Culinary trip to the Italian island of Sardinia

Last week I visited an Italian restaurant in the Oud Zuid neighborhood called Sardegna. I went there with a good friend of mine - Gala. I have maybe mentioned her before, but she is undeniably my buddy for food loving in Amsterdam. After spending some months in vibrant New York doing her internship at the MET, she came back to Amsterdam to finish her thesis. Her new place is in the center of Oud Zuid, which makes up for a great excuse for us to explore what culinary treats it has to offer.

Our pick for a Friday evening dinner - Restaurant Sardegna.

We came in around Dutch dinner time - 6pm ish - with no reservation, but after waiting for only about 10 minutes (I am guessing we were lucky with that one), we were seated at a little table for two.

First of all, I must say, I quite liked the decor of the place. I am rather positive that the true reason for that was that the first thing that I noticed on one of the restaurant walls when we entered was a big posted of Marlon Brando with a cat on his lap, taken out of the Godfather movie. And I love that movie. And I totally love Brando's depiction of Vito Corleone in that movie. Just spectacular in my eyes.

Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone

Second of all, I personally think that the feeling when you enter the restaurant is way warmer than depicted on the pictures on the website of the restaurant. Which is a good thing. When it comes to Italian food, you want to feel warm, homey and happy. There is this certain buzz I have in mind when I think of good Italian food.

The bar - While waiting to be seated you can have a drink at the bar

It was full house that evening

As to the food, I really enjoyed what I ordered. We started of with an appetizer of oven baked aubergine with tomato and mozzarella filling. Gala and I decided to share it, but we established that this appetizer was not made for sharing, as the portion is quite small. Nonetheless, it was a tasty bite to begin the dinner.

For main we ordered two different things. Gala ordered the Filetto al Ferri, which was a grilled lean cut of grilled beef fillet. I ordered the Agnello con miele e tartuffo, which was a delicate lamb meat marinated in honey and truffles. Though the taste of the beef was a bit on the blander side, the lamb was delicious. It was obviously a good quality meat and it was very well done. The dish is quite sweet, due to the honey marinade, but the combination of honey and truffles is something I have not had yet. I found it to be a very interesting combination that worked with the lamb very well. As a side we were served oven baked potatoes with rosemary and broccoli. 

Oven potatoes and broccoli side

Delicious lamb with a honey-truffle marinade

For dessert we also picked two different dishes. Gala chose a panna cotta with coffee sauce, while I opted for the other Italian classic - the tiramisu. Both of them were very delicious. As for the portion, the panna cotta is definitely a one-person dish, but the tiramisu can be also shared with two people. The tiramisu was very light with a distinct coffee taste finish.

Tiramisu

As for the wine, I picked the house wine, since I was the only one drinking wine. The house wine was ok, a good all rounder. However, if you are not the only one drinking, I would definitely suggest to consider one of the bottled red wines they offer, as the move spicy ones would compliment the lamb more. 

Finally, the service was very good. The staff was very friendly and involved. They were not afraid to give suggestions if asked, and made sure to come by the table often enough. They came by just the right amount of times. They were neither too pushy, nor scarce. They hit the perfect middle, so the service definitely deserves a positive mention. 

Great food and great company makes for a great evening. 

Spanish paella in Amsterdam next to Panama

Mashua - Peruvian fusion on the Prinsengracht

Let me start by saying that I do not have an overwhelming knowledge of Peruvian food, but from the little experience I have with it, I established that the Peruvian cuisine is a very exciting one.

When consuming a good Peruvian dish you feel like your tastebuds have been taken on a joyride. The flavors are strong, but not heavy. Your dish can be creamy, but is fresh at the same time. A sudden twist of lime, or a flake of chili gives the food a surprise element, and its distinct wow-effect.

For quite a while I have been thinking of enriching my Amsterdam culinary experience by heading to a Peruvian restaurant. Casa Peru was the one I had in mind. As far as my knowledge goes, I believe that is the oldest Peruvian restaurant in Amsterdam. It is on the Leidsegracht, which gives it a great location while being just out of the sight of the tourist flocks.

Though this restaurant with traditional Peruvian food is on my restaurant to-do-list, it is not a place you an head to every day. Since I was going out for a casual dinner with a friend, I suggested to go to Mashua. I knew it was a Peruvian restaurant as well, and a friend of mine told me that her experience there was great. So why not?

Mashua - Peruvian fusion restaurant on Prinsengracht (crossing with Leidsestraat)

We went to the restaurant on a quiet Wednesday evening, so we did not have to wait or fight for a table :)
The waiter was very happy and welcoming, promptly got us a menu card and a wine card.
After looking at all the delicious choices, we picked.

The meal was delicious. I am rarely out of words...But "Oh my, God, this is delicious" was pretty much the only thing that my friend and I could say for about 15 minutes.
After finishing our dishes, we called the waiter and sent our compliments to the chef. I don't remember doing that in a very long time.

Delicious, delicious, delicious!

Next pleasant surprise - the bill. For a total of 70 euro (including a good tip) we had 2 mains and a bottle of Verdejo.

Main courses:
1) Lobster (whole) with cheese filled tortelloni (excuse me if I did not get the type right) with a delicious sauce, and a quinoa salad with beans, ruccola and chili on the side

2) Duck breast with rice, with lemon and vegetable sauce (this is a very simplistic description, which does not even come close to the deliciousness I had on my plate)

Would I come to eat here again? Absolutely!


And a interesting side note: Mashua and Casa Peru share the same owner. Casa Peru is traditional, while Mashua serves a slightly more affordable Peruvian fusion.


Xx

(p.s.: sorry for the pictures that do not do the food justice)

Lunch break at Café George

The morning fog lifted and the sun came by to say hello.
There are many ways of celebrating this fall rarity.
I chose some eggs Benedict and a fresh mint tea on the canal.

Exploring Oud Zuid for lunch

It has been a while since I visited a new place for lunch in my neighborhood. After a drunk conversation with a friend of mine about great lunch places, he pointed me to a place on the Cornelis Schytstraat. Though unsure about the name, after my morning class in criminal law, I decided to indulge myself with a nice brunch.

I drive up and down the Corbelis Schuyt, and decided to go to Brasserie De Joffers. I soon realized that I have been here before (I remember some quite nice scrambled eggs with salmon and kaviar after coming back from holidays sometime last year).

However, I have not sat inside. I ordered a coffee and started looking at the menu. After a tough decision between the Club Martini Deluxe sandwich (with chicken, avocado, tomato and basil mayonnaise), and a Hamburger Royal, I went for the Italian bun with beef and truffled egg and spicy cheddar cheese. At least I know that I will pick the club sandwich next time.

I ordered some French fries to accompany the burger and I one needs to eat a lot of fruit and veggies every day :)

My burger was great, the French fried were also nice. Overall, I am very satisfied with my choice and the preparation.
Hence - will be coming here again soon!

Back in Amsterdam

After almost a month in Bulgaria, enjoying the sunny beaches with family and friends, I am back in the beautiful city of Amsterdam.

The weather is much better than a month ago, in fact people are talking about a heat wave. So far, I am ok with it.

As a welcome back, I decided to go to one of my favorite places and order one of my favorite foods - eggs Benedict at Cafe George.

If you are a fan of eggs Benedict, this place should most definitely be on your Amsterdam restaurant and cafe list.

My drink - koffie verkeerd (Dutch for cafe latte)

Finally, my date for today's brunch - the new September issue of the Dutch Vogue.

Xxx