Caribbean delight

 

 

 

 

 

From February to July this year I stayed in Curacao, one of the Dutch Caribbean islands, to do an internship there. When we were done working or visiting the beach, a lot of times me and my girlfriend would go out to check the local cuisine. And we weren’t disappointed.. One of the typical local meals is Kabritu Stoba, goat stew, as you can see above. For a real local experience you should go to Marsha Bieu, an old food market in the city of Willemstad, where young, old, rich and poor come together to enjoy their food. When you are there, also make sure to try out the Steak di Wea!

Besides the local food, of course you also have a lot of possibilities to get some international food. Saint Tropez, a loungy restaurant with pool, has a sushi night every monday and they deliver great quality.

Another place for great local food is Landhuis Dokterstuin, based in one of the typical countryhouses on the island. Here I also had Kabritu Stoba, together with a great salad.

These super-shaslicks can be found at Equus. They are hung up at a rack at your table together with a piece of bread to take the meat of. Yum! 

In June there is a Restaurant Week on Curacao, meaning almost every restaurant serves a special three-course dinner for an affordable price. We went to El Gaucho, a restaurant on a hilltop with an amazing view over the island. This Argentinian steak restaurant served a very delicious combination of their best meat and fish.

This last picture might not be the most pretty, but it is not doing any right to the quality of the restaurant. It was taken at L’Aldea, which is the best all you can eat restaurant I have ever been to. The waiters are walking around with big pieces of different types of meat and they cut some slices of at your table. The quality of the meat is just amazing. Plus they have a great salad bar too!

Homemade paella

When I am eating at my girlfriends parents’ place I know I will not leave hungry. Some time ago they made this delicious paella. With a bright afternoon sun shining on our heads, it was just like I was back in Spain. It was made with original Spanish fideua, filled with vegetables and all kinds of seafood.

Malaysia and Singapore

This summer I went on a study trip to Malaysia and Singapore. It was an amazing trip through two beautiful countries. While the others were focussing  on the local architecture and culture, I was… eating. So here is a small resume of all the local food.

Our trip started in Kuala Lumpur and here you see my first meal there at some local restaurant. I didn’t want to start that spicy so I took the beef in oyster sauce, served with rice and egg. Great start of the trip. The flavours are just more intense than anybody is cooking them here at home.

In Kuala Lumpur our group had a private bus and driver Patrick knew a good place for lunch. So he drove us to this big Chinese canteen where he ordered a mix of all types of food for us on these rotating plates. We had chicken in sweet sour sauce, beef, tofu in all kinds of sauces, spicy and mild. Everything was so delicious. That is when you find the best food: when it is adviced by the locals.

 

In Malaysia as well as Singapore we ate in a lot of food courts: big market halls with all kinds of little stands serving everything from Chinese, Indian or Arabian, and from frog legs to noodle soups. Below you see a dish from a food court in the Singapore business district. Here you could really see these food courts are used by everybody, both normal people and rich businessmen. I got my food from an Indian stand: sweet and sour chicken, spicy rice, some potatoes and a big naan bread. Tastes as good as it looks!

 

At the same food court we later saw this black chicken soup being served. Too bad we already had our lunch, I would be curious to try it.

 

At a small Arabian restaurant in Singapore I got this meal (which name I can’t remember unfortunately..). It is like a package filled with lamb meat, onions and all kinds of spices. It was delicious, especially combined with the sauce you can see. This was a medium size but already too big for me. Imagine how a large one would be! (and by the way, respect for the waiter who has to serve all this great food during ramadan!)

 

Last but not least, here in Holland I like my Doritos to be Nacho Cheese. In Singapore they take it a step further: what is better than Nacho Cheese? That’s right, Nacho Cheesier!

 

Looking back at all this food I know I have to go back to this place soon, very soon!

Israelian Egg Plate

 

A couple of days ago I was cooking for myself and my roommates and didn’t want to stick to the usual pasta stuff. So after looking for some inspiration on the internet I found the following recipe: Israelian egg plate. It is very easy to make, just put some pepper, sliced tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, onion and paprika in a pan. After a while break the eggs over these vegetables and serve it with couscous. As a little addition I also put some zucchini in it. Originally this is a vegetarian recipe, but since I can’t live without my meat, I added some bacon to it. The result was great and very tasteful, a real recommendation for anybody looking for a good, yet simple meal.

 

 

Dim Sum at Kee Lun Palace

Kee Lun Palace is as typical as it gets. It is a Chinese restaurant in The Hague’s Chinatown. As if that is not Chinese enough, all the guests there are Chinese. Except for me and my girlfriend… What this place differs from the average Chinese restaurant in Holland is better food and poor manners. First you write down the numbers of the food you want and without saying any word they are taking the paper and delivering the food. Not really a warm welcome.

So let’s get on with the food, which is way better. First we started with some Dim Sum, all kinds of different small plates like Chinese tapas. We had delicious bapao (so far for the disgusting bapao at the supermarket), gambas and some vegetables.

Then we continued with two bigger plates. One with delicious Peking duck with noodles, the other with pork and vegetables. Both of them were amazingly tasty.

 

After all we can conclude that you do not have to go for the most cozy and lovely place to Kee Lun Palace. However it is quite an experience. And the food is absolutely great, and that is what matters.

A Ham and a Cream Cheese Bread Roll at La Place

La Place is a formula of restaurants by V&D, one of the largest chain of warehouses in The Netherlands. It has restaurants all over The Netherlands and La Place is a favorite spot for people who want to eat something after shopping. Although everything is overpriced, they occasionally do offer some nice food that’s worth the money. These two rolls aren’t exactly an example of this. On the left you see a brown bread roll topped with ham and honey mustard. On the right you see a white bread roll topped with lettuce and cream cheese with herbs. At €3,50 these are the cheapest buns at La Place. They taste okay, but nothing out of the ordinary. For €3,50 you can get much better buns at other places, but it is an okay stop for a quick bite after shopping.

IKEA Swedish Meatballs

This week is my holiday and of course that has to be celebrated. So I went to the IKEA and ordered their world famous Swedish meatballs. Apart from all the young couples buying furniture for their first own house, a lot of students go to the IKEA because of the cheap food. For ten of these Swedish meatballs, you’ll pay only 2,95 euros. Not bad for a complete meal, right? Because I was quite hungry, I chose the fifteen meatballs option. 

It is served with fries and cranberry sauce. On top of the meatballs is a nice cream sauce, and a Swedish flag for some real authenticity. But I have to honest with you, this are not the best meatballs I ever had. Most of the flavor comes from the cranberry and cream sauce. But, with the price in the back of your mind, it is a good lunch for free days.

Play Food Set – Tasty Gourmet

The only way playing with food is allowed.

On Board Snack – An appetizer for what’s coming

In a couple of days I will begin to post about my culinary journey in Singapore and the Philipines. Like a real appetizer, the goal of this post is to still your hunger but also make you waiting for what is coming. Beginning at the on board meals the journey will take you to sushi, duck, crab, chin chow, luchon and a lot, lot more. So keep a close eye on the blog!

Lebkov & Sons – Ham Sandwich with Honey Mustard Mayonaise

I just ate at Lebkov & Sons. I failed at making a good picture, but the sandwich was so good that I defenitely will come back and make a decent picture. Price: 2,40, Sandwich: three slices of white bread, lots of ham (‘beenham’ which I can’t translate) and lots of sweet honey mustard mayonaise! Judgement: simply good!