Eating Amsterdam

I don't often get the opportunity to travel outside of the UK, but we managed to grab a week away this February to Amsterdam. If you haven't been, it's an incredibly beautiful city that has so much more to offer than its red light district, chips and 'coffeeshops'. In particular, Amsterdam has an awesome culinary scene that was begging to be explored... So I'm going to share some of my foodie highlights with you!

The Fat Dog

On the corner of Ruysdaelkade and Van Hilligaertstraat sits the entrance to The Fat Dog, adorned with graffiti, you feel as though you are about to walk into a biker bar to sink a few whiskies. But the inside of the petite Fat Dog is warm and invititing. Couples and small groups sit in candlelight, nursing big and beautiful G&Ts to an eclectic and cool soundtrack. With 10 gourmet dogs to choose from, you're spoilt for choice and each dog is intriging. I went for the Speedy Gonzalez -  Chimichuri, guacamole, sour corn, jalapeno-cilantro mayonnaise, pork corn. Although slightly less colourful than I was expecting, the balance of flavours was delicious. Finish of your meal with a hearty slice of vanilla cheesecake to share - creamy, sugary goodness with a buttery biscuit base.

Pancakes!

Pancakes! No I'm not excited, that's what it's called. If you're heading to Amsterdam, you have to indulge in some gorgeous Dutch pancakes. Either at Pancakes! or The Pancake Bakery. I opted for a Deluxe Dutch pancake with apple, mixed nuts, calvados and cinnamon - surprisingly savoury and well balanced. Rob's choice was a joy to behold - spinach, goats cheese, garlic oil and pine cuts. All the flavours of an excellent pizza but with a pancake base. Thoroughly recommended. Pancakes! is also located in the Nine Streets (De Negen Straatjes) amongst a plethora of boutique shops and cafes.

The Lobby

The best breakfast in Amsterdam? Head to The Lobby - part of Hotel V and right in the centre of the city. I was treated to a gorgeous latte and eggs florentine. The poached eggs were indulgently silky, a hollandaise that had the perfect vinegary tang and toasted brioche buns. Their french toast was laden with cinnamon and syrup, with a dollop of creme fraiche to cut through the richness.

De Bakerswinkel

Pies? Cakes? Sugar? Visit De Bakkerswinkel, of which there are a few branches. The classic Dutch apple pie is a must or if you're heading for breakfast, try the brioche french toast - with extra butter and syrup! They also do an excellent selection of sandwiches and lunch platters. Or you can even book in for a 'high tea' laden with delectable cakes and treats.

G's Really Really Nice Place

Continuing my 'eggsterdam' tour, we started Valentines Day with brunch a G's. Every bit as hip as an East London cafe, Gs uses old records for it's menus and has a whole list dedicated to Bloody Marys. I started off with a Bacon Bloody Mary and followed with their Healthy Benedict - two poached eggs served on spelt on a bed of cottage cheese with sauteed spinach & avocado. The spelt bread added a new dimension to the traditional florentine and kept me going for hours of canal walking. Rob ordered Le Beef Burger - custom-made for G's by their local butcher “louman’s” just the way G likes it: topped with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle & mayo. It was juicy and slathered in mayo but gorgeous. I recommend the Challah Cinnamon French Toast - jewish braided bread soaked in egg / milk / cinnamon then pan-fried crispy and toppedwith banana slices.

 Little Collins

If you're wandering the streets of Amsterdam's bohemian residency - De Pijp, you'll want to stop by Little Collins. A petite Austrailian run cafe serving feast worthy food. The flat white coffee isn't widely spread throughout this city, so I was overjoyed to find it on the menu at Little Collins. Their crockery was reminiscent of Caravan, and I got a pang of homesickness. I munched my way through a huge skillet of Kasundi Eggs - Roast pumpkin, spiced chickpeas, feta, coriander, yoghurt and sour dough toast; I was eventually defeated but this brunch item is something I will definitely be replicating at home.

Lanksroom

Finally, the stroopwafel. For those who aren't familiar with this revelation, stroopwafels are made from two thin layers of baked dough with a caramel-like syrup filling in the middle. You can buy them in supermarkets in England, but they originated in Gouda (Netherlands). To get a taste of tradition, head to Lanksroom for a stroopwafel with different flavoured caramels. Coffee Caramel is a winner!

Reds Barbecue

I'm a southern girl and I believe anything past Birmingham is the North. So you can imagine my surprise when my mother informed me that she was moving to Leeds. Would it not be closer for them to travel to France? My mother has lived on the south coast for nearly all of her life, so this was to be a big change and a chance to experience a whole new area with new culture and new traditions... and pie barms. 

This was 18 months ago, so as you can imagine, I have visit Leeds now a couple of times and the city itself is a very vibrant and exciting place, with one of the best shopping areas I have ever come across. There are also plenty of culinary treats to try (Shears Yard and Friends of Ham are highlights), so on this particular visit, Rob and I tried out Red's Barbecue. 

As London barbecue fangirls, we were reticent about the North's take on our favourite food. But Red's didn't disappoint. The whole style behind Red's as a concept is very exciting - using barbecue as a 'religious' experience and quoting from 'The Good Book' was something I've never seen before and gave it a different edge.

I started with the Bourbon Cask Smoked Manhattan made with Wild Turkey Rye (recommended for bourbon lovers!) and chilli chocolate bitters smoked in bourbon soaked oak. This was a fantastic start to our meal. My cocktail was brought in a decanter, filled with smoke and poured out in front of me. I wasn't expecting this level of theatre from a casual barbecue restaurant, so the pleasant surprise put me in a fantastic mood. The drink itself was delicious, sweet and smoky.

To eat, I went for the Jacob's Ladder Beef Rib - my personal favourite, accompanied by Sweet Potato fries. The beef is smothered in their Unholy Barbecue Sauce, which was 'divine'. The meat fell off the bone and had an incredible depth of flavour. The fries were crispy, sweet and salty and were the perfect tools to try out the varied range of sauces on offer!

Unfortunately we were too full for dessert, but I will definitely be returning to Red's on my next trip to the city centre. A must try!

Duck and Waffle

Back in September, two of my very best friends came up to visit me and to see Martin Freeman in Richard III - which was absolutely excellent! All being big foodies, I took this as my opportunity to rope in a couple of dining partners for Duck and Waffle, who I have been desparate to visit since they opened their doors. So let me talk you through the best meal I've ever eaten...

We started with cocktails overlooking the incredible view that comes with having a restaurant on the 42nd floor of the Heron Tower. I had a Bacon & Caramel Manhattan (’piggy’ bourbon, DWΣ Salted Caramel Liqueur, vermouths – served sweet style), Kat had a Hemingway (Bacardi Superior rum, maraschino liqueur, lime and grapefruit juices – clarified) and Alex had a Duck & Stormy (Gosling’s dark rum, ginger beer – bottled and bagged).

It is recommended at Duck and Waffle to share smaller plates between you in order to experience as many dishes as possible.

We started with a warm Rosemary and Garlic Bread with a lovely chewy crust and a soft, fluffy centre. I could have stayed and eaten this bread alone all night. We would have had a lovely date, this bread and I.

Next was the Spicy Ox Cheek Doughnut with apricot jam and smoked paprika sugar. Cheek is one of my favourite cuts of meat and this did not dissapoint - a light and fluffy savoury doughnut stuffed with melt in the mouth meat, complimented beautifully with the slight spice of the paprika and sweetness of the jam.

 

Next came the Smoked Mozzarella with granola, sage, honey and amalfi lemon. This was the dish of the evening for me. The mozzarella was delightfully creamy and not too rich due to the addition of the lemon, which added a beautiful uplifting fragrance to the dish. The granola gave a lovely crunch and sweetness. It is unlike anything I have eaten before but was so wonderfully balanced in flavour and texture.

What followed was the dish of the night for my two fellow diners - roasted octopus with chorizo, potato, lemon and caper. Octopus is often a gateway seafood for non-seafood lovers, providing a solid and meaty texture (not too fishy). One of go-to home meals is octopus with chorizo, potatoes and green beans. The addition of capers to this dish was a stroke of genius, perhaps I will start adding them to my salads!

We finished our savoury adventure with the classic Duck and Waffle - crispy leg confit, fried duck egg and mustard maple syrup. So simple but so delicious. If you are to visit this restaurant, you cannot leave this dish off your order. The confit leg alone is divine.

We couldn't resist the dessert menu, so I opted for the Orange posset with Aperol granite and pineapple crisp. If you are too full for a rich dessert - this is ideal. The posset was light, creamy and bursting with citrus, the aperol granite was incredibly refreshing and that pineapple crisp was nearly too beautiful to eat... nearly!

We also sampled the pistachio & dark chocolate macaroon sandwich with drunken cherries and crystallised white chocolate - a dessert for anyone wanting their chocolate fix. A work of art to look at and a delight to eat.

All in all, this is probably the best meal I have ever eaten - the food was fantastic, the service was perfection and the location is beyond words. I can't wait for my next visit!

Best Eats of Glasgow

Back in July, Rob and I managed to get a couple of days away together. Keen on exploring a cultural and foodie centre, we opted for Glasgow. With such limited time and so many culinary hot spots to explore, we were ruthless in picking restaurants. Below are the few that made the cut.

The Dhabba 

In North India, roadside diners are commonly known as Dhabbas - This indian restaurant in Glasgow replicates that cuisine with finese and true expertise! Recommended by The Guardian as one of the Top 10 Curry Houses in the UK. 

We ate Shuruvaati Thal - a starter platter of king prawn, lamb, chicken and vegetarian bites. Followed by Masala Machli - Juicy monkfish in a sauce of caramelised onions, tomatoes and peppers, Bhuna Gosht with lamb that was 'melt in the mouth' tender, and we garnished our curries with garlic naans the size of my head - an incredible depth of flavour, and a lovely smokey finish.

Cafe Gandolfi

Once part of an old cheese market, this rustic cafe is the perfect spot for a Scottish breakfast.

Deagh Bhiadh, Deagh Bheannachd - Well fed, well blessed. The Gaelic proverb displayed on the wall of the Cafe Gandolfi is the owner's aspiration for everybody who eats there. We started our day with Freshly Squeezed Pink Grapefruit Juice, cheek pursing sharpness and sweetness balanced perfectly. Rob took on the Full Scottish Breakfast - Stornoway black pudding, bacon, beef sausage, cherry tomatoes, potato scone, field mushrooms and scrambled eggs... and toast of course! Whilst I opted for the slightly more modest Eggs Hebridean with Stornoway black pudding. By far the best black pudding I have ever had accompanied by silk eggs and a rich hollandaise, it was enough for a post breakfast nap. 

Bread Meats Bread

We happened to be staying around the corner from Bread Meats Bread and saw it by chance. It peaked our interested immediately - clever restaurant name, good styling, burgers?! So we gave it a try. As you know we're both big fans of American style food, so we hoped it would fill the beef shaped hole in our lives. We ate a Fullhouse Burger - Brioche Bun, American Cheese, Smoked Brisket, Gravy, Tobacco Onions, Pickles and Sauce, as well as the Chicago Goumet Dog with mustard, tomatoes, onion and pickle relish. We then shared a Classic Poutine. If you have never tried the Canadian masterpiece that is Poutine - you are wasting your life, go out and get some NOW. The classic poutine is Chips with Cheese Curds and Gravy. It's not chips, cheese and gravy. It's different, honest. You'll fall in love or your money back (Georgie guarentee*) *No money will be refunded.

Riverhill Cafe

For our last morning in Glasgow, we searched for a great cup of coffee. It had been two days and I needed caffiene - I'm a Londoner! Riverhill ticked all of the boxes. I was finally granted a delicious flat white - smooth, rich and creamy. Rob opted for a Black Pudding Sausage roll, which was beautifully rustic and had a great texture and flavour. Continuing my Canadian theme - we were in Glasgow after all... I tried a Nanaimo Bar. This particular nanaimo was vegan and extremely filling. A traditional nanaimo has a wafer-like base with a custard layer and chocolate topping, but this was a healthy coconut version, made with dates and cocao instead of chocolate. Guilt free cakes at their best!