Due to the Netherlands’ one-time colonial presence in the Indonesian islands, Amsterdam houses the largest Indonesian community in Europe, and consequently, the best concentration of their unique food. The most reductive description would be to say it’s a sort of mix between Thai and Indian, but that really doesn’t do justice to a cuisine of a 6,000-island country that’s adapted the influences of South Asia and Southeast Asia, China, the Middle East, and Europe. Indoensian food tends to be seasoned with a bold and exotic mix of spices and is heavy on noodles, coconut milk, and peanut sauce.
But describing food is a tease; best try it yourself if you have the chance to visit Amsterdam (or, um…Indonesia.) This was basically my top priority on my visit to the Dutch capital and after repeatedly begging my friends, “Can we get Indonesian food yet? Can we get Indonesian food yet?” we picked — at random — an excellent, affordable spot I’d go back to in a second. Called Puri Mas, it’s located a few steps from the busy Leidseplein. The interior is placid, quiet, and soothingly decorated. The kind of place where extremely friendly staff help take your coat off for you, which kind of makes me uncomfortable, but whatever. The menu consists of a la carte items (around 15 euro for a meat dish, which is served with tasty noodles or rice), or, if you want to indulge properly, the “Rijsstaffel,” an endless series of exquisite “small plates” that allows you to sample the breadth of Indonesian dining. The least extravagant Rijsstaffel was 20 euros; those who want to really splash out can drop 40 euros for a true feast. I wasn’t that hungry, so I was content with tender roast pork in a coconut milk sauce and the aforementioned noodle dish, almost a meal in and of itself.
Blue Pepper is another restaurant, specializing in “contemporary Indonesian cuisine” and often hailed as one of the premier spots in the city. Accordingly, it’s much more expensive. The Rijsstaffel starts at 50 euro and goes up to 70 euro for a 20-dish smorgasbord featuring such delicacies I can only dream about as “lamb cutlets with lilyflowers” and “quail eggs in a hot curry.” The innovative menu is a carefully selected mélange of both Javanese and regional influences and modern and traditional techniques.
A more budget-friendly option is Bojo, also on the Leidseplein, and perfect for late-night dinners or post-party munchies. Order either a la carte or get the Rijsstaffel; there are several dozen items on the menu, generally not an indicator of good food, but for the price, Bojo tends to satisfy.
