Amsterdam Curated: City and Food

Just like the China Sichuan Restaurant I posted last time, I found Troef Amsterdam on the same list - Time Out's "The 21 Best Restaurants in Amsterdam 2024" list. After my experience with China Sichuan restaurant, I honestly had some doubt. However, the description of this place was quite fancy, and since it was not far from my area, I decided to go. Troef Amsterdam brought together big names from Amsterdam's culinary scene, including renowned restaurants like 212 and Ron Blaauw, as well as the expertise of chefs such as Raymond Plat (formerly of 212) and Niels Leijssenaar (from the kitchens of Ron Blaauw), along with Willem Alberts and Roderick Kunst from Escobar. Nestled in Amsterdam-Oost, Restaurant Troef swiftly rose to prominence as one of the most sought-after hotspots in this vibrant part of the city. We initially decided to order a combination of one starter + entree, and one starter + main, as the portions looked decent, but the wait s...

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...