Bites NLD: Traditional Kaiseki @ Yamazato, Hotel Okura

Once again I was on the prowl for a great feast.  This time around, a trip to the capital,  Amsterdam.  Located on the outskirts of Amsterdam city centre is the Okura Hotel, a hotel that houses not one, or two but three different Michelin starred restaurants.  Tonight’s dinner was at the 1 star Japanese sensation, Yamazato. Nothing here gives Yamazato away as a 1 Michelin starred restaurant.  The entrance carries a similar vibe to that of a typical  upscale Japanese restaurant and the etiquette of the serve staff is unsuspecting as it is in the nature of Japanese people to be impeccably polite.  But when the food came progressively, things started becoming serious.

The Omakase started with a trio of appetisers called the “Tsukidashi”

Chopped up little pieces of water cress, amber jack flesh and roe in a tea consommé.   Very light on the palate but full in flavours.  I like how each individual element had a sense of individualism as their taste was apparent and not masked by seasoning.

A small serve of sushi from the counter in Yamazato.   The original Kaiseki menu serves a Mackerel and Anago sushi. 

For me, I got the salmon and prawn because I wanted to stay away from the fishy offerings!  

Both were amazing.  The rice was at the right temperature and the grain stay whole.  Picking it up, the rice held its weight and in the mouth it crumbled without much effort.  It carried a nice bite and more importantly, the rice seasoning was good.  However, a sushi is only as good as its toppings and Yamazato gave the glorious rice the treatment it deserved.

Slow braised daikon with mince and orange peel.

This was another sensational course served at Yamazato.  I could not fault with anything.  There was no bitterness in the daikon and the mince was super moist.  Above all, every bite carried a citrus note that really gave a sense of warmth and fruitiness.  Lovely.’’

After the trio of appetisers, we were served the Robin Mushi - Clear fish Soup in a Dobin Tea Pot

To ready us for our next course, we were served a fish soup that looked everything except basic.  The prawns was cooked just right, the shrooms plump and the pork mellow.  You can choose the squeeze lime juice into the soup but I thought it tasted best the way it is! A very refreshing course that cleanses the palate.

The Tsukuri, a sashimi course of brill, tuna, salmon and yellow tail.

Plate 1

Plate 2

Fresh fish! While it was every bit fresh, I was let down by the composition.  There was nothing wrong with what they served in terms of quality but it lacked dimension.  Give me some fish, some crustacean and perhaps an urchin too.  I was looking for different texture, and flavours if you get what I mean.  Perhaps, start off with a white fish, then some fatty tuna, a slice of smokey aburi salmon before sipping tea and enjoying the sweet crystal prawn and to finish, a briny sea urchin.  This is what I my expect from a great sashimi experience.

Orange Gratin -  Oysters with White Miso sauce

When I read the menu, I had in mind something that looked totally different.  Perhaps something baked and served on a shell.

Nevertheless, the flavours were what I expected but a lot creamier and decadent.  The way the fragrance of the white miso and orange complemented the dish was also another highlight.  That sweet miso bean flavour with a citrusy kick was a great pairing for the humungous oyster in the orange!  However, it can be a little daunting towards the end as it was a really rich dish!

Agemono - Tempura of King Crab and Scallops.

From the description, one would expect to have the best tempura of their life.  Unfortunately, this was not true.  In a case that the scallops was either left out for too long or not pat dry before being fried, so the batter fell of all the scallops when served.  Thankfully the king crab held together much better, so we did not have any such dramas.  But at this level of dining, every detail is critical and this is why my fellow diners were left wondering.

Shiizakana - Grilled Fillet of Beef

Grilled courgettes, mushrooms, minute fried pepper and an amazing beef fillet served with red miso.  Each bite was so tender with no resistance whatsoever.  It was lovely!  The best part was that there was no word of wagyu mentioned on the menu yet it was simply superb.  

Shokuji - Steamed rice with sea bream and miso soup

Most Japanese meals finish with a course of carbohydrate and this is no different.  Some might criticise this finishing course at Yamazato to be very bland and to a certain extent that is true.  But there is always something golden about a simple rice dish.  Perhaps this was the intention of the chefs at Yamazato after a roller-coaster of flavours presented in the earlier courses.

To finish the evening, we were served two desserts.  The first was the Japanese Ice Cream

Persimmon Pudding

A great end to the meal.  The Persimmon pudding at Yamazato was my favourite that night. It had the right consistency and balance with a pronounce fruitiness in it.  I was not bowled over by the ice cream for a couple of reasons.  The first being a soggy macaron and secondly, the ice cream itself was not churned to a state that I was looking for when I eat ice cream in a fancy restaurant.  I was looking for a sticky almost melting consistency that’s not icey but coats the spoon with a silky layer and is simply perfect for eating.  

Alas, Okura Hotel should be known as the foodies hotel with the amount of world class restaurants residing in it.  Yamazato, one of its oldest restaurant is delicious and fed me what I describe as “an over all  great meal”.  Was in an exceptional one that deserved 2 stars?  Perhaps not, but it definitely deserves its 1 star rating.  Note that despite the harsh comments I have made on several dishes, Yamazato is still a force to be reckoned with.  Its fully simple, yet sophisticated on the palate with all of its dishes retaining the original flavours of the core ingredients.  After my lacklustre encounter with Sushi at Morikawa in Den Haag, I am interested in going back for the sushi course at Yamazato!  Maybe next time.

WenY

Bites NLD: Sushi Time @ Morikawa, The Hague

It has been over a year since I had eaten proper sushi.  No not those on the carousel or those that is served by the thousands.  But instead, a sushi place where the every detail is looked into.  The seaweed treated, fish handpicked and flavours carefully composed.  Do not misunderstand me, there is absolutely nothing wrong with bulk sushi (which I often eat) but there are times when you are looking for something that is extra special.  Naturally, when I heard that there was a place in town that specialises in sushi, I was super keen.  The restaurant is Morikawa and it is the most popular sushi place in the Hague and in a country like the Netherlands where the herring is eaten raw daily, I expected nothing less than the amazing.

Coming in, my colleagues and I were seated by the bar and ordered the sushi set meal.  The meal was a “trust the chef” or Omakase sushi meal that consists of 10 Nigiri Sushi, 2 types of Maki and a Tamago.  The reason why I chose to sit at the bar counter was so that the I can be served each sushi individually and the chef could explain each dish.  

Sadly, this was not the case.  The chef made 3 plates of Nigiri and gave it to us.

A bit of a disappointment to not be served the sushi individually I have to say.  But if the sushi served to us was of great quality, then nothing else matters.  My verdict on the 10 Nigiri Sushi:  It was decent, and over all OK.  The plate had a 50-50 mix of raw and “cooked” sushi.  The Tuna was really nice along with the Snapper topped with marinated ginger.  The prawns were mediocre at best and the Aburi Scallop Nigiri tasted repetitive as it was topped with a similar tasting topping.  The Tobiko Nigiri was a little boring honestly!  While I had no big favourites on the platter, the aburi salmon was good though I felt like I had tasted better at chain restaurant!  Last but not least, I was totally let down by the lack of attention to detail especially with the poached crab sushi that felt so un-cared and unloved when compared to my meal at Sushi Azabu last year! See this for comparison and tell me!

The second platter looked very attractive.  But did it taste as good as it looked?  I wonder!

Actually it was again another serve of OK sushi.  I do not think that anything on the plate particularly wow-ed the table.  The tuna roll tasted a little blend while the rolled covered in a colourful leaf carried a small piece of fish that was extremely potent in fishy flavours.  I think the table was quite appalled by that roll haha.  Last but not least, the Tamago was good and provided the most salvation for this plate of rolled sushi!

Morikawa was not a cheap affair but neither did produce a mind boggling bill.  However, the lack of sociability from entrance to seating to eating to finishing the meal made this an underwhelming sushi experience.  Then comes the part where I asked the chef whether there was an order which I should approach the sushi from and he said no.  He said "All the same just start where you would like to,".  That literally threw me off.  There is always a logic or intention in cooking.  At Morikawa there was none.  Was he for real?  Well, he walked off after serving us so I guess he was serious.  Morikawa has just came out of a long 2 week hibernation during my visit.  Perhaps it was a case of lost touch of some sort but I could in no way pair the level of respect present in the general public against the food I was served today. 

WenY

Bites NLD: Dim Sum @ Oriental City, Amsterdam

Dim Sum is a culinary art beyond the norm.  Its presentation is fine, food tasty and variety plenty.    Wherever its Malaysia or Australia that I am at, Dim Sum is a monthly ritual for me.  My colleague and I went recently went for lunch at Oriental City, a recommendation from his Chinese barber in Amsterdam.  Oriental City is a popular family spot on the weekends with a 30 minute wait for a table even thought it was 1pm. This shows how famous Oriental City is with the locals.

At the table, you are given a list to tick the type and quantity of dim sum you would like to order.  Naturally, I quickly ticked the usuals suspects and before we knew it, we had about 10 dim sums presented before us (not all pictured).

The Siu Mai; Pork Dumpling

The Har Gow; Prawn Dumpling

The Char Siew Cheong; BBQ Pork Rice Paperoll

The Hor Yip Fan; Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaf

These are some of the most traditional offerings that you can find at every Dim Sum place.  Oriental City did prepared them quite well although I was not too convinced by the thicker than usual Har Gow skin.  This was a surprise for me because the Char Siew Cheong skin was pretty thin which allowed the dark red colour of the BBQ pork to be exposed!  My favourite Dim Sum dish the Siu Mai was quite refined unlike the ones I usually have in Perth and Hong Kong where the meat inside is quite chunky.  Still every bit as more-ish!  The glutinous rice was average at best.  I felt that it was lacking something! 

The Oriental City Dumpling; Roast Duck, Prawn and Coriander Dumpling.

Shanghai Soup Dumpling

Fried Noodles

While Oriental City excelled with the classics, the same could not be said for its other offerings.  The fried noodles were good, I dare not call it classic Soy Fried Noodles in any way.  If it was, then its a reinterpretation by the chefs at Oriental City.  The reason why the Shanghai Dumpling and the Oriental City Dumpling joins the list of my dislikes it because of the skin wrapping the dumpling.  It was seriously thick!  So much thicker than the Prawn Dumpling ones! Eventually, I ditched the skin and only ate the fillings :P!   

Mango Pudding

Last but not least was the Mango Pudding.  Flavour wise it was spot on.  But then comes it consistency which was super hard and not like what the Chinese would often describe “Q-Q” which means springy jelly like!  Did I like it?  No.  But did I absolutely hate it no?  It was just not a good one that is all.

Oriental City was a promising prospect.  Serving over 3 floor of hungry dinners simultaneously shows how busy this place is.  But perhaps the 40 minute wait got the better of me and had me set my expectations rather high. Would I come here again? Perhaps yes if there was no wait!  The food was at best decent for a fussy eater like me!

But also note that prices for Dim Sum in Europe is more expensive compared to other places too!  Be prepared to fork out some €25-30 for decent meal here because 1 bamboo basket is typically around €4.70.

WenY

Bites NLD: Deep-dish Apple Pie @ Winkel 43, Amsterdam

Beyond the raw herring, Gouda cheeses, and frites fronting the Amsterdam food culture is another iconic feed.  The deep-dish apple pie.  To have a slice of what is supposedly the best apple in the country, I took a trip to Amsterdam to visit Winkel 43.  This breakfast cafe stops preparing all freshly cooked breakfast on the weekend to cater for the greater demand of their famous deep-dish apple pies.

The walk to Winkel 43 is some 15 minutes or 10 minutes tram from Amsterdam Central Station.  The walk at 9am through the canals are amazingly beautiful and it did not disappoint.  So if you are up for some morning exercise before sugary treat, definitely go for one!

Winkel 43's deep dish apple pie!

At first glance, the slice of pie looked every  bit plain.  But do not be fooled.  The generous amount of juicy apples slices that Winkel 43 packs between those pastries shell were all the rave.  Every bite into the warm juicy slices of apple coated in bite of sugary cinnamon was yummy.  Occasionally you get little raisins that gives that burst of sweetness too!  Note that the pastry was not your typically crumbly short crust.  Its consistency was a little chewy but very nice  I would say!

Was Winkel 43’s deep-dish apple pie worth my 45 minute journey to Amsterdam?  It really makes me wonder.  Yes it was good, the apples were generously packed in there but to a certain extent I could not justify the effort if apple pie was the sole purpose of my trip.  Well, perhaps if I had my entourage and a driver then I could buy an entire apple pie like Bill Clinton was famously rumoured to have done back when he was President.  Nonetheless, if you are in Amsterdam looking to start your morning with a kick, Winkel 43’s apple pie is definitely the way to go!  Come early too as it gets seriously busy once the clock strikes 10am!

WenY

Bites NLD: Slurping Ramen @ Genki SET Japanese, Den Haag.

The Hague is gradually descending into a cold, dark and wet season.  With more than half the day spent in the dark, I sought salvation beyond the norms of the traditional Dutch Stampot.  Through the recommendation of my colleague,  I came here for a pre-theatre meal with a couple of my mates.  Located in the heart of the Hague, Genki SET Japanese is a popular spot for a simple Japanese meal.  

While they serve a host of dishes from the basic sushi to a wagyu teriyaki and even shabu-shabu, I was actually here for the ramen!  But to share, my friends and I started with the Osaka style pressed Sushi  €6.90 which reminds me of the sushi I had at Modern Eatery: The House of Sushi in Fremantle.

To make this sushi, the fish is compacted into a mould before being filled with rice.  It is then overturned and coated with drizzling of Japanese Mayonnaise before being torched.  The result is a smokey-melt in your mouth salmon. The fish was a little thin, but it was yummy! Not sure why the sweet brown sauce though =/!

My Ramen of choice was the Shoyu (Soy) Ramen with slices of decadent Chashu €8.80.

Initial impressions were great.  You get a clear broth that smells of soy with a whiff of smokiness.  The egg with a runny yolk was promising and it looked nice over all.  That is until you actually start eating it.  My biggest dislike would be the depth of flavour in the broth. While it was mildly salty and yes there is a hint of soy with smokiness, I was looking for some strong soy flavours which should always be the focus of a complete Shoyu Ramen.  Instead, the soy flavour in the soup was flat!  Other than that, the Chashu was yummy and everything else really worked!  Can’t say I was too pleased to see a carrot in there though =.=!

To complement my noodles, I added a served of Karaage or Fried Chicken Nuggets for €1.95.  Definitely no complains here.  Crispy and drizzled with mayonnaise again.  Hard to go wrong but I would not mind a strong punch of ginger in the chicken marinade :)! 

My first meal at Genki SET Japanese was decent but I cannot say that I walked away too impressed. The service was good and the meal was decently priced for the Hague.  It cost me just a little below €15 for the entire meal.  However, the Shoyu Ramen just did not deliver!  Thankfully I returned twice since this meal 3 weeks ago.  Their Miso Ramen with Chashu and a dollop of Volcano Oil is absolutely delicious.  So if you are ever coming here, give their Miso Ramen with Chashu a try!  It is so much better than the Shoyu Ramen.

Check out my other Ramen posts:

Dosukoi Ramen @ Allendale Square, Perth

Kai Ramen @ Bull Creek, Perth

Oceans Ramen @ Northbridge, Perth

Nao Ramen @ Murray Street, Perth

Ramen Lab @ Mount Lawley, Perth

Genki SET Japanese @ Den Haag, Netherlands

The Little Ramen Bar @ Little Bourke Street, Melbourne

Ippudo Ramen @ Hong Kong

Hide Chan Ramen @Midtown East, New York City

Totto Ramen @ Hell's Kitchen, New York City

WenY

Bites NLD: Indonesian Cuisine @ Si Des, Spuimarkt

Being so far away from Asia, I very often crave for good Asian food.  Thankfully, the Netherlands is a place that many Indonesians called home due the Indonesia-Netherlands special relationships.  For those who did not know, Indonesia was a Dutch colony in the past!  Like always, eat where the locals eat and when my Indonesian friend Johnny recommended Si Des in Spuimarkt, I knew where I was headed for my next meal.

I spoke to the lady at the counter and she told me that Si Des has been in business for many years now giving me great expectations of the food it served.  After being convinced that I could finish two dishes by myself, I ordered a Gado-Gado and the Ayam Kremes.  The Gado-Gado is a classic Indonesian salad consisting of eggs, blenched vegetables, tofu and cucumber.  Topped with a rich and chunky peanut sauce, this salad was absolutely mouth watering.

Biting into a mouthful of Si Des’s Gado-Gado,  you get the layers of textures and flavours you would expect from the wholesome salad.  Crunchy vegetables, sweet peanut sauce and chewy tempeh are all important parts of the bigger picture.  While everything was yummy, I felt that only one element was missing!  That is a slightly oily-chili-ish touch to its peanut sauce!

Next up was the Ayam Kremes, a deep fried chicken thigh topped with a mountain of tasty crumbs.

Served with a side of rice and a small bowl of sambal, my mouth salivated on first sight.  The crispy chicken paired with the fragrant sweetish crumbs were yums!  The chicken was tender, and sambal aromatic.  What more can you ask from a simple meal of fried chicken and rice?  Surely it was not rocket science that this pairing tickled my fancy, but how often do you get something so simple done so well?  Not very often I would say.

My lunch at Si Des was a delicious one.  I did not quite try the other offerings like the Mie Bakso, Mie Ayam, Beef Rendang and such but for what I had, Si Des impressed.  The food was affordable, filling and delicious.  Just one week later, I re-visited Si Des and tried their Ayam Panggang or Grilled Chicken.  Again it was a simple, and delicious meal.  Do note that my friend who has the Chicken Curry and Rice was not too impressed.  I do admit that it looked a little sad too.  

WenY

Bites NLD: Traditional Dutch Food @ Moeders, Amsterdam

Ever wondered what the average Dutch family has for dinner? If you are thinking bread, cheese and maybe potatoes you are probably not too far away.  To find out, I brought my friend Sam and the his bride Steff to one of the most popular Dutch diners in the heart of Amsterdam. The restaurant is called Moeders which simply translates to Mothers in English.  Come in, be seated and gaze at the nostalgic walls filled with hundreds of pictures of mom.  Be sure to make a reservation as plenty were turned back when they tried coming in impromptu.

The menu is rather short and does not requires much thought, but why not ask the waiter for a recommendation? We did eventually ended up with the Hollandse Rijstaffel or Dutch Ricedish (19 Euro per person).  And no it is not a dish of rice.  One by one little pots of stew, potatoes, relish and vegetables came out.  Eventually the table was filled to the brim. 

The essence of the meal of a Dutch Stamppot which was mash mixed with different types of vegetables and served with a protein.  Moeders’s beef stew was tender, meaty and absolutely hearty.  Pour it over boiled potatoes for a delicious warm meal.  Then add some relish and red cabbage to give your taste buds an explosion of flavours.  There were two types of beef served and I felt that besides the stronger hint of bay leaves in one, I could not really differentiate the two significantly.  In saying that, the stew with smaller chunks of beef had more melt in your mouth fat-juicy bits whilst the larger chunks were much leaner.  

Besides the beef, there was also a serve of smokey bacon and bratwurst served with apple sauce and sauerkraut.  Needless to say, they were rather tasty morsels of food but it was a tad common considering I had just returned from Berlin haha.

To keep the dinner interesting I also ordered the large serve of Father’s (Vaders) Spare Ribs with a side of slaw and frites.

The spare ribs at Moeders was clearly not what I expected.  When a restaurant puts spare ribs on their menu, I automatically process a meal that is smokey, and charred with sweet barbecue coated flesh that simply falls of the bone.  At Moeders, the ribs were coated in generous amounts of hearty brown sauce that was not smokey at all, and the meat was still a little tough but not too tough giving the spare ribs some bite.  While it was nowhere near the best rib I have ever had, it still was a decent one.

Moeders introduced me to world of Dutch cuisine and it was a very pleasant first attempt.  With the drizzly weather coming in at full throttle, I can imagine Moeders being incredibly popular with their hearty meals.  The flavours of the main dishes were slightly monotonous but there was always something to elevate the enjoyment.  The Rijstaffel for example always had an element beyond salty like the sour sauerkraut or the sweet and fruity relish. Do note that the food we ordered should have only fed three.  But considering how stuffed we were at the end of the meal, I believe it could have easily feed one more!

WenY

Bites NLD: Cantonese food with a touch of home@ Fat Kee, Chinatown

I'm always up for fine dining where over the top precision in presentation and meticulous composition of flavors are usually the highlight of a 4 hour evening. But at times, all that ones craves for is some comfort food that tastes like home. Traveling back from Amsterdam to The Hague, I decided to sample flavors a little closer to home.  Thankfully my veteran friends have a little place in Chinatown for that. 

Stepping into Fat Kee in Chinatown, this well-known Cantonese restaurant offers traditional Cantonese cuisine along with several other Indonesian dishes on their menu. For the three of us who were starving to death, we ordered three dishes which were plenty to go around.

Stir fried Kangkung with Belachan

Simple stir fried in the aromatic Belachan. The sticky consistency of the stir fried greens makes it a close match to what's found at home minus that fragrant "sambal" bite. A noteworthy find considering how most places serve Kangkung that is still wet. 

Mixed Roast - Soy Chicken, Roasted Duck, Roasted Pork and BBQ Pork. 

This large roast combination that we got was a bit of a mixed batch. My two friends very honestly called the Roast Duck an "overly roasted duck". It's not far from the truth but it was yummy. Something like the Hong Kong Violin duck.  However, the Roast Pork was my favourite of the lot with its crispy skin and salty five spice rub bearing close resemblance to what I would expect as a minimum.  The biggest loser would be the BBQ Pork.  The lack of caramelisation and smokiness made it no more than lean pork coated in plum sauce.

Yong Tau Foo stuffed with Prawn Meat. 

The last dish on the table was the Yong Tau Foo. A dish where bean curd and other vegetables are usually stuffed with meat and flash fried before being cooked further in various ways.  At Fat Kee, these were beautifully braised in oyster sauce. Quite delicious I must insist. 

Fat Kee is my first venture into the Cantonese food scene here in the Netherlands. The food is simple, humble and ridiculously tasty. So do not be surprised to come any day during dinner and find the restaurant jam packed. The good news is that Fat Kee serves the food really quick and so the turn over is only 10-15 minutes long. The three dishes including the usual suspects rice and tea would set you back 43 Euros which is pretty decent!

WenY

Bites NLD: (just a little..) Street Food Culture!

Looking for street bites while in the Amsterdam?  This post might just be for you because street food in the Amsterdam can be a handful if you do not know where to go.  For every food someone has told you about, there would be 10s of reinterpretations of it scattered within close proximity of each other.  Confusing? I did all the touristy homework for you. So sit back, relax and prepare to feast.

Its fresh, its touristy and its also more expensive than other markets in town.  It is the Albert Cuyp Market.  The location of the market is convenient, and for this reason alone it should be everybody's first destination.  After all, who's got time for that hipster market 1 hour away?  From Amsterdam Station, board tram no.4 towards Station Rai.  Take the stop at Stadhouderskade and Albert Cuyp Market is just a short walk.  Not many stalls at 10am but that would have to do for my tight schedule.

At one of the many Halal Chicken Stands, you can get freshly cooked chicken off the rotisserie.

I had three drumsticks for €2.50 and boy were they good.  Piping hot with a sweet sticky marinade that is also a little spicy.  Closer to the bone, the flesh can get a little blend so feel free to mix up your favourite concoction from all the sauces they have.

Further down the road, some research led me to believe that I have found the best Stroopwafel in town.  Commonly known as "that guy at the Stroopwafel stand",  little did I know how amazing a freshly made Stroopwafel could taste.

Fresh off the press, he spreads a thin layer of syrup before putting on another layer of freshly cooked wafel.  Before he handed it over to me, he advices me that the Stroopwafel (€1.50) is to be eaten laying flat so the syrup does not spill.  First bite in and it was amazing.  A warm oozy centre paired with a crisp wafel is something rave worthy for newcomers like me.  A hint of cinnamon spice felt existent albeit very mild.  No way in the world can you say you have eaten a Stroopwafel if you have not had it fresh.  The difference is simply too big!  

Not too far away from the Stroopwafel shop is another Dutch street food classic, the Poffertjes.  These mini pancakes are traditionally served with a tiny knob of butter and a heavy sprinkling of icing sugar.  But do not be fooled, butter and icing sugar is just one of the many ways to have it.  You can get chocolate, berries, honey, and syrup too!  The possibilities are endless.

Light, fluffy and warm, these were sinfully easy to devour.  $2.50 for about 8 pieces seemed like pretty decent value.  It was truly yummy.  Was this the best place to have it?  No idea at all.  But did I like it?  I sure did.

Mini Pancakes (Poffertjes) at the Albert Cuyp Market.

Recommended by Johanness Van Damme who was one of the most influential food critics in Netherlands until his passing in 2013, I ended up at Café Luxembourg. What for you might ask when I was supposed to be eating street food?  Simply for its famous Kroket or Croquette.  You can find Krokets anywhere but Johanness states that Café Luxembourg is the place to be.

.. and he is absolutely right.  Anywhere on the streets two Krokets would be €4.00, so was there any value in paying €10.00 for two veal Krokets? I  have been feeding on Kroket, Bitterballens and Frikandels at the lunch bar and none of them have came close to achieving what Cafe Luxembourg does. The perfectly crumbed Krokets were outstanding and to that tasty-gooey centre was oh so very good.  To enjoy the Kroket with the rye, start by spreading butter and mustard on the bread.  Cut the Kroket into half along its long side.  Place it on the bread and there you go, the BroodjeKroket or Croquette Sandwich.  Enjoy it with the little gherkins and pickled onions. Simple but every bit enjoyable.  (P/S: eating technique was by a Dutch guy seated next to me lol).

My final street food for the day was none other than the infamous Frites at Vlaams Friteshuis Velminckx.  

The kiosk looked plain,  a sign of humble beginnings.  In fact, one might get a little confused to see so many people holding little paper cones filled with frites with no fast-food joints around.  But it is in this little shop where its Frites were officially graded in 1984 and held a 9 out of 10 which still holds true for today. 

Vlaams Friteshuis Vleminckx does what every other Friteshuis do but with a lot more love.  Its assortment of sauces are nothing short of authentic and it was seriously good.  Double fried to perfection, and topped with the famous oorlog sauce (a mix of frittesaus and sate sauce, topped with onions), it was amazing how everything came together.   You get a crisp Frites with that creamy slightly tart flavour from the Frittesaus which contrasted with the sweet and nutty Sate Saus.  The toppings of mildly pungent onions gave the Frites a nice onion fragrant to sum up the whole experience.  This was easily one best Frites I have ever eaten.

1 week late I was back so Frites in the morning?  Why not if its for three?!  Coming off the station and across the first canal, we walked pass the super famous Manneken Pis. But that was not of our interest. Further down, you see Vlaamse Frites where its owner wears a catchy lab coat. But is it all for show or is there some magic in this place?

The fries came out quick!  His Oorlog sauce is generously topped with the lovely peanut sauce mixed with the usual suspect Frittesaus.  Finished with diced onions, each bite was unusually delicious.  Its some amazing Frites I must say.  Not that far off when compared to Vlaams Friteshuis Vlemnickx.  In fact it was almost difficult to tell them apart.  These were some seriously good Frites that Vlaamse Frites make.  It was pretty sensational.   From a sauce perspective, Vlaams Friteshuis Vleminckx had a less sugar sate sauce which helped the pungent onion shine a bit more.  So that wins by a dismal margin.

A few more things to strike of the list now.  But I have still got that apple pie so I am definitely heading back to Amsterdam lol. So keep a lookout on this space because it is surely to grow in the next few weeks :)!

WenY