Reviewing the Food We Tried in Amsterdam

    Amsterdam's canal-lined streets are decorated with individual boutiques and restaurants. Each alley takes you along a new strip of shops, houses, and pubs. This city is not only an epicenter of the culinary arts but an epicenter of cultures and ideas. Amsterdam's cuisine is deeply rooted in the flavors of traditional French and Indonesian dishes. This makes each restaurant original and fresh. Today I will be reviewing the food we tried in Amsterdam.

Stuivertje Score: 8.8

    It was quite late when we arrived in Amsterdam and all of us were famished. We had spent about half an hour searching for restaurants but most required reservations. We finally found Stuivertje, a small restaurant in a more residential area. Stuivertje was entirely empty when we arrived, but with an appetizing menu and high reviews, we decided to give it a shot. The restaurant serves elevated French-Dutch food but is decently affordable. We started our meal with escargot which was tasty but small. Our main courses arrived shortly and were beautifully displayed. I tried the ribeye, a delectable beef of professional chef quality. However, the meat was sometimes hard to cut off the bone, making eating somewhat more difficult. Overall, I would highly recommend Stuivertje to anybody visiting Amsterdam.

Piqniq Score: 7.5

    This popular sandwich and soup shop is a great place for lunch in Amsterdam. While there are few seating options in the small restaurant, Piqniq is a great place to relax and socialize. Instead of ordering a single sandwich, Piqniq recommends purchasing three different items. I would recommend ordering two sandwiches and a soup for the most versatility. While the brie sandwich I sampled lacked a complementing sauce, the pulled chicken sandwich was tasty and unique. Both paired well with a warm and creamy tomato soup. 

Rene's Croissanterie Score: 8.5

    Technically located in the red light district, Rene's serves the best sticks- I mean churros- in the area. Due to its popularity, the churros are made fresh every couple of minutes. A worker deep-fries them in a large tub of oil, and coats them in cinnamon, before dowsing the churros in chocolate and powdered sugar. We're always up for a healthy and nutritious snack. In addition to the churros, we also ordered Amsterdam's famous stroopwafels. The waffle consists of two thin pieces of bread filled with a fine layer of syrup. As the stroopwafel is a signature treat in the Netherlands, it is necessary to at least try the snack. We found the stroopwafel at Rene's to be quite good but still not comparable to their churros. The churros are probably the best churros we've ever had. The powdered sugar and melted chocolate are great additions to the cinnamon treat. I only wish we had ordered another packet of them.

Banketbakkerÿ Van der Linde Gelato Score: 7

    I first want to congratulate Banketbakkerÿ Van der Linde for having the best name. It seems like the owner couldn't decide on a fitting name so he put them all together. We were first intrigued by Banketbakkerÿ, not by its name but by its unique ice cream texture. The shop combines ice cream with whipped cream to make a flavor and texture similar to soft-serve. When we first arrived in line, the wait was quite short. However, Banketbakkerÿ only accepts cash so we had to run to the nearest ATM. When we returned, a tour group had joined the line, making the wait two times longer. The ice cream was very creamy and original, but the flavors quickly became boring. While it was worth a try, Banketbakkerÿ is not an ice cream I crave.

What we didn't like:

Sea Palace

    Sea Palace is a three-story tall restaurant that mimics a Chinese temple. The building is situated on the water and is located by Amsterdam's Centraal Train Station. We had high hopes for the large Chinese facility but were severely disappointed. Sea Palace automates everything a waiter is supposed to do. You must order everything online including water. The dishes were decent but similar to many average Chinese restaurants. In addition, the shu mai we ordered never arrived. When we inquired about the missing dish, the waiter never responded. Eventually, we canceled the order and left. On our way out, we overheard another group complaining that their dish never arrived. For such a nice building, we were thoroughly disappointed by the service and attentiveness of the staff. 

Sumpurna

    Throughout the 1600s, the Netherlands colonized many Indonesian and South Asian regions. Now, many Indonesian restaurants have opened throughout Holland and Amsterdam. The Rijsttafel, an elaborate Indonesian meal, is the Dutch's unofficial national dish. While Sumpurna immersed us in Indonesian culture and had a great ambiance, we were less than thrilled by its food. Many of the dishes seemed doused in peanut sauce and none were fresh. Although there are likely better Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam, we were unsatisfied with Sumpurna's quality. 

Amsterdam Fries (General)

    Traditional Dutch fries have been a staple of Dutch cooking for decades. Many shops selling these fries have opened throughout Amsterdam and other major cities in the Netherlands. We were quite intrigued by the famous fries and purchased them with a popular Dutch sauce. The fries were decent but inferior to McDonald's delicious snack. Furthermore, the sauce was glopped on the fries, making eating difficult without getting your hands dirty. While it was nice to taste a piece of Dutch cuisine, we were not impressed by either the fries or the sauce. 

    Thanks again for reading Flavor Fusion @ Tales, Tastes, and Travels. If you have any recommendations, questions, or tips, make sure to write them below in the comments.