Eater Comes To Amsterdam

[scrumptiouschef]

Coming to Amsterdam in January 2010 for a week and am looking to do some serious eating.I'm staying in Waterloo Plein. It'll be my 6th visit but it's been a few years so I expect the scene to have changed quite a bit.I'll be coming off two weeks in Istanbul so I won't be eating any Turkish food but other than that all bets are off.

Argentine:I'm going to need a big hunk of perfectly cooked steak slathered with chimichurri.Is Iguazu still the best spot for this?

Broodjes:I'm a sandwich lover.Where is the best place to get cured meats piled high with old cheese on a loaf of fresh bread?

Teppan:I love sitting at the Teppan table and have always enjoyed Kobe.Is it still good? The last time I was there the chef fired a tiny perfectly made omelet across the grill and right into my mouth.I need for this to happen again.

Fish:Not sure if I'll be able to rent a motorbike and hit the little shacks that dot the shoreline of the North Sea this time due to my visit coming in January.Where is the best place in town to get a simply prepared,impossibly fresh piece of fish?

Eating at the bar:Any particular place that has a nice,comfortable bar making good cocktails and serving local foods?

I'm very interested in Trouw Amsterdam.Who's been? How is it?

Chocolate:I'm hopelessly addicted.Wish I could remember the name of the place in the Jordaan that produced the best truffles imaginable.What is THE source for chocolate?

Apple pie:It always surprised me to see the most humble Amsterdam restaurant trotting out mile high slices of gorgeous apple pie.What is the best source for this treat?

French Fries:I know there are a million little stands that serve this delicacy and I've eaten at way too many of them.What is the best source for perfectly fried potatoes served with a schooner of mayo?How is Vleminckx on Voetboogstraat?

Micro brewery: Beer is one of my lifebloods. Tell me about the your favorite Dutch microbrewery with lots of taps and a brewmaster who has given his life to producing delicious beer.How is Brouwerij ‘t IJ?

Fresh bread:I've always been amazed at the general quality of bread in Amsterdam.What is the best bakery putting out good loaves? How is Le Fournil de Sebastien?

Pizza: Amsterdam has great pizza. With the abundance of Dutch cheese it's not surprising. What is the best pizza joint in town? How is Da Portare Via?

Thai food:Specifically yom nua.What is your favorite Thai restaurant in Amsterdam?

Barbecue: Had memorable barbecue out in the country while riding back into the city from Friesland. Tell me about your favorite source for slow smoked meats in Amsterdam.

Toko Tjin,Surinamese sandwiches:Can someone give me more details? It sounds quite good.

Cheese:How is De Kaaskamer Runstraat?

Het Molenpad? I've been directed here by an old school US hound?What's good here?

What is the best brown bar in town?

Thanks y'all.Can't wait to get back to Amsterdam and eat my way through the city.

[eatamsterdam]

For apple pie, Winkel on Noordermarkt always gets trotted out, but I think Cafe Latei on Zeedijk (Nieuwmarkt end) is just as good, plus it's really quirky - almost everything in it is for sale, including the chairs you're sitting on.

Vleminckx is still excellent for fries, although it might be worth mentioning they serve Flemish rather than French fries - nice fat things that are crispy on the outside and crumbly on the inside.

There are several really good bakeries to choose from: Bakken Met Passie (near Albert Cuyp market), Vlaamsch Broodhuys, Crust and Crumbs and De Bakkerswinkel. Hartog's wholewheat bakery/cafe near Oosterpark is a bit of a local institution, or try either of the organic markets that set up on Saturdays on Nieuwmarkt and Noordermarkt.

De Pizza Bakkers opened about a year ago and seem to be doing very well, judging by the number of new branches they keep opening. The pizza's are great and you can choose from some standard tomato-and-cheese-type toppings or some more unusual options like fennel sausage (one of my favourites). They don't accept cash, only debit/credit cards.

Thai Bird on Zeedijk is good, but as it is now in all the guide books it's nearly always packed. Another good option in the area is Ocha - its on Binnen Bantammerstraat, a side street on the other side of Nieuwmarkt - which is run by lovely Thai sisters.

It's also in all the guide books, but 't Smalle brown cafe, with its lovely canal-side terrace, always does it for me.

[scrumptiouschef]

Coming back to Amsterdam for a week in August. I'll be having most of my meals at

Eenvistweevis
Schippersgracht 6 , Amsterdam
020 623 28 94

as it's the best restaurant I've found in ten years of Amsterdam dining.

But I read the following:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/04/tra...

and it made me really curious.

I've always visited Altos for my jazz/beer drinking late nights but I really want to hit Brug 9 (Singel Tegenover 157 or 161 after reading the article.

Who's been? How is it?

Also, as per Dutchgrubs rec a visit to Small World catering is a must for anyone that loves carefully made sandwiches with the best ingredients in town.

Can't wait to get back.

[dutchgrub]

Hi scrumptiouschef,

Like linguafood (hi!) said, I'm always happy to help out with questions about Amsterdam. And there indeed is a lot of info on my blog.

Actually looks like you did your homework very well and got a lot of the good places scoped out already: Puccini for chocolate, Vleminckx for fries, Brouwerij 't IJ for microbrews, Le Fournil de Sebastian for bread, Da Portare Via for pizza, The Bird (snack bar!!) for Thai are all great options. I don't think Brouwerij 't IJ is too far out, although Fournil is in the south and quite a few tram stops from Waterloo Plein.

For sandwiches you must go to Small World Catering in the Jordaan. Brilliant place, tiny, super friendly and with the best sandwiches in town.

Not sure if that's the kind of barbecue you are looking for, but you might want to try De Klos on Kerkstraat for spare ribs. Nevy on Westerdoksdijk is a good option for fish.

Let us know if you made it through the whole list! That would be like a best of Amsterdam food trip!

dutchgrub
--
www.dutchgrub.com

[scrumptiouschef]

Hey Dutchgrub
Love the site.It's a treasure trove.

Where do you go for Teppan?

Is Kobe still good?

How is Trouw Amsterdam?

Any crucial spots I'm missing?

What's your favorite coffeeshop in town?

How is the new Rokerij?

Is Iguazu still the best Argentine spot for a big steak?

[linguafood]

For obvious reasons, let me answer your question this way:

Tweede Kamer has a fantastic selection of *coffee*, and their espresso ain't half bad, either (in the Spui, near De Beiaard, Singel 404, and a nice tapas place on Spuistraat).

I'm also partial to Grey Area which is just across from Puccini Bomboni. Neither are great hangout places, though, just good for purchasing great quality coffee.

Barney's -- relatively near to Centraal Station serves a pretty good breakfast. But their coffee selection is better.

[scrumptiouschef]

http://www.fazed.com/travel/amsterdam_food.html

Some info about squat dining above.

http://www.channels.nl/knowledge/23133.html

Humorous look at lots of Amsterdam eateries

http://www.amsterdamlogue.com/cheap-drinks-and-happy-hours-in-amsterdam.html

Some happy hour deals above

http://www.amsterdamlogue.com/cheap-drinks-and-happy-hours-in-amsterdam.html

more Amsterdam restaurant reviews

http://www.travbuddy.com/Amsterdam-Ne...

traveler reviews of Amsterdam restaurants

[linguafood]

?

[dutchgrub]

Hey scrumptiouschef,

Glad you like my blog!

Sorry I didn't get back to you on your questions - I was traveling. You mentioned being in Amsterdam in January, so assume it's too late to answer now. Let me know if you still do have questions.

I did get a good laugh at lingua's obvious answers on the best coffee in town. Too funny! These are some good roasts. Kashmir Lounge on Jan-Pieter Heijestraat is another option. And the Rokerij is ok too.

Please do let us know what you did / did not like!

dutchgrub
--
www.dutchgrub.com

[scrumptiouschef]

After finding one fish,two fish and gollem the trip involved shuttling between those two spots.

Zotte,Eagles Nest and 'T ij figured prominently as well.

Will provide full report on return

[Trip Klaus]

My post will be called Drinker comes to Amsterdam.

I love the T'IJ brewery and have visited it many times but have had 5 different cab drivers have no idea how to find it. Well worth trhe visit, just make sure to use their google map and even take a copy with you.

I haven't visited the La Trappe brewery in Tilburg, but nest time I get close I plan to.

In Utrecht there is the Oudaen brewpub (good wheatbeers) well worth visiting if you're in Utrecht.

In Amsterdam the Beiaard Group took over the old Maximilliam brewpub on Kloveniersburgwal, just off the red light district.

I agree that the Beiaard on Spui is a great beer bar. Others include Cafe Belgique on Gravenstraat near the Niewe Kerk, In de Wildeman on Kolksteeg, Cafe Gollem on Raamsteeg. All of these are brown cafes that offer the best of dutch and belgian beers.

I would also ask at the Bierkoning on Palesstraat, the best beer store in Amsterdam for any new and/or secret beer spots.

Proost

[linguafood]

As I'm pretty sure our resident 'dam expert dutchgrub will chime in shortly (you should also check out his blog), I'll keep my reply short:

Pretty awesome broodjes can be had at Singel 404 in the Nine Streets area, near the Spui. The sandwiches there are excellent, and they have a huge selection. Also, cheap!

Chocolate truffles -- my guess is you are talking about Puccini Bomboni on Singel/Oude Leliestraat.

Excellent Thai can be had at Bird on Zeedijk. Go to the snackbar, not the resto of the same name across.

Vleminckx gets a lot of mention for awesome fries. Personally, I haven't eaten there, but I haven't had a fry I didn't like in the Dam.

't IJ is fun, but it's a bit out of the way, and it's got really bizarre opening hours. Another great brewery is De Beiaard in the Spui.

Now I'm getting nostalgic.... hopefully, I can make it to the Dam next year!