BELGIUM / THE NETHERLANDS - Amsterdam ... Where To Eat?

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mindgame

Assistant Cook
Joined
Oct 11, 2005
Messages
7
??????????
any suggestions..
going away for 9 days next month to both amsterdam and belgium..
i read if i find chinese food in teh red light district to get it..

whats good..
 
Dutch people are very big with Indonesian food (which is often called "chinese" with locals). Things like Nasi Goreng (fried rice), Bami Goreng (stir fried noodles) and Satay (skewered, grilled meat dish) are hugely popular in the similar way with the English people and curry. Probably asking local people will be a best solution as to where you can get the good Indonesian... don't worry, almost every Dutch people speaks excellent english with ease. Personally I enjoyed many street foods, I loved the bakeries which are everywhere, teeming with mouth watering and sinful pies and croissants and what not. and also the french fries!! Also for a little sweet snack, try the stroop waffeln, sweet syrup sandwiched between a pair of little crunchy waffles... they are delicious!!
 
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Cheese and bread. Go to the small stores and buy lots of different kinds of cheese. OH SO GOOD!!!!!!
 
Yummy! yep! I need to make another trip over there!!! Wonder if I could make it in time for lunch?
 
make sure youtry the pomme friets (sp?) as well, you get them at road side vendors. Such great food. I went to a place that made cheese in Holland and bought a huge wheel of cheese, sadley it broke open in my backpack and all went in the garbage :( Enjoy. mom2girls
 
Mussels in Brussels - you'll be there in a month with an "r" in it, so it's mussels season. Last time we were in Amsterdam, they were good there, too. I ate more mussels that week than the rest of the year combined. :) No specific restaurant... just find one that has a good looking menu and go for it. There are so many great restaurants that it's probably not even worth giving a restaurant name. You'd probably never get there for finding one you like before you reach it.
 
Ahhh, A-Dam. the memories, the food, the black-outs! I agree With every-one who commented, go with an open mind and empty stomach. I do recommend the Bulldog if it's still open. Great menu!:blink:
 
And Belguim is beutiful, gonna be cold as a well diggers toes, but do visit a monestary or two, the history is fascinating, and the brew.... mmmmmmm! Yes most of my 3 years in Europe did involve cooking and drinking, but hey, i was young.:angel:
 
Okay, I'm going to say the opposite, stay away from any of the Bulldogs, If you are looking for a good coffee house pm me, I will give you some good tips, One tip, the Bulldog cafe's are rip off places for tourists.

Amsterdam, The Pancake Bakery. This is a place that is a must go while in the dam. Some of the best food I had will in Amsterdam back in march.
Don't miss it.
 
I found in Amsterdam I bought bread and cheese and meats and ate in our apartment rather than eating out, or snacked a lot. Frites (french fries) with Indonesian curry and mayonnaise (I wasn't following my healthy eating plan at the time!!!) and Olliebollen (deep fried Dutch donuts hmmmmmmmmmmmmm)

Check out Albert Cuyp market, it's very cool and there are a lot of nice cafes bordering the market, as well as some good food stalls.
 
Sorry I missed this post. I've not been around for a while. Do let us know what you ate and where. I'm in Amsterdam now and then.

Pam
 
Amsterdam has amazing Thai restaurants... they are EVERYWHERE in that city. One of the best is Pathum Thai at Willemstraat 16 in Amsterdam. The prices are decent and the food is amazing!

And mom2girls is right about getting frites. The dutch make the best french fries in the world... (make sure you load up on the frittesaus as well! mmmm...) I would also suggest having some traditional dutch pannekoek. (like a mix between crepes and pancakes)

Mmmm...lekker! :) Enjoy your time in Holland. It is a beautiful country.
 
Hi there, I'll give you some advice as well, having lived in Amsterdam for 6 years...

Indonesian food is a must try, but beware of tourist traps, oh so many in Amsterdam. The one I like best in the city centre is Bojo, at the Korte Leidse Dwarsstraat. Don't go to the Chinese Indonesians, they make sad varieties of the real thing.

For the best Thai food, go to the Choa Praya on the Nieuwmarkt.

For the best fries, go to the Belgian Fry place in either the Voetboogsteeg or Handboogsteeg (close to Leidsestraat)

For good coffee, apple pie, salads and sandwiches, go to Café Esprit on the Spui.

Another good lunch place is Land van Walem, Keizersgracht near the Leidssestraat. Rather trendy.


For good Italian, go to Mappa in the Nes (all the restaurants in this street are rather good and not too many tourist) E.G. De Brakke Grond is a Belgium place with excellent food.

Don't eat anywhere on the Damrak or the Damstraat or the Leidseplein! Don't go to the Bulldog!

Go the the Haarlemmerstraat & Haarlemmerdijk for lots of different little shops, cafe's and restaurants. A very good, somewhat 'special' Italian is on this street, called 'Da Noi'. If you go into the Jordaan (old neighborhood with loads of different restaurants, cafes) from this side of the city, it is more quiet and there are more places without tourists.

A good Tapas restaurant there is Duende, on the Lindengracht. Nice atmosphere.

Make sure you go to the Negen Straatjes (9 streets). They have so many nice places to eat, shop, look around. These are the streets, they cross the Canals:
Berenstraat
Gasthuismolensteeg
Hartenstraat
Huidenstraat
Oude Spiegelstraat
Reestraat
Runstraat
Wijde Heisteeg
Wolvenstraat

I hope you have a wonderful time in Amsterdam, I love the possibilities this city has, once you know where to go and don't get too hung up in Coffee Shops, like maybe 2/3 of the tourists do.

Have fun!!!

Oh, and if you want to have a beer in a very Dutch cafe, go to a bruine kroeg (brown cafe) in the Jordaan with persian rugs on the table. They are spread around the city, and very funny.
 
Suus, it sounds like you know Amsterdam! We don't eat there often, but when we do it is usually in the Jordaan.

The best fries are to be found at 'Manneken Pis' which is on the Damrak! This is according to the newspaper 'Het Parool'. I'm sure all the patat prepared in the Belgian way are great!

I agree about avoiding the Leidseplein. My (Dutch) husband wants to sit there on occasion, memories of his youth and all that. It is always a rip off.

We visit Belgium a few times a year and have yet to be disappointed with a meal.

I am still waiting to hear about your experiences if you've already been!
 
Belgium is the Disneyland of Beer! If I ever manage to make it over there, I don't think I'd remeber to worry about eating, unless they serve food at the breweries! :angel:

John
 
mayo on the fries is good.
Australian Homemade has really excellent chocolates and the stores seem to be all over the city. they even have a pack that you can get that are supposed to be Aphrodesiac's(sp)

Eventually I will get back to the Dam. We spent part of a day in Harrlem the last time I was over. Neat little town only 20 mins north on the train. The Cathedral there has an amazing pipe organ in it.
 
ronjohn55 said:
Belgium is the Disneyland of Beer! If I ever manage to make it over there, I don't think I'd remeber to worry about eating, unless they serve food at the breweries! :angel:

John

You reminded me one thing I forgot... both in Belgium and Amsterdam, try white beer with a twist of lemon... very different and refreshing.
 

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