Indonesian food is popular in Amsterdam, the result of ties forged through the centuries of Dutch colonization in Southeast Asia.
Any concerns we had that the food would be toned down for European palates were vanquished with this tangy, spicy amuse bouche of battered chili chicken.
Lumpia basah, a starchy, roti jala-ish steamed winter roll of chicken & prawns. The recipes slant toward "contemporary" Indonesian, eschewing traditional preparations for prettified ones.
Salada bebek (roasted duck salad with green turmeric leaves dressing).
Most of the dishes tasted decent _ except this grilled fish pate with peanut sauce, which looked too pale to be otak-otak and was far too bland.
Salada asinan segar (crackly crab, mango & pineapple in green salad with tamarind).
Succulent lamb sate with lime-&-soy sauce & chicken sate with peanut sauce.
Soto aneka laut. Watery seafood soup with a slight citrus tang.
Sate Marangi (garlic-marinated beef fillet skewers).
Chicken soup with glass noodles & (too few) quail eggs.
Plump prawns in jackfruit sauce, alongside stir-fried veggies & egg.
Cod fish "cobek." A West Javanese fish fillet recipe with carrot sauce.
Padang-style beef rendang.
Chicken gulai (Sumatran-style chicken with lemongrass & cinnamon).
Urapan (wok-fried mixed veggies with grated coconut) & Kambing Kecap (lamb fillet, long beans & chillies).
Sambal goreng buncis (spicy green beans with shrimp).
Desserts are Westernized. Here's a platter of blue pears sweetened & stewed in blue curacao, fruit tartar & fermented black rice pudding.
Flan of young coconut with pineapple soup & sorbet. Sweet, melt-in-the-mouth bliss.
Faugeres, Carignan-Mourverdre-Syrah-Grenache, Chateau Chennaie (2004) & Au Cler, Vin de Pays des Cotes des Gascogne (2009).
Blue Pepper,
Amsterdam.
The latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites for January-March 2014 is now available online, featuring 100 pretty nice eateries, including more than 20 new entries for this quarter. The eBook can be read & downloaded for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones.
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