Amsterdam Curated: City and Food

On Monday 24th of April, the release of Michelin guide's 2023 list of starred restaurants for the Netherlands included a change in the list, but De Kas successfully secured the spot on both listings – one star and the green star for it sustainability – which they had been awarded last year. (Be sure to check out the video below for a one-minute video of Restaurant De Kas) I first heard about De Kas when visiting Park Frankendael for Puremarkt . My friend mentioned that the restaurant in the greenhouse had an interesting farm-to-table concept, and after reading positive reviews, I decided to give it a try. The restaurant's reasonably priced menu and glowing comments piqued my interest. De Kas' "From plant to plate" concept is evident from the moment you enter the restaurant. The greenhouse features a farm with herbs and vegetables, some of which are used in the dishes served. However, most of the 300 varieties of plants used by the restaurant are grown at their far...

Located in East Amsterdam, Javastraat is a bustling street that is home to various immigrant communities. The diversity of the restaurants and shops here is truly magnificent, with cuisines ranging from Yemeni to Turkish, Indian to Surinamese. (Be sure to check out the video below for a one-minute video of MasMais Taqueria) We were recommended by our Turkish colleagues to try out Ocakbaşı Çinar, a real authentic Turkish charcoal kebab restaurant. They specialize in kebab by bringing "Ocakbasi", which means grill restaurant with an open fire pit in the middle, to the Dutch capital. Intrigued, we decided to visit this place. During our visit, we were a group of six people from all over Europe and Asia. We began our dinner with a bottle of Rakı, a high alcohol volume liquor made of twice-distilled grapes. The drink changes into milky white color when water is added. Before the kebabs, we ordered mezzes and appetizers, including Humus, Haydari, Ezme, Padlican, and Icli Kofte. We ...

On Easter Saturday, it was tough finding a brunch spot in Amsterdam since many places were closed for the holiday. Luckily, I managed to snag a table at Box Sociaal in Oost, even though it was a last-minute reservation. Although I didn't have high hopes initially, I was pleasantly surprised by the experience at Box Sociaal. (Be sure to check out the video below for a one-minute video of Box Sociaal) Box Sociaal is an all-day brunch and dinner cafe with an Australian-inspired concept. Interestingly, there seem to be quite a few Australian-style brunch cafes in Amsterdam.   Upon arriving earlier than my friend, I perused the menu book and noted the clear influence of Korean cuisine throughout. While "kimchi" has become ubiquitous on menus of various restaurant tiers, I found the Korean-inspired options at Box Sociaal particularly intriguing and decided to give them a try. Since the weather was still quite cold, I opted for a pot of tea instead of ano...