Please note that since writing this blog post, Brasserie de Kelderhof has closed down
Please note that since writing this blog post, Mano a mano has closed down
My Spanish friend Andrea claims that it is impossible to find good tapas in Amsterdam, but I am determined to prove her wrong. Given that she is of the opinion that tapas are actually meant to be eaten like borrel hapjes – as a snack with drinks and not as a meal in themselves – I could be some time trying! I’ve also spent very little time in Spain, which means that I don’t really know what I’m looking for – I just know what tastes good, which I think in underrated anyway.
I must admit though, so far I’ve found the odd good dish here and there but nothing that could be really be recommended to the discerning food blog public. Last Friday, Andrea and I went to Mano a mano, a small local tapas bar on the Hugo de Grootplein, hoping to be proved wrong. From past experience, we were aware that tortilla is often made with powdered egg (even in Spain) because of the risk of salmonella or some such rubbish. Accordingly, we asked the waitress whether fresh eggs were used before we ordered; ‘umm… it has eggs, yes, and potato, and onion I think…’ A waitress who could barely remember the ingredients in a tortilla, let alone whether the eggs were fresh? It didn’t bode well.
The jamon iberico, on the other hand, was promising. I am going to admit complete ignorance on this one and tell you (at the risk of undermining whatever reputation I might have) that I was under the clearly ridiculous impression that jamon iberico was just jamon from a place called Iberico. It turns out it is a type of pig. Duh. Anyway, it leaves a slightly dry aftertaste and that, I am told, is a good thing.