Amsterdam/Indonesian restaurants
 

HI, Can someone suggest one or two good Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam. I wanted to take my son to one of them when we are there next Summer. Also we will be staying around Appolonaire Ave, any good restuarants in that area you would recommend, not into big meat, more vegies. Sue

You will find rijstaffel (literally, rice table) restaurants in Amsterdam. Google and you will get a list. But be aware that these are not Indonesian restaurants, but are restaurants that serve a Dutch impression of a very limited scope of Indonesian food. I find them remarkably bland.

OK Kathie, thanks. I was hoping that there would be even one that might be better. Sue

It's like Italian food in just any "Italian" restaurant in the US - an adaptation, not necessarily the real deal, but if you have no prior experience with the real deal it will still be satisfactory in a good place.

The real rijsttafel in Indonesia is a festive multi-course affair, you'd be there for hours. If you know what you like, just order one dish after another à la carte, as long as your appetite lasts; if you don't really know Indonesian food, then go for a smallish rijsttafel and think of it as a tasting menu.

If you want to get insider info about where to go, try to get in touch with an Indonesian expat through a website like
https://www.internations.org/amsterd...ts/indonesians

Selamat makan (bon appétit)

Indonesian is not indonesian in NL, but usually eurasian (Indisch) which is a distinctive, yet related, cuisine.

Rijsttafel is an invention for the Dutch and an imitation of an Indonesian selamatan feast.

Any good, traditional Indo restaurant will also have dishes a la carte, and friendly waiters who will advise. Most restaurants doing the rijsttafel thing just switch around the dishes for their set menus, adding some sateh here and there to jack up the price.

Pedantic purists like myself will say you'll have to travel to The Hague for good Indo cooking, but in Amsterdam my choice would be:

Satéclub @ Wunderbar.
No rijsttafel, but a la carte, which I consider a plus and their satay is just great.

Indonesian Kitchen (Herengracht)
Always getting rave reviews, and also does mostly a la carte.

I disagree with the notion that "indonesian" cuisine is something "adapted" to Dutch tastebuds as far as spiciness (pedis) is concerned. Indo cooking has a different flavor profile than has Indonesian cooking. All tastes on the plate need to be in harmony, which is something you'll never get with a rijsttafel.

thanks so much menachen (and I agree on your comment earlier about the red light district often trafficking involved).