Kam Yin (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

One of the things I had read about Amsterdam is the abundance of good Surinamese food as a result of mass immigration from the the former Dutch colony, and despite being quite familiar with some of the cuisines that are its major influences (particularly Chinese and Indonesian) I was determined to dine at a Surinamese restaurant just to say I have dined at a Surinamese restaurant in Amsterdam.

The original restaurant we had planned to visit, Albert Cuyp 67, turned out to be closed for renovations.  Luckily, I had purchased a local prepaid data plan for my phone so I was able to google an alternative right away.  That alternative was Kam Yin, which is located in the Red Light District and was a rather long walk from Albert Cuypstraat where we had been, but after six days in Paris, we were not fazed by a mere 30-minute walk, even though we had already spent hours walking all afternoon.

Kam Yin serves a mix of Chinese, Indonesian, and Caribbean food, though I figured from the name of the restaurant ("Golden Swallow" in Chinese) that it would lean heavily Chinese.  I decided to get something with roti in an attempt to stay close to what real people might eat in Suriname.  Kam Yin offers several similar roti dishes with vegetables and different meat options; I ordered the Roti Kip Speciaal which was basically chicken in a curry sauce, served with potatoes, green beans, and roti bread.  R. got the vegetarian version of it which looks pretty similar, only without the chicken.

Roti Kip Speciaal (6,50 euros)

Roti Kip Speciaal

As I was enjoying my dinner, I spotted a woman a few tables over who had sat at the table next to us earlier in the day at Restaurant Bazar, which was in a whole different part of town and which I had learn of from a whole different source.  I'm not sure if it means that Amsterdam is a really small place, or if all travel guides recommend all the same restaurants, or if this woman was just stalking us, but it was an odd coincidence in any case.

In the end, I have no idea if I got a good sense of what typical Surinamese dishes are like since the menu seemed to be mostly Chinese and Indonesian, as far as I could tell.  Regardless, the food was tasty and enjoyable, so I'd say it was definitely a good meal.

Restaurant info:
Kam Yin
Warmoesstraat 6, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
+31 20 6253115


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Our honeymoon food adventures are archived here.

Restaurant Bazar (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

On our second day in Amsterdam, we decided to check out the Albert Cuyp Market and grab some lunch before heading to the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseums nearby.  I'll say more about the market itself in a later post, but for lunch we ducked behind the market stalls to reach Restaurant Bazar, which serves Middle Eastern fare.  After squeezing in from the narrow sidewalk, we were surprised to find the inside of this two-story building so spacious; its high ceilings and decorated windows hint of its former life as a church, while the bright colors and almost psychedelic lights give the space a distinctly upbeat vibe.  The place was packed with so much uniqueness that I could have taken a million photos.  I nearly did.

View of Restaurant Bazar from the entrance

Inside Restaurant Bazar

Inside Restaurant Bazar

Inside Restaurant Bazar

We started with some drinks: a Turkish beer "Efes" for R. and a "Jillz" cider for me (incidentally, a product of Heineken, which is headquartered in Amsterdam).  One interesting observation about both Paris and Amsterdam is that each beer comes with its own branded glass.  Where they find the room to store all the different glasses to match all the different beers, I don't know.  For our meal, I started with the slightly creamy New Delhi Soup, consisting of tomato, sweet pepper, and Madras curry.  R. and I then split the Lahmacun, or a Turkish pizza filled with tomato and veal mince, served with salad and garlic sauce.  Both were fantastic, and reasonably-priced, too.  Another great recommendation by Rick Steves!

Efes, a Turkish beer

Jillz

New Delhi Soup (5 euros)

Lahmacun (5,5 euros)

Restaurant info:
Restaurant Bazar
Albert Cuypstraat 182, 1073 BL Amsterdam
31 (0)20 6750544
On the web: http://www.bazaramsterdam.com


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Our honeymoon food adventures are archived here.

De Bolhoed (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

After spending six days in Paris, we took the Thalys train to that wild place up north called Amsterdam for the last three days of our honeymoon.  We stayed at an, um, interesting bed and breakfast, just a 10-minute walk from Amsterdam Centraal Station, where we would have breakfast every morning next to a larger-than-life-size wooden statue of a nursing mother with particularly prominent, um, female parts.  (Only in Amsterdam!)  In terms of food, while a plethora of dining guides are available for Paris, Amsterdam is not as well known for its cuisine, so our Rick Steves book was pretty much our only source of restaurant suggestions on this leg of our trip.

Luckily, Rick Steves had some strong recommendations.  On our first night, we took a short walk from our bed and breakfast to De Bolhoed, which means "Bowler's Hat" as it used to be a hat shop, but now serves as a health-centric vegetarian eatery.  The restaurant takes up the bottom floor of two adjacent buildings; a sign with a hat is visible above the storefront on the right.  Across the sidewalk is a small outdoor patio, which was occupied when we got there, but we scored a super cute window seat by the corner inside, so all was well.  The interior decor is bright, eclectic, with a lot of character; I tried not to be "that tourist" snapping photos of the diners there, so I was only able to get in a few interior shots.

De Bolhoed

Outdoor patio

Our cute corner table by the window

Inside De Bolhoed

Inside De Bolhoed

Some of the day's specials on a chalkboard

I had the "vegan dish of the day," which was an exquisite platter consisting of tofu in tomato white wine sauce with green peas and sweet corn; white beans with roasted mushrooms, capers, and fresh coriander; carrot and beetroot salad with tzatziki; roasted veggies with homemade aioli; couscous with roasted red bell peppers, and a side salad.

Vegan dish of the day

L.O.V.E.

R. had the platter called "North African," I think, which he enjoyed quite a bit also.

The "North African"

In short, it was a fabulous first meal in Amsterdam.  We loved De Bolhoed.  What a neat introduction to the city!

Restaurant info:
De Bolhoed
Prinsengracht 60, 1015 Binnenstad, The Netherlands
+31 020 626 1803


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Sweet and Savory: Miscellaneous Good Eats in Paris

Aside from restaurant meals, we also explored other good eats in Paris - snacks, sweets, and picnic food - that made Paris the wonderful city that it is.

The May issue of Bon Appetit magazine conveniently included a Paris dining guide in which there was a section on Dorie Greenspan's favorite bakeries and pastry shops.  I would think Dorie Greenspan knows what she's talking about!  I was intrigued by her recommendation of curry bread from Gontran Cherrier (map) - we both love curry, after all - and since we were in the Montmatre neighborhood anyway, we decided to stop by the boulanger.

Gontran Cherrier

Curry Bread at Gontran Cherrier

The curry bread was awesome!

Paris is famous for its pâtisseries, of course, and we made sure to visit a few during our stay.  La Pâtisserie des Rêves (map) was an eat.shop guide recommendation, and the shop on Rue du Bac, near the Musée d'Orsay, is super classy and cute.  We bought a Paris Brest (also endorsed by Dorie Greenspan).  I gave R. one bite and had the rest of it myself. ;)  It was amazing!

Paris Brest at La Pâtisserie des Rêves

Strolling down Champs-Élysées, we came across Ladurée (map).  The actual shop is closed for renovations at the moment, but there is temporary store right across the sidewalk (and there are other locations in Paris as well).

Laduree

Macarons at Laduree

I didn't realize it at the time, but it turns out I was visiting one of the best macaron places in Paris!  R. and I each ordered three - mine were cherry blossom, some rose flavor, and salted caramel (my favorite) - and they were knock-your-socks-off delicious.  I've had many a macaron elsewhere in Paris (well, as many as one can possibly have in a span of six days), but nothing compared to the stuff at Ladurée. My only regret is that we didn't get to go back again before we left Paris!

Another one of France's claims to fame, of course, is crêpes, which I absolutely adore, so I definitely had my share while in Paris.  There are sit-down crêperies like Breizh Cafe, but crêpes are also found in abundance on the streets.  One afternoon we took a stroll along the market street Rue Cler, and stopped by Ulysee en Gaule (map) for a 4.5 euro jambon-fromage (ham and cheese) crêpe to go (most on the menu were even cheaper), though one can have a seat at the restaurant as well. So yes, it is possible to eat relatively inexpensively in Paris!

A jambon-fromage crepe from Ulysse

There is also this little street crêperie we visited near our hotel, by the Odéon Metro station, where we picked up some nutella crêpes for 3.20 euros.

Crêperie Odéon

Nutella crepe

Speaking of food on the street, we also visited the Mouton-Duvernet Street Market (map) on a recommendation from friend Burgh Gourmand.  The Mouton-Duvernet Street Market is only open Tuesdays and Fridays, and we went there to pick up some food to picnic at the park next door on our way to Tour Montparnasse about 15 minutes away.  Unlike the folks who work at restaurants or tourist attractions, the vendors at this market don't speak English!  Despite the language barrier, they were super friendly, and seemed excited that I was photographing them.

Mouton-Duvernet Street Market

Mouton-Duvernet Street Market

Mouton-Duvernet Street Market

One can find all kinds of goodies here.  I picked up some delicious beet salad, but had to improvise by ripping part of a cardboard pizza box to use as a "spoon" since I had forgotten to ask for utensils, though I'm not sure they would have any even if I had asked.  This market seems more suited for nearby residents who can bring the fresh produce, meats, and seafood home to cook, but they do sell prepared foods so picnicking is certainly possible with a little planning.

Beet salad from Mouton-Duvernet Street Market

I mentioned getting a crêpe on Rue Cler (map), but that's not the only thing we got.  We stopped by La Fromagerie to pick up some cheese, and then grabbed a bottle of wine from a store called Nicolas, where they also sell mini plastic wine glasses.  We then walked a few blocks over to Champ de Mars and picnicked by the Eiffel Tower.  What a life!

La Fromagerie on Rue Cler

La Fromagerie on Rue Cler

Wine and cheese picnic by the Eiffel Tower

Not food related, but after our picnic dinner we climbed 720 steps up to the second level of the Eiffel Tower before catching the upper set of elevator up to the top.  We watched the sunset over Paris from the top of the tower, then went back down to catch the light show from the ground.

Eiffel Tower at night

Ah...j'adore Paris!  We will be back!

Our honeymoon food adventures are archived here.

Les Papilles (Paris, France)

I know I've commented several times on the amazing guide book that is eat.shop.  Seriously, if I were ever fortunate enough to live in Paris for a month, I would hit every recommendation in that book.

Bistroy Les Papilles was a restaurant we visited for dinner on an eat.shop recommendation, so needless to say, we absolutely LOVED it.  It was right up there with Le Chateaubriand as one of our very best meals on this trip.  Maybe ever.

Les Papilles has a lot of character.  The space is narrow; one wall is lined with a large selection of wine and goodies like canned sardine and jarred pate.  Cured meats can be seen hanging by the bar.  The decor is warm, inviting, and colorful.  There is also a private table downstairs in the cellar.  The kitchen is one of the tiniest I have ever seen - smaller than the one I had in my old one-bedroom condo - and this fact is made even more impressive when you consider the caliber of the food that's being prepared in that crammed space.

Les Papilles

Inside Les Papilles

Inside Les Papilles

Inside Les Papilles

Inside Les Papilles

Les Papilles offers a four-course prix-fixe menu for 33 euros.  There is only one menu, which varies daily. We started with a bottle of wine recommended by the owner - a hearty French bourgueil to match what was to come in our meal.  All wine consumed with dinner is priced at 7 euros above retail price.

Wine at Les Papilles

The first two courses were served family style.  First came the Sweet Potato Soup that was large enough for two bowls per person.  The fillings consisted of croutons, chorizo, sweet potatoes, cream, and a potato crisp.  It was divine.

Sweet Potato Soup (filling)

Sweet Potato Soup

Next came beef cooked in wine overnight, served with potatoes, sundried tomatoes, carrots, snow peas, and onion.  The meat was super tender in texture and savory in flavor.  Again the serving was huge, but we ate every last bite as though we'll never get to have food this good again!

Beef

Then came the cheese course, a Blue Cheese and Prune Cookie soaked in red wine.  Believe it or not, the prune and the blue cheese went quite well together.  Neither R. nor I is a huge fan of blue cheese, but the prune took the edge off the cheese and made it quite palatable.  What a smart combination!

Prune and Blue Cheese

Finally, we had a Banana Panna Cotta with caramel on top as our dessert.  R. called it a "cornacopia of senses in the mouth - so many flavors!"  It was truly delicious.

Banana Panna Cotta

Les Papilles has a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation, which recognizes restaurants offering high-quality, good-value meals.  Les Papilles certainly deserves the honor.  Having a good reputation also means the bistro gets quite busy, so reservations are highly recommended.  Either call a few days ahead, or do as I did and make a reservation by email; the owner himself will respond.

Restaurant info:
Les Papilles
30 rue Gay Lussac, Paris France 75005
33 (0)1 43 25 20 79
On the web: http://www.lespapillesparis.fr/EN_index.html


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Our honeymoon food adventures are archived here.

Jean Nicot (Paris, France)

One early Friday evening, we stopped by Jean Nicot for a croque monsieur - an eat.shop guide recommendation.  As I've stated before, our eat.shop guide has provided us with consistently good dining recommendations, and Jean Nicot was no exception.

Walking into Jean Nicot is like walking back in time by about 80 years; it is the quintessential classic Parisian bar (or so it felt like to me), and while the decor is quaint, the place is well-kept and by no means feels out of style.  The outdoor patio seating was hopping with happy hour patrons.  Inside is a bar and tobacco counter along with more traditional seating.  There is also a very old courtyard out back.

Jean Nicot

Daily menu outside Jean Nicot

Jean Nicot painting

The back courtyard

The owner, Cyril Moucadel, is one of the nicest and most charming people I've ever met.  He noticed I wasn't ordering an alcoholic drink, so he offered to make something special for me - wine mixed with a grapefruit aperitif.

A grapefruit & wine drink

The one thing our eat.shop guide didn't mention about Jean Nicot is that food is mainly served during the lunch hours.  By the time we visited in the early evening, only a limited selection of items was available.  Luckily, I was still able to get that Croque Monsieur I was there for.  As the eat.shop guide had promised, my croque monsieur was excellent and perfectly cheesy.  It was just what I was looking for.  The owner also brought out some complimentary bruschetta.  We chatted with him for a little bit.

 Croque Monsieur (ketchup on the side)

Bruschetta

The bar at Jean Nicot

We really enjoyed our visit to Jean Nicot and appreciated the warm hospitality.  It made for a memorable experience.  That night, we took advantage of the extended hours at the nearby Louvre and went for a visit after our meal at Jean Nicot.  I thought I'd end this post with one of my favorite shots of the famous museum.

Nighttime at the Louvre

Oh Paris, how I miss thee!

Restaurant info:
Jean Nicot
173 Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris, France 75001
33 (0)1 42 60 49 77


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Our honeymoon food adventures are archived here.