Moving to Amsterdam

I will post on chowhound, too, but anyone got anything great for me? I am interested in all types of food. I'll be there for 2-3 years, so I'll have time to check out lots of recs. TIA- Liz

GAF on Amsterdam Dining.

Antonius on Leuven, which isn't Amsterdam. But if you'll be around those parts for a while, Leuven probably merits exploration.

Although I hesitate to recommend another website other than our own, eGullet.com has several threads about dining in Amsterdam that I found useful in planning my trip.

To reiterate my comments, do go to Jordino's, the pastry shop in the Jordaans (west of the Central Station), and avoid (for food and service) the Five Flies (although the ambiance is quite special.

Definitely try out Indonesian food in Amsterdam. There are lots of Indonesian immigrants in the Netherlands and it is the 2nd best place in the world (besides Indonesia, of course) for Indonesian food.

I 2nd the rec. for Indonesian. We had a three-hour 'rice table' blow out at Kantjil en de Tijger on Spuistraat 291. Delicious, but don't ask me how to pronounce the name of the place--or any of the streets, foods or neighborhoods in Amsterdam. The consonant-ily explosive Dutch language left me tongue-tied. Everything comes out 'ger-splicken-schplaken-der-strat'.

There's also the Albert Cuypmarkt...sort of the Maxwell St. of Amsterdam, but waaaay bigger and more food stuffs, I think. It goes Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Notes from my last trip included 'translations' for a few particularly tasty specialities:

appelgebak: hot apple pie with whipped cream
erwtensoep: pea soup with sausage and bacon...a must on rainy days
pannenkoeken: big pancakes filled with bacon, apples, cherries, cheese, etc.

My last trip to Amsterdam was in 1998. I found some of the best lox & bagels at many of the corner cafes. Gary's Muffins was also a great place for a bagel and coffee. In 1998, we used the Berkeley Guide, the Rough Guide, and Hidden Amsterdam books as a guide to the most interesting places to visit and dine. Here's a site that's a bit more up to date: http://www.underwateramsterdam.com
http://www.underwateramsterdam.com/Food.html

And don't forget food from Surinam, which was a Dutch colony. There are a number of good restaurants near the Albert Cuypstraat market.

crrush wrote:The consonant-ily explosive Dutch language left me tongue-tied. Everything comes out 'ger-splicken-schplaken-der-strat'.

(:P)

*

The dining scene in Amsterdam has changed quite a bit and very much for the better over the years since I started going there (back in the 70's), though I haven't been there in the last several years (I am sure the improvement has continued).

The Dutch-Indonesian colonial rijsttafel is interesting and fun but I imagine there might now be some interesting Indonesian places out in the neighbourhoods that serve authentic and perhaps regional Indonesian fare in a less formal context -- I know no place in particular but would be very surprised if this is not the case. There are also some interesting places to explore in the restaurant world from the community of immigrants from Surinam, as mentioned above.

Traditional Dutch food is rather simple and in a general way like the cuisines of other northern European countries -- tending toward the bland and at times the heavy. But that's not to say that there aren't some very nice dishes and some great traditional products, most notably the cheese but then also herring and smoked fish (eel!) etc., ham, sausages, etc. The pannekoeken and erwtensoep and appelgebak that Crrush mentions can all be really delicious when well-made; I'm fond of an uitsmijter now and again (open-faced sandwich topped with a fried egg). Though I wonder how the uitsmijters are competing with McDonalds and such...

I really love Amsterdam but at some point got tired of the dirt in some areas and the tourist hustle that has gradually come to dominate more and more of the central city. These days I prefer to stay in Haarlem or Leiden and just take the train to Amsterdam for more targetted hanging out, book shopping, museum visiting; next time I might stay in Utrecht.

But as I said, I really love A'dam - it's vibrant, friendly, filled with beautiful scenes... I wouldn't mind moving there for a year (or more) at all... (though I'd still be inclined to look for a place in Haarlem)...

Antonius

I'd like to second Kantjil en de Tijger: I've eaten there three or four times, and enjoyed each occasion. It's a great place to take a group to--I've gone a couple of times with a whole seminar moved en masse from the University nearby.

I should also suggest the many herring-kiosks that dot the canal-intersections. A person can get some GOOD fish there, esp. matjes when in season.

There's a huge supermarket near there (sorry but I've forgotten the name) that has a downstairs liquor store of marvellous resources. Some of the finest old Genevers I've ever seen. Yum!

Have a great time!

Geo

Geo wrote:I should also suggest the many herring-kiosks that dot the canal-intersections. A person can get some GOOD fish there, esp. matjes when in season.

I'll definitely second the herring kiosks - I ate an awful lot of herring when I was over there a few years back, usually after spending time at De Dampkring.

Ya know, sometimes a coffeeshop isn't just a coffeeshop... :^)

Geo

Borismom,

If you are so inclined, you could begin a thread on Cooking and Shopping. 'I am an American moving abroad, what should I bring for the kitchen?' I have a few suggestions, if this interests you.

Regards,

Hi,

I contacted friends who live in Amsterdam who advised:

A restaurant I can recommend. French and ‘fusion’ cuisine. Located in the former docks in the western part of the city centre. Apart from the excellent cuisine the restaurant itself is special. It is called “Pont 13”, which means “Ferry 13” because it a remodeled 80 year old ferry boat that which in service till the late nineteen nineties carrying mainly commuters on the river “Y” in Amsterdam. It takes some effort to find it, but the reward is well worth it. All is made clear in perfectly comprehensible Dutch on their website including directions how to get there. http://www.pont13.nl/index.html

Regards,