Good Eats in Amsterdam

Dining out in a new city is one of the best ways to feel out the culture. It also gives any jaunt a really relaxing, vacationy feel. I mean, you’ll never know how many calories are in that sugared waffle, so you might as well enjoy! When my mum and I visited Amsterdam a few weeks ago, needless to say we ate out a lot. We were also blessed with a fabulous breakfast spread every morning, courtesy of our hotel. Every morning Rachel and Pepijn served us fresh bread, jam, yogurt, cappuccinos, eggs, fruit, and plates of spiced gouda.

My mum and I would plod through the rain to see some of Amsterdam’s fabulous museums but we often rested in the afternoon with a cup of fresh mint tea. A cup of really special tea like that and a slice of appletoort from Cafe de Jaren makes for a lovely afternoon break. Other Dutch treats I recommend are the unassuming but delicious coffee-caramels hopjes and stroopwaffels (syrup waffles), cookie-like waffles that smush together a thin layer of caramely syrup.

I don’t think I’d ever eaten Indonesian food before that trip, but it was very good. As a former Dutch colony, Indonesian food has caught on in Holland in a big way. My mum and I had a very delish rijstoffel one evening, right across from the flower market. Our dishes were a little heavy on the tofu, but the meal was delicious. I also spotted an absolute ton of Argentinian steak houses in the city. Truly, there were more steak houses than I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I kept meaning to ask out hosts why that was but I never did. I suppose that just leaves more to discover next time!