February | 2012 | The Glasgow Food Blog

We had such an amazing time in Amsterdam, I am really keen to show you all the lovely foods we ate so that I can reminisce and imagine we’re still there (yes, we only got back yesterday).

Number one on our eating list was bitterballen – apparently made from béchamel sauce and mixed with beef (normally) – we ate these every single day. I was hooked, they are very similar to croquettes and a snack of 6 between 2 people is the perfect afternoon pick me up.

We also had the pleasure of eating at Burger Bar thanks to a recommendation from @NoBetterWords on twitter. This was probably the best burger I’ve ever had and was everything a burger should be – perfectly tender, juicy meat with just the right amount of accompaniments - no need for fancy fillings here as the meat spoke for itself. We went for the kobe beef burger, expensive at €9.95 but worth every cent.

This place is my #1 recommendation for eating in Amsterdam (if you’re a carnivore of course). Burger Bar is small though, so be prepared to consider takeaway if you can’t get a seat inside.

Another place we’d been recommended was Casa di David - I was quite taken with the menu online so booked dinner in advance online so we didn’t miss out. We didn’t get our requested table (on the first floor, overlooking the canal) but that didn’t matter. The restaurant was really busy for a Thursday night and it seemed like there were lots of regulars. We had bitterballen in the afternoon which sadly meant we both weren’t really hungry when we arrived, so just had mains and shared a salad.

Spaghetti alla matriciana - spaghetti with onion, bacon, pecorino and tomatoes

Rocket salad with parmesan cheese, apple and balsamico dressing

Black fettuccine with scallops, shrimps and small onions

The food was that kind of “woah!” heavenly. The black fettuccine was so delicious and everything was perfectly cooked. We had a relatively quick meal here before heading off, but I really enjoyed the bustling atmosphere and the pastas were super fresh and tasty.

We had dinner the following day at Pancakes! - this place was so good we came back again on Sunday before we left.

Pancakes with lemon and sugar

Pancakes with bacon, pesto and mozzarella (daily special)

Pancakes with cheese and bacon

Pancakes with muesli (baked into the pancake), yoghurt and fruit salad

Pancakes! is quite small and depending on the time of day, you might have to wait for a table. On Sunday at lunch time, we waited about 1/2 an hour but it was worth it.

The last meal I’ll include here was at The Pantry - I found this by a bit of TripAdvisor searching and we thought it would be good to go to a traditional Dutch restaurant. This place was brilliant, small and intimate with super friendly wait-staff who will take their time explaining the menu if need be. They had a good set menu option but I was set on having poffertjes for dessert.

Dutch goat cheese croquettes (3) with rocket salad and honey mustard dressing

Pea-soup served with rye bread and smoked bacon

We grew up eating pea soup and this was just as delicious as my Mum’s version

Combination of hutspot, boerenkool- and zuurkoolstamppot served with a smoked sausage or a meatball

(Hutspot – mashed potatoes mixed with stewed beef, carrots and onions;

Boerenkoolstamppot – mashed potatoes mixed with kale;

Zuurkoolstamppot – mashed potatoes mixed with sauerkraut)

We both had the same main – Graeme with smoked sausage, and mine with a meatball. This dish might not sound too appetizing but all the types of mash tasted really different and were all delicious in their own way. My meatball also had a really nice smoky flavour to it.

At the end of our trip in Amsterdam, we were both saying how lucky we were to have eaten so well. I can’t think of one meal I didn’t enjoy and every person we met was super friendly and helpful.

What have your dining experiences in Amsterdam been like, and did we miss anywhere amazing?

I first heard about Asia Style from Jia Pui Oh! who told me it was his favourite restaurant in Glasgow. This was some time ago and we’ve only just managed to go for dinner. Because of its location (just off the motorway in Charing Cross) it’s not ideally placed for a meal out, but it was still packed when we were there on Saturday night.

If you’ve ever read a review of Asia Style, you’ll always see a comment on the décor. Being from Melbourne I’m used to drab restaurants with outdated decorations and yet amazing food, so I was quite pleased to see it was as kitsch as I expected. The menu is long and jammed packed with different options. I think the best bet is to get recommendations from people who have been as ordering poorly could leave you feeling deflated (as I did!).

For our starter we shared Malaysian pancakes and soft shell crab. Both these dishes were great and I would get them when we go again – the pancakes were that really nice chewy texture and the soft shell crab was spicy, fiery and delicious.

Malaysian Pancakes

Soft shell crab

The mains are where I was a bit disappointed. I chose quickly and went for a dish called something like 3 kinds of roast. Literally, I got a plate of meat. Some of the cuts had small shards of bone and this put me off right away. Some of the meat (particularly the roast pork) was delicious and I really liked it, but I ended up swapping with my husband.