Europe Sans Fromage Part I: Amsterdam

Intro: Yes, that's right, Europe without cheese! I realize that in some circles, this is sacrilege. But I sincerely hope to convince you otherwise. It is nuts to me that it's been almost a year since I was lucky enough to be gallivanting around Amsterdam, Sweden, and Rome and it is only now that I have gotten around to writing about it. Better late than never, I suppose, so here is part one of four:

It’s no secret that Amsterdam is not known for its cuisine. The red light district and the "coffee" shops come to mind immediately, but Dutch food? What is that? Go in search of a traditional Dutch meal and you will most likely find yourself staring down at a plate of mashed potatoes, gravy, and some kind of unidentified meat- not exactly a vegan picnic. To make matters worse, the Dutch prefer most everything smothered in mayonnaise and, within hours of my arrival in Holland, I witnessed more than one poor soul scarf down a Nutella and bologna sandwich like it was nobody’s business.

Amidst all the mayonnaise and cheese, the fried meatballs and ham sandwiches, I found myself feeling puzzled. Here I was in this adorable, beautiful city, a place I was already falling in love with, yet it seemed that I might starve! I didn’t get it. With over 28 public parks and gardens, Amsterdam is literally one of the greenest cities in Europe. What’s more, bicycles outnumber cars ten to one! The city is designed as a cycling paradise and driving is discouraged with hefty parking fees and a maze of one-way streets. How could this environmentalist’s dream world leave vegetarians by the wayside? I was beginning to panic- was I to live on my emergency stash of larabars and oatcakes for my entire visit? It wasn’t long, however, before I found myself a soy latte, took a deep breath and a sip, and realized that it would take just a bit of creativity to keep both my appetite and my ethics fulfilled.

I learned that the key to vegan dining in Amsterdam is to stray from traditional options and explore the many restaurants representing the city’s multicultural background. There is scrumptious food everywhere you look- it just comes from foreign influence. As a major port city after WWII, Amsterdam became a multicultural hub, and now offers up tasty treats from all over the world. When I opened my eyes to all the gustatory delights the city had to offer, I realized that my emergency snacks would have been better left at home.

My first vegetarian meal in Amsterdam did not take my palate very far from the Netherlands, nor did it reflect my normally a’la Skinny Bitch eating habits, because my first animal-free indulgence was Belgian beer and fries. After my first bite, I was hooked, and for the rest of my stay, I had to convince myself that my alarmingly high fried food consumption was justified by all the biking I was doing. We biked to the pub, to the park, and just because the sun was shining, so when I got the post-lunch munchies, I claimed that nothing could satisfy them like a pint of beer and some fries.

Fortunately, I was not alone. At around 5pm, the entire city sits down for a drink and a snack or a borrel as the Dutch call it. Although there are some tasty Dutch beers to choose from, it seems to be the Belgian varieties that prevail in popularity at borrel time, and I preferred to quench my thirst with Belgian blonde ales like Duvel and La Chouffe. As for the Belgian fries, oh my, what can I say? French fries will never taste the same. Belgian fries are thick cut, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and fried not once, but twice. I would normally abstain from eating fries every day, but these were just too good to turn down. I spent many an afternoon relaxing at a sunny pub terrace on the water, Belgian beer in hand and Belgian fries on plate. It’s no wonder I never wanted to leave Amsterdam.

When I had a hankering for something more substantial, I looked to the Mediterranean influence in Amsterdam, and dined on a plate of falafel. The city is home to many immigrants from Turkey and Morocco and consequently, Mediterranean restaurants and falafel shops abound. I sampled quite a few, but Maoz Vegetarian was my unparalleled favorite. Best known for its complimentary salad bar, Maoz is a European gem which, if it migrated out West along with free graduate school and universal healthcare, would complete my life! The first Maoz restaurant opened in Amsterdam in 1991 and the franchise has since spread its vegetarian falafel fixings throughout Europe. With a whopping six locations in Amsterdam alone, it’s no wonder that a meal at Maoz became another daily ritual during my trip.

The beauty of Maoz is in its simplicity. You can choose between a falafel sandwich or salad, which you can then doctor up with a panoply of fresh, delicious toppings and sauces. As if that weren’t good enough, you can refill your dish with as many toppings as you like, as many times as you want. Maoz is thus a vegan budget traveler’s jackpot, and it’s probably best that I left Amsterdam before my growing falafel obsession became an issue.

While most Mediterranean restaurants aren’t as exciting as Maoz, I’ve managed to find falafel nearly everywhere I have lived or traveled. I’ve only had the privilege of tasting Surinamese food, however, in Amsterdam. When darling Louise suggested we get Surinamese for dinner, I realized that I didn’t even know where Suriname was. I assumed, by the sound of the name, that it was somewhere in Indonesia, but I was way off. Previously a Dutch colony, Suriname is now a small country in South America. During the 19th century, Dutch colonists transplanted thousands of indentured servants from Indonesia and East India to Suriname, creating a unique blend of cultures and some very tasty food. After Suriname gained independence in 1975, many Surinamese immigrated to Holland, and there are now dozens of Surinamese restaurants, or warungs, scattered all over Amsterdam.

We went to Warung Marlon, a local favorite known for its low prices, and I was not disappointed. The food was reminiscent of Indian cuisine, but with a much spicier, tropical flair. We began our meal with small plates of mashed sweet potatoes and pom, a dish of pureed, spiced taro root. I ordered a vegetarian platter for my main course, which consisted of roti, curried potatoes and green beans, extra spicy dal, and fried tempeh with peppers and chilies.

Everything was delicious, but the tempeh was literally a delightful surprise. The menu was in Dutch, so I didn’t even know it was coming. And honestly, what vegan worth two cents wouldn’t be tickled by a surprise order of tempeh? I had never before tasted tempeh in a restaurant that didn’t cater specifically to vegans and, with all due respect to Eric Tucker, it was the best I’ve ever had.

Although we were stuffed to the brim, I could not resist trying the bakabana- battered and fried sweet plantains served up with spicy, creamy peanut sauce. By the time we plowed through that and got the check, we were barely standing. We took a long, slow bike ride home, and I thanked the vegan gods that I hadn’t consumed any fries that afternoon.

I was so preoccupied with snacking on falafel, fries, and fried bananas that I nearly forgot to check out the more exclusive vegetarian scene in Amsterdam. Fortunately, I found the time to try out Bolhoed, a pseudo-macrobiotic, mostly vegan restaurant, before leaving my beloved Amsterdam behind. Bolhoed was one of the first vegetarian restaurants in Holland and it was a refreshing change from all the grease I had been imbibing. I went for dinner and had a vegan salad platter, which consisted of carrot pate, white bean salad, brown rice, tofu cream, and a green salad. The food was nothing to write home about, but with a soy latte to wash it down, I wasn’t complaining. I was too full for dessert, but I made special note of their impressive selection of vegan pies and cakes. I went back for lunch on my birthday and indulged in organic wine, a savory pastry stuffed with leeks and seaweed, and a slice of chocolate strawberry pie. It was a very happy birthday indeed!



As my culinary escapades in Amsterdam came to a close, I reflected on what a bland trip it would have been if I had just stuck to the mayonnaise and meat. I might never have tried Surinamese or double fried potatoes, and what a shame that would have been! Yet again, I am convinced that eating vegan abroad is not at all limiting; looking for good veggie food all the world over is just another exciting and delicious part of the travel adventure.