Amsterdam Curated: City and Food

  Until I wrote this review, I had visited this place about 4-5 times since last November. On my way to the Rijksmuseum from Weesperplein, I randomly noticed the "World Famous Pink Noodles" sign on their glass wall. Intrigued, I decided to look up the place and was pleasantly surprised to find an impressive 4.9 rating on Google Maps. Indeed, their menu features a few unconventional items. While Yentafo, the famous Thai Pink Noodles, has been starting to appear on a few places' menus, it remains relatively low-key and not very common yet in Amsterdam. This restaurant proudly considers Yentafo as their signature dish, alongside other interesting noodle options listed on the menu. The very first noodle dish I tried at this restaurant was the Beef Noodle Soup. While the most famous beef noodle soup in Southeast Asia is undoubtedly Vietnamese Pho, Bangkok offers a plethora of amazing beef noodle options , including the renowned Wat Dong Moon Lek noodles and Wattana Panich , k...

(Be sure to check out the video below for a one-minute video of Phu Thai Thai Take Away) Unlike Vietnamese or Malay cuisine, Amsterdam offers quite a few excellent Thai food options throughout the city. While Vietnamese cuisine lacks much variety beyond Pho, and Malay restaurants are initially scarce in number, Thai cuisine boasts a considerable presence across the city, with numerous options available, including Issan food. Right in front of the Nieuwmarkt station's exit stands Phu Thai Thai Take Away, a restaurant highly recommended by a Thai Instagrammer. She considers it the best Thai food spot, and whenever I visit, I consistently notice groups of Thai people dining here. They specialize in Issan cuisine, which is the North Eastern Cuisine of Thailand, featuring Issan specialties on their menu. Additionally, rare menu items such as stewed pork bone (Kha mu) are available. Having enjoyed Kha Mu from Bangkok's Charoensang Silom, it was one of the most...

Although there are a few Thai restaurants in Amsterdam, but one particular Thai dish that I had been missing was - Tom Yum with Pork. Although Amsterdam has a few Thai restaurants, I was missing a specific Thai dish that I had missed dearly - Tom yum with pork. Tom Yum Moo features any pork and Tom Yum Ka Moo features pork knuckles. While Tom Yum Goong (with shrimp) or Tom Yum Kai (with chicken) are commonly found, it was challenging to find a restaurant that served Tom Yum with pork. Personally, I believe that the combination of pork and Tom Yum soup is simply the best. The Thai street bar caught my eye after a quick online search, near the well-known Red Light district of Amsterdam. The place boasts ahipster vibe with fuchsia-colored lighting and a mixture of modern and traditional design. To start off my meal, I indulged in a deliciously rich and sweet Thai milk tea, which immediately transported me back to the bustling streets of Bangkok. Sipping on the tea was a perfec...

Whenever I search for the best Pad Thai in Amsterdam on Google, Raan Phad Thai 2 always pops up. I had been quite satisfied with the Thai food at Bird Snack Bar, so I didn't have much interest in trying another place. However, I became curious and visited Raan Phad Thai 2 on Pride day, only to find out that they were closed for a one-month summer vacation. I liked their attitude and could see their confidence, so I patiently waited for their return, while wondering why it's called Raan Phad Thai 2 and not 1. The restaurant is operated by two Thai men, and the staff is very friendly. The menu has almost everything except for any pork dishes (which made me suspect that they might come from the southern part of Thailand where Islam is practiced). Initially, I wanted to have some Pad Thai, but the weather was cold and windy, and I found myself longing for spicier food. So, I decided to try their curry section. They had four varieties of red curry...

Ever since I was nineteen, I have been visiting Bangkok yearly for vacation. I can't deny that its diverse and delicious cuisine is one of the biggest reasons why. However, one of my complaints about the Bangkok food scene was that price and interior did not always impact the satisfaction I got from the food. Although I also enjoyed dining at Michelin-starred restaurants such as  Nahm ,  Gaggan ,  Le Normandie  and  Paste , my biggest delight always came from small eateries like  Polo Fried Chicken  near the US embassy or  Wat Dong Mun Lek  in Chonburi. Before arriving in Amsterdam, I had heard about a small Thai snack bar near the Red Light District. Apart from a few places in Sham Shui Po or Sheung Wan in Hong Kong, I couldn't recall any other eatery deserving of the "hole-in-the-wall" title more than this place. Despite the crowd and the line, I managed to easily find a seat at the wall-side sitting bar ...