad you checked it out, it's really funny how quickly news spreads here...even non-foodie friends are talking about this "new pizza place they heard about"...I still wonder if it's the same spot. My original tipster is out of town, I'll go with him when he gets back.

As for these guys...are they Italian? The only place in Italy where I've had pizza that looked/sounded anything like this was in Siena, and the crust was also super-boring b/c they don't salt their bread products there...I wonder if they're Tuscan?

Sounds like an cool concept, though, the self-serve (at least in the summertime)...

Thanks, intrepid tester. Nice photos as always...

And Rachel...thanks for the hearty welcome. Being a transplant from the Deep South as well (ATL), I know what it means to be a virtual traveller along the canals here...we'll try to keep the posts coming!

mark

[Chufi]

As for these guys...are they Italian? The only place in Italy where I've had pizza that looked/sounded anything like this was in Siena, and the crust was also super-boring b/c they don't salt their bread products there...I wonder if they're Tuscan?

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I'm not sure.. the girl at the counter most certainly wasn't Italian.. She didn't have much of a clue although she was very friendly adn had a sweet smile..

the guy at the pizza oven was so busy that I didn't talk to him. I'll try to find out more next time cause I'm taking my husband there next week, I'm really curious what he'll think.

[Chufi]

Chufi, Ambassadress of all that is cheerful and charming, has made me an Amsterdam-Addict, so there you are. 

Y'all keep enjoying and writing, and I'll just revel.

←

thanks rachel.. you just made my day

[markemorse]

Right-o. Top 15 or so, continued.

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6) Loempia and Maiskoekjes at Toko Ikan Mas, 1e Constantijn Huygensstraat 61. (link)

Toko Ikan Mas is a bit of a nostalgic favorite from when we first moved here and lived right across the street, but we still find their vegetarian loempias to be the best in town, primarily because they try harder.

Terminology check: A toko is typically an Indonesian food shop that sells take-away snacks and full meals as well as produce and supplies for the home chef. A loempia (or lumpia in most other languages) is very similar to a Chinese egg roll, a Vietnamese spring roll, and a Thai popiah. They were introduced to the Dutch population in the early- to mid- 20th century, probably by Chinese and definitely by Indonesian immigrants, and they are now everywhere, at least in Amsterdam. It would be a challenge to find an Amsterdam snack bar that did not have something it referred to as a loempia.

Unfortunately, these may be the some of the worst loempias in the world. Thick, soggy wrappers around fillings that don't taste like much more than salt and cheap frying oil. To be fair, 90% of Amsterdam snackbar loempia makers probably use the same 3 brands of frozen loempias, so there's really no comparison with someone who puts some effort into it.

Toko Ikan Mas makes their own loempias, this is immediately obvious because they don't really look like any loempias you've seen anywhere else. They use a paper-thin wrapper that doesn't retain much oil, and fill it to bursting with the usual suspects (cabbage, carrots, tauge/bean sprouts) as well as vermicelli noodles and some good heat from a sambal. These loempias are about 6 times the size of the standard borrelhapje loempia (a tiny loempia that was invented so that loempias could participate in a borrelhapjes plate (bar snacks) without scaring off the bitterballen and osseworst).* One is a reasonable order for one person. I should stress, though, that their size has nothing to do with their goodness: they're good because they're fresh and light.

The other item to pick up here is a maiskoek, or Indonesian Corn Cake (also called frikadel jagung in Indonesian maybe?). It's also fried, but wrapperless; this is basically a corn fritter with actual corn, lemongrass, leeks, and a little sambal. As always, I recommend scoring a tamarind or young coconut water drink from the fridge to wash it down.

Again, as with most of these Indonesian/Surinamese snack places, the closer you can go to lunchtime, the better the food will be and the more likely they'll have what you're looking for. These aren't all-night places, they're typically open til 7 or 8 at the latest, and by then (if they've calclulated correctly), they'll be out of just about everything perishable.

* The actual reason for this size issue may have something to do with the fact that Malaysian spring rolls are actually traditionally quite small.

7) Chicken Mole or Cochinita Pibil at Los Pilones, Kerkstraat 63. (link)

European-Mexican food. Just seeing those first two words next to each other should be enough to put a scare in you. If you've ever been gallivanting around Yurp and thought it might be fun to try a restaurant called A Taste of Texas, Buenos Nachos, La Cantina, or anything remotely Mexican-sounding, you know what I'm talking about.

It's not that the cooks in these places don't have the skillz necessary to prepare authentic Mexican dishes, they've just never actually tasted authentic Mexican food before. So everything is (at least) slightly off, like eating in a bad dream. Guacamole can be toothpaste-colored and creamy, as in, it has cream in it. "Salsas" can run the gamut from simply crushed and unseasoned canned tomatoes with jarred jalapeno slices to highly seasoned spaghetti sauce. Corn tortillas? Sadly, no. Same goes for tomatillos, poblanos, epazote, nopales, hoja santa, chipotles, anchos, pasillas, Negra Modelo, moles, pipians, etc. etc. etc.

Unless, that is, the European-Mexican restaurant in question is Los Pilones, run by two brothers from Mexico City. You can tell that Hector and Pedro aren't creamy guacamole guys as soon as the chips are brought to your table. They come with not one but three excellent salsas. The non-creamy guac is simple, chunky, and otherwise perfect as well. For entrees, we usually stick with the chicken mole and the cochinita pibil because they've been great every time and nothing else on the menu has been able to distract us from them.

Now...as great as it is, Los Pilones is not a Mission burrito joint, or a taco truck, nor is it many of the things that we American Eaters of Mexican Food are homesick for, authentic or not, so don't expect any of that. But, it is a lovingly-designed, artfully-managed fun spot for dinner or drinks that serves carefully-prepared, as-authentic-as-possible Yucatecan and Oaxacan food. In Amsterdam!

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Mark

Edited July 30, 2006 by markemorse (log)