Please note that since writing this blog post, Bij Kees has closed down
Please note that since writing this blog post, Het Stuivertje has closed down
Now that I have some money in the bank again, dinner and drinks after work have become rather more financially feasible – even if the recent drop in temperature has been tempting us all to stay at home…
Sometimes I don’t take my camera/write notes/eat enough courses to merit a full review, but I still want to let you know about my latest eating experiences. So here’s a quick summary of the past month’s restaurants that haven’t quite made it into a full review:
Bij Kees
I went with a group for a friend’s birthday, which meant food was slow in arriving. But when it did, it was worth the wait: the starters were extended amuse bouches of various European persuasion. Mains were also to share, which is great so long as your friends aren’t gannets. The venue itself is an unassuming two-storey affair on the Amstel, with no real signage to tell you when you’ve arrived. Perhaps they’re going for a best-kept-secret kind of look & feel…
Thai Bird
The Bird is one of those Thai institutions people have been telling me about for years. No wonder, then, that there was a queue almost out of the door by 7 pm on a Wednesday. Still, we got a table within 10 minutes, no doubt due to the uncharacteristically brisk and efficient service that guarantees a fast table turnover. We ordered beef massaman, which was a little sweet for me, but well textured and flavoursome, and chicken phaenang, which included the unlikely addition of lychees. It was all pleasant enough, but the best Thai in Amsterdam? I’m not so sure…
Fondue & Fondue
I don’t usually eat fondue unless I’m in the Alps, and this one struck me as a rather Dutch-ified rendition. The melted cheese had mushrooms floating around in it (luckily I couldn’t really taste them, but it wasn’t something I’d have thought to ask them to leave out) and, as well as bread, it came with various raw vegetables with which to dip one’s fondue fork. Maybe I’m a bit of a purist, but I wasn’t overly enamoured. Couple that with the crowded table layout, drafty doorway that we were sat by, oddly surly attitude of the waiting staff (clearly having ordered wine 15 minutes ago does not make it justifiable to ask where it’s got to), and gelatine-heavy lemon tart-cum-cheesecake for dessert: F&F failed to leave me with a good impression.
Bistro ‘t Stuivertje
Bistro may be a bit of a euphemism for what is essentially an eetcafe, but this gezellig little spot just off the Elandsgracht is still worth a visit. I had venison steak with sauerkraut and a raspberry sauce. The deer was marginally overcooked for my liking, but was probably more to the taste of the majority of customers; the plate could have also been hotter to keep the sauce warm, but it was overall a good dish. Vegetarians should probably steer clear (the menu had only one vege dish, which seemed to be a mish-mash of rice, goat’s cheese and vegetables with no coherent thread running through it) but carnivores will be well looked after. Desserts comprise classics like apple tart, tiramisu and ice cream – all basic but decent. Both service and prices are friendly.
