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