Mikado - more than just sushi

I've seen this place on my way to work and always wanted to try it. Now, I've been there twice and it's growing on me. I'm very picky when it comes to sushi, but I'm not such a pretentious asshole that I can't enjoy a fairly okay sushi plate. The first time I was there I had a pepsi. Not worth mentioning. The second time I was there I had the gyoza with a side of spring rolls and noodles. Yum! The gyoza had an undefined taste of some kind of herb which was not unpleasant nor pleasant. Today I tried the sushi and my friend had the salmon. With a side of spring rolls and noddles, of course! That's the beauty of this place. You get spring rolls and noddles when you order from the lunch menu (till 3pm). 

my imaginary friend and I

Spring rolls!!!

I loved the maki rolls because it was just traditional salmon-cucumber-picked radish. Simple, classy and yummy. Yes, there was one "california roll", but it was forgettable. The fish was soft but I missed some wasabi in between the fish and the rice, but I can add that. The service is friendly and fast. They go the extra mile. The second time I was there I wanted gyoza but it wasn't included on the lunch menu but they said it was fine and they made it happen. I love those little things. 

The restaurant is located on Sten Sturegatan 42. They also have vegetarian sushi which my veggie friend loves. So big thumbs up!

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Dubbel Dubbel - Dim sum and dumplings

The restaurant is located on Kastellgatan 14 and google maps led us confusingly to the place. We arrived and got seated to our reserved table but the waiter didn't take our drink order until a bit later. Not a very good start. The menu was also our table mat which is practical and surely environmentally friendly. Our friends arrived and we ordered some food. I took the shrimp wonton (4 but I got 8!), pork jiaozi (3) and the ribs. My company ordered mantao tempeh, mantao duck, beef jiazi, kristaljiazi and sichuan tilapia. We enjoyed the food enormously and the restaurant was dressed in wood, very cozy. The only thing was that  had a feeling of pretentiousness that I couldn't shake. It could be because on the menu it said that they asked their customers for leniency because they are a small establishment where the chose free intimacy and the small scale is better than a larger scale. And not to hesitate to get up and order from the bar. In my ears that is an excuse to shitty service. The service was okay, however not noticeable.

I might want to come back to try some of the set menus, but the restaurant left remarkable impression. It was okay, that's all I can say. I'm always up for trying Asian food since I think that Sweden lack authentic Asian food and this was one of the better places.

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Vegetable Soup and Salad

As a poor student, I often cooked lunch or dinner at home. Usually I invited my friend Bea to join me because of her company and also, it’s not that fun to cook by yourself. Food is the best if you enjoy it in good company. Something that I learned from Bea during my stay in Amsterdam was, well, first of all like Veronica she was also a vegetarian so all of the foods that we made had to be meat and fish free. Secondly, to buy seasonable veggies.

Something that we made frequently was soup and salad. Take your favorite veggies, boil it in water, pure some canned tomatoes in it and blend well.

The salad, is basically any kinds of leaves and veggies you like. Add some nuts and fruits. Olive oil, crème balsamic, salt and pepper – it doesn’t get easier than that.  

Bagels & Beans in Amsterdam

On one hungover morning we went the Bagels & Beans for some brekki.

I had the Parmabella with parma ham, mozzarella cheese, sun dried tomatoes, rocket, pine nuts and pesto. I simply can't start my morning without coffee and asked for soy milk. It's a thugs life, being lactose intolerant and all... The young and nervous waiter asked if I wanted it hot and in my fog of sleepiness, lack of caffeine I just grunted hmpf. A few minutes later he came running with some steamed soy milk and I was grateful as a… very grateful person.

The bagel was good. Because I was more into listening to the conversation about what had happened last night the food just slipped down without any complaints. 

Breakfast

Lunch

Fika 

Vegetarian options

Menu

Bazar in Amsterdam -- noisy but pretty nice

In de Pijp area on Albert Cuypstraat 182 is Bazar located. It's a restaurant with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences. The restaurant is vibrant with a lot of people and noises. It gives a feel of Arabian Night meets a market place with people running around with big ass serving trays so be careful when you walk in there so you won’t get hit.

The ambiance is as said intense, perhaps because we were there during dinner hour on a Friday night, but it’s a part of the experience.

I had the Tavuk Sis Kebab which was tasty, nothing special. Plain ol’ good food. My friend had the Falafel and in retrospect that would have been my pick since it came with a giant bread basket for solely her. I mean, I like bread. And it was not only one type of bread; there were plenty to go around the table with different types of delicious carbs.

My friends falafel dish.

It’s a charming place where you can enjoy… or perhaps it’s more of an active experience since there are stuff happening, people running around, noises everywhere so if you’re looking for a quiet meal with a loved one to snuggle in enjoying a peaceful romantic dinner – this is not the place.

Vegetarian options
Dinner
Lunch

Menu

Amsterdam so Far

Since I've been in Amsterdam for almost two months (!) I thought my first post would be small collection of photos. Above is a picture from this awesome bakery (I think Bakken met Passie but I can't remember) my dad took me to. The heart shaped cookies were a soft shortbread filled with a raspberry compote. Think of those Knott's Berry Farm Raspberry cookies, but on crack. I also tried the pink version of the heart shaped cakes. Also amazing. It turned out to be a lemon pound cake, with raspberry jam in the middle, encased in a sweet raspberry marzipan (I think I might have a raspberry problem). There also may have been a chunk of rosemary focaccia and a berry meringue involved as well....
Here's a picture of my stir fry from Tasty Asia, near Rembrandtplein. It's with a green curry sauce and tofu, and it's crazy good.
This is a picture of the "American Dinner" my roommate and I hosted. We made hamburgers, veggie burgers, green beans with lemon and butter, and the worst macaroni and cheese I've ever made. My kitchen doesn't have an oven or microwave, so we tried to make stovetop mac and cheese. Here's a fun fact: even if the recipe says you should cook the noodles in the milk, don't. It can ruin mac and cheese for you!

My favorite I-don't-feel-like-cooking-tonight take out place, Wok to Walk. I usually get the rice noodles with tofu (and sometimes mushrooms) and chili sauce. I think Cecilia had shrimp in this photo.
This was probably the best meal I've had so far. It's from Bazaar, on Albert Cuypstraat. On the menu it's called the Mosàmma, and it's a vegetarian casserole. Filled with tofu, eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, hazelnuts and covered in cheese, it's nothing but deliciousness. It also comes with some amazing basmati rice, olives, tzatziki, and a haydari pepper. So good!
Okay, I only put this picture up because I love carrot cake so much. We found a really cute cafe in the Jordaan that had homemade carrot cat and scones. The coffee was alright, but nothing can top carrot cake.

Maoz

Hello first post! We bought lunch at the Maoz in Muntplein yesterday and we were able to eat in the sun! Double win! If you haven't been to a Maoz before, they are a falafel topping extrodinaires. The one we went to had the following options: 4 differents sauces (ranging from mild to setting your mouth on fire), garlic sauce, tahini, couscous, cole slaw, cucumbers, carrots, pickles, beets, hot peppers, olives, lettuce and tomatoes. And of course there were the freshly made falafel balls and fries. We're definitely going again, and maybe next time we'll try out a differnt location.