But Oslo is also a nice and warm spot in Amsterdam Oost (or East, if we are keeping it English).
It is my second time here, and for a second time I am very satisfied with establishment. So far I have only experienced what Oslo offers for lunch, but they also serve dinner and fiction as a bar in the evening.
As for the food, here is what I had:
Main course the first time:
Eggs Benedict
I thought the dish was great. Although served in a non-standard way (on a bread roll) they were very tasty. For me, when it comes to eggs Benedict, the 2 most essential factors are 1) the runniness of th poached eggs, and 2) the Hollandaise. Both of the elements were great, so I did not mind the bread.
During my second visit I ordered:
Cappuccino
Fresh mint tea
Croque Madame (very nice, they uses appropriate cheese and the fried egg on top was still with a runny yolk, making for a nice 'sauce' for the croque)
Dark chocolate cake (from Holtkamp)
As to the service - good, even when it got busy around 12:30. Extra treat after WC - lollipop. I guess a reward for washing your hands?
Overall it was a great success. But now I need to get back to my exam prep.
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.
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.
Today I came back from my Christmas holiday in Slovakia. Seeing my parents was awesome, as was my mami's Christmas dinner food. Which, unfortunately I only could eat in the last days - thanks stomach flu!
So in the past two days I have been trying to make up for the Christmas binge eating I missed out on, and I think I am being quite successful.
Also, while some people would prefer sleeping after spending half a day traveling, in the airplane and then in the city public transportation, I decides to make myself some easy dinner. I am physically quite well, I think, but I think my sanity might have suffered under the absence of the usual amounts of food consumed per one of the Christmas days.
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)
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.
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!
It has been 5 full days since I have not left my house (and I do not count the 20 seconds necessary for throwing my trash out yesterday evening). I have been mainly bed-bound, since I have contracted the chicken pox. Most people have this illness when they are in kindergarden or elementary school. The few others, people like me, have managed to successfully dodge it. At least until last weekend, when I most likely contracted it when I was doing some volunteer work at a farm for kids. My friend made a good comment about this "That's some weird karma right there". I must agree.
Anyways, since I am feeling much better now, I started thinking of all the things I can be doing out in Amsterdam, once I can actually get out of my house without being a health hazard to my surroundings.
So here is are some things that are on my list:
1. The Stedelijk Museum
I have been waiting for this for so long! The museum has been closed for ever, and not even the interns there knew when exactly it would be opening. I wish my friend Gala would be here, with whom we have discussed this museum countless times.
2. Unseen Photo fair
First time I heard about this was around a month ago from a German friend of mine. I was immediately intrigued, and put a mental marker on it. In the last 2 weeks I constantly see posts related to it in my Facebook feed. All of my friends in Amsterdam seem to be going nuts about it. So there is only one this left to do - Go see it myself.
3. The Begijnhof
The last time I was here was probably one of the first times I visited Amsterdam. I would definitely describe it as the secret garden hidden in the most busy touristic area of the city. Right next to the busy Kalverstraat and the Dam square, you can find this beautiful, tranquil, and somehow magical garden. This time I am gonna go see it as a resident of Amsterdam.
Finally, here is one for wishful thinking - Inside Design, which was features in ELLE Decoration.
I was really hoping I could go see this one, but my chicken pox did not agree. In case I would look better on Sunday, I would love to catch the last day. But the realist in me, knows that it is probably something for next time.
Exactly a week ago I was leaving the P.C. Hooftstraat in Amsterdam, after a very nice evening dedicated to fashion. The little shopping and pretty-things addict in me was rejoicing the happening of that day, but definitely the happening of the month in Amsterdam - Vogue's Fashion's Night Out.
For the first time Vogue organized this evening, full of events happening in the famous Dutch department store De Bijenkorf (meaning 'beehive'), and on the renown high fashion shopping street P.C. Hooftstraat in the Museum District of Amsterdam.
The event started at 6pm and lasted until 10pm on the P.C. and until 11pm in the Bijenkorf. Needless to say, there was no realistic scenario in which 4 hours would be enough for me to go check out all the sports I wanted to. Therefore, I decided to calm down a little, and enjoy the things I can see to the fullest.
After trying on and tossing clothes to the side for about an hour and a half, I figured out what to wear and hurried to meet two of my friends at the Bijenkorf for the viewing of the fashion documentary "Diana Vreeland: The eye has to travel". Excited, but not with too many expectations, I joined my friends on the top floor of the Bijenkort where the first screening started at 18:45.
And OMG! The movie was so well done! It is made as an interview with Diana Vreeland, the figure who made Vogue Vogue. And there was one thing on my mind during the movie: "Wow, this woman is so funny!". This woman was the pioneer of crazy awesome fashion shoots and daring editorials. But I will not get into the detailed biography if this interesting woman, as I am sure I would not do better that Wikipedia. I will, however, post the official trailer to the documentary to spare you the YouTube search.
After watching the documentary, we made use of the cab service. There were three types of 'vehicles' - the Vogue FNO Mercedes, the Moet & Chandon tuk tuks, and the Tommy Hilfiger yellow cabs. Though the tuk tuk with a glass of champagne sounded awesome, we decided not to be picky (as the line was about 15 minutes of waiting, and it was quite cold outside), and hopped into one of the Vogue Mercedes cars with a sympathetic young driver who, though professional, did not manage to keep a straight face during the 15 minute ride. Not that he did not try. Let's just say that the conversation we were having was very girly and full of entertaining anecdotes, which did not start with "that one night, we decided to stay sober".
Finally, we arrived at the P.C. Hooftstraat. Almost every store had something going on. The huge line at Chanel made us suppress our desiree to see the special edition lipstick and nailpolish, so we continued down the street, and after a brief stop and the Frozz frozen yoghurt stand in front of the Italian luxury store Iceberg, we headed to Filippa K.
Filippa K did not not disappoint. We were greeted by the DJ's dancey tunes form the second floor of the store, which we sipped on a glass of champagne. To avoid the alcohol hitting the head, the guests were served finger-food (on a stick), which was delicious. A ball of goat cheese covered in pistachio and honey, or a trendy take on a simple meatball...it was delicious, and definitely excited the foodie in me as well. After browsing through the pretty clothes of the Scandinavian designer store, we decided to quickly check out some other spots on the street.
DJ at the Filipa K store
We entered the Diesel store, where the party was full power. Dimmer lighting, loud music. White wine, Russian Mules, Peroni, and Pellegrino. The whole shabang. It was definitely more about the Diesel motto, than about their clothes that evening :)
We continued to Hermes. My motto when entering the store "Indulge the eye, with what the wallet cannot buy". And we did. The experience was made even more magical by a handsome young gentleman who set a little paper on fire and turned it into a light-orange rose. Which he then turned into two...and that one in another two...until all the ladies watching had a rose to take home. And when you would look at it at home, you would dream of that Hermes bag.
After exiting dream land, we went to Karen Millen, where we savored a nice glass of pink champagne while checking out the new collection. Soon we headed back to Filippa K. to meet the rest of our friends. By now the shops were closing and the quite tunes of the DJ in Filippa K. had tuned to a fun party, which everyone was enjoying outside.
For some the evening ended there, for others at the after-party in the Conservatorium. My evening ended up with some beers with a couple of my friends at a bar in the centre of Amsterdam.
Fun night!
Live music to close down the evening
The Zara Home store was ready for visitor since the morning
Old school ride
Tommy Hilfiger yellow cab is parked at the store at 4pm
The last preparations for the evening are going on
Nothing says festive as some gold and silver balloons - Nice job, Oger!
Since I got back to Amsterdam two weeks before school started again, and the weather was far more welcoming and summery than before I left for Bulgaria to enjoy and actual summer, I figured that I should do some nice things in my free time.
After having a coffee and a very nice beet soup and a delicious quiche at the Vlaamsch Broodhuys, I decided that I should join her and many other friend to VOLTT. It is one of the last festivals of the summer season, that I would recommend to any party goer in Amsterdam. Though we got wet a couple of times, the sun broke through and everyone enjoyed their time listening to the amazing DJs.
