Category Archives: Hip Guide to Amsterdam

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Kalinka

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Unfortunately it appears this restaurant is no longer in business…. 🙁

As we wandered around the Leidseplein, my friends from Spain were looking for something different to eat. So when they suggested we look into this Russian restaurant, I was psyched to try anything. And given the new American/Russian amity as evidenced by the Bush/Putin lovefest, it seemed like it was time to see what the Russians have to offer on the culinary scene these days. The menu looked way more inviting than a Texas barbecue, that’s for sure!

The once decadent, and now charming Czarist decor is inviting, with attractive pinstripe wallpaper and turn of the century lamps. It’s the kind of place, a few years ago, where you’d expect the Russian couple at the next table to be KGB agents discussing spy secrets. Of course today it would be the same couple, now with the Russian Mafia, talking about business secrets.

We started off with some Russian beers in half liter bottles, that were very hearty and full of flavor. Some of our appetizers were superb. The chicken soup in a creamy saffron base was outstanding! I ordered the fried potato shoes stuffed with mushrooms and cheese, served with a wonderfully rich cream sauce. Those two appetizers along with the constantly refilling bread basket could make a meal right there. But the fish soup didn’t measure up.

Lamb Tiblisi

After our second round of beers, the main course arrived. My friends had the Lamb Tiblisi and said it was excellent. I ordered the Chicken Kiev, which I figured would be a safe bet, but unfortunately it was the loser of the evening as it was dry and tough. It certainly didn’t have the freshness of the other dishes.

By the time we were on our third round of beers, the musical portion of the evening’s entertainment had arrived. A Russian duo consisting of male keyboardist and a very sexy platinum blond diva serenaded us with tunes like Besame (which of course my Spanish friends loved!), and other 80s hits. They were actually pretty good!

The bill came to 300 guilders for four, (no dessert) and considering that we each had appetizers and over a liter of beer, I’d say the prices were quite reasonable.

Korte Leidsedwarstraat 49a
Amsterdam 1017
Phone: 020

The Waterhole

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The Waterhole, a rebel themed hangout down in the Red Light District, is a good venue to hear music close up and personal and dance if the spirit moves you. We got to check this place out when Cosmic Charlie, a Grateful Dead cover band played, and there was enough gray haired tie-dyed ol’ hippies there to start a retirement commune. The band gave me some serious but extremely enjoyable flashbacks to the 60s with tunes like Uncle John’s Band. Everyone seemed to dig both the band and the somewhat funky but smokey atmosphere of the place.

There was no admission that evening, so for the price of a few beers I got to relive some golden moments. And it was a special pleasure to be able to smoke da kine in this venue. The stage is downstairs from a youth hostel, so they try to keep the music hip and the vibes easy going. The sound in the relatively small venue was excellent.

THE WATERHOLE IS A LIVE MUSIC BAR IN THE CENTRE OF AMSTERDAM WITH A VARYING LINE-UP OF ALL POPULAR MUSIC GENRES
Oh, and you can also eat at tap&dine upstairs

Pathe Theaters – Arena

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I recently visited the Pathe Arena theaters to see a new movie (Goldmember) on the day of its release in the Netherlands. As usual, I went during a weekday afternoon. Why? Because not only did I get a nice discount, but the theater was almost empty (like about 8 people in the biggest theater!). I like that!

The seats are ever so comfy here. The red ones in the largest theater are well-padded and wide, with wide arm rests and lots of legroom. No more cramming your legs against the seat in front!

The sound system was awesome, but didn’t seem to work 100% with the movie I came to see, perhaps because it wasn’t filmed in a compatible mode. I counted at least 30 speakers that I could see.

I really like coming here for the reasons I’ve mentioned, and I would come here more often, if they didn’t only show the latest Hollywood-hyped, factory-made movies. What’s wrong with screening something alternative once in awhile? Well there’s certainly no shortage of theaters in Amsterdam showing non-mainstream films. See our article on Amsterdam Movie Theaters for more tips on movie venues.

The only other gripe I have is that the popcorn we got in the afternoon was stale (and encrusted with salt) from the night before. Someone should be shot for doing this. Stale, overly salty popcorn is inexcusable. Let your employees take it home at the end of the night instead, please!

I’ve seen movies in the smaller theaters at the Arena, and they’re all top quality, and airconditioned. Plus there’s no smoking, and usually no pause in the middle of the feature.

Amsterdam Arena Shopping Mall
Amsterdam
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Bolhoed

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It’s often quite a challenge to find some place to eat where vegetarians can have a good selection, where organic ingredients are the norm and where the food is imaginative and well prepared. The Bolhoed is just such a find.

Once a hat store, the Bolhoed (Bowler Hat) restaurant now purveys a delectible assortment of vegetarian food. I tried the vegan special which included a very tasty pumpkin soup served with thick slices of fresh whole grain bread. The main course consisted of a variety of vegetable dishes including cauliflower with sweet potato in a mustard dressing (good tangy flavor, yet slightly sweet), eggplant and olives in tomato sauce (ok), Spinach with Tofu (yummy!), brown rice and a small salad (both very good).

With any of their specials you also get dessert, and I had a piece of chocolate cream pie that was scrumptious! There’s a beautiful selection of sweets in a display case inside, with more goodies like brownies and apple tart, all made without white sugar (honey being used instead).

All ingredients are organic including the very good red wine we had with our meal. My friend had pretty much the same except for a banana cream pie. I had a coffee substitute which was served cappucino style with foamed milk. It was very good. My friend had mu tea which he said was excellent. The bill came to 145 guilders for three including the wine. Not bad considering we pretty much ordered the most expensive items on the menu.

The restaurant is very gezellig (cozy) with warm colors, plants, even a buddha sitting in a corner. There are four outside tables, and ours had a mind of its own, moving around like a planchette on a ouija board.

Outside seating along the Princengracht

Having been an avid vegetarian and a vegan for many years, I can appreciate when this kind of food is done right. And at the Bolhoed, it’s done very well with everything one would expect from a vegetarian restaurant, and then some. I could find no flaw in anything that was served to us. The Buddha would love this place. I know I do!

This place gets busy so it’s a good idea to call for a reservation.
Princengracht 60-62
Amsterdam
Phone: 020-626-1803

Memories of India

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After spending an afternoon exploring Amsterdam we decided to find someplace nice to eat. Something different.

Strolling down the Reguliersdwaarstraat from the Rembrandplein, we came across the stylishly modern Memories of India, which I gather is a chain from Great Britain. The menu outside offered a tempting array of traditional Indian specialties, and a few Balti curries. Deciding to eat here was definitely not a mistake, and everything from the appetizer to the main course was presented to us by our smilingly efficient Indian waiter.

Our appetizer of fried fish with a spicy dipping sauce was quite tasty. Despite the many tiny bones we enjoyed the crispiness. A small salad was also served along with the appetizer.

For entrees we chose Prawns Bhuna and Chicken Korma. The Korma was made with chunks of chicken in a sauce consisting of cream, ground nuts, butter, herbs and spices. It was so rich and thick that it was seductively addictive. Prawns Bhuna proved to be the perfect counterpoint, with large shrimps simmered in a hotly spiced stew of tomatoes, onions, herbs and spices. The garlic naan we ordered worked quite well at sopping up all the amazing sauces that came with our meal.

Lingering over dinner was really enjoyable, with a fresh breeze coming through the open front door to carry away cigarette smoke. The restaurant has a patio dining area in the back, and the whole place is decorated in a very modern style, (hardly discernable as Indian) with large modern art canvases, and Roman-style columns topped with metal-work palm trees scattered about. There are a few stone carvings of elephants and other Indian motifs on the walls to help remind you that yes, indeed, you are in an Indian restaurant. As if you will need a reminder after eating the food!

Memories of India is a nice place, with great food at a reasonable price – our entire meal with drinks was under 100 guilders. Most enjoyable indeed!

Dance Valley

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Entrance to Dance Valley

At my first trip to Dance Valley years ago I was impressed by the upbeat energy of the music and the dancers. Back then about 35,000 people attended the Sparnwoude location, and there was lots of space to walk, sit, even get away from the larger groups who tended to hang out under the tents.

Pack ’em In!

The venue facilities remain the same, but the sold out event now hosts 100,000 people in the same space, with pretty much the same tents, and a few more vendors. With that many attending, it was almost impossible to find a place to sit, much less get away from the crowd. Just getting from one area to another became a huge challenge. At one point we tried to cross a bridge where there seemed to be two seas of people faced off in the middle, with no one budging. Some people were climbing the fences on each side of the bridge and walking on the outer edge to get by the impasse.

Evidently, we escaped from Dance Valley just in time because some 90,000 people were stuck for up to three hours in the pouring rain. Instead of the promised 130 buses, the management only provided 30 to shuttle everyone back to Amsterdam.

What fun it is to wait in line!

By far the biggest problem was WAY too many people. I guess they just have to pack as many bodies into the same space as they can profitably fit. What results is something any sardine will relate to, being packed into long queues for everything, especially a desperately needed drink after the 3 kilometer walk from the bus stop to the front gate.

Pushing and shoving was the rule as you tried to squeeze your way to any service counter to order something from the very sparse menus. Lots of words and elbows were flying in the resulting melees. Fortunately I didn’t see any outright fights, although it wouldn’t surprise me if there were some.


Did this detract from the dance music?
You betcha. I spent more time walking around or waiting in lines than actually listening to music or dancing. Finding out what was where, became a futile exercise, with no maps posted anywhere on the entire site. Of course, you could buy a plastic coated program to hang around your neck for 10 guilders, but why should that be necessary just to find out who’s playing where?


But how was the music?
Well, I found myself after the third tent saying “isn’t that the same music we heard in the last three tents?” and when I passed by that same tent again I asked “isn’t that the same TUNE we heard when we were here two hours ago?”. Yes, of course it is! With very minor tempo variations, the sound eminating from almost all the tents was exactly the same. The same uncreative, uninspired, “what dial should I move next?”, sound. Sometimes I guess the DJ would get distracted and the same exact sound would repeat itself for maybe a minute or longer.

I could even say it was exactly the same music I heard three years ago in Dance Valley, but that wouldn’t be correct, as back then, there was MORE variety. Or perhaps the music just sounded fresher back then. I noticed that the crowd seemed a bit older than my last visit to Dance Valley. Perhaps three years older. Same music, same scene, same people, just far more of them, and far more hassles.

If Orbital hadn’t shown up at the end to close the show, there would’ve been NO variation that I could tell in the music. That set, while breaking no new ground, at least provided a glimpse of what was once a very exciting, creative music scene.


The Day the Music Died
So what is it with Dance Valley, that attracts such a large crowd? Is it just a party you can’t miss, or has it become so overcommercialized that profits outweigh substance? What does it tell us about the masses who go to these venues to be queued up, searched, squeezed, drugged, tobacco fumed, and to maybe dance a bit? I often wondered as I looked into the faces of these “ravers” what was going on behind those extacied eyes.

The monotonous beat of the drums pounding in their heads, the piledriving metallic sound echoing off the hills, sound so industrial, so devoid of human feeling and voice, so devoid of beauty. Is this the low spark of high heeled ravers?

Once upon a time in a field in Bethel, New York, five times as many people managed to get it on together, listen to beautiful music, and become one huge community. Now as I reflect upon where we have come from, and where we are now, I wonder if we have lost not just our innocence, but our very humanity. We now release our pent up frustrations in an orgy of repetitive pounding dullness.


“I can’t hear you!”
The biggest activity besides queing up and dancing seemed to be calling on cellphones. I saw so many people standing in front of huge blaring speakers trying to communicate to someone on the other end of their phone. Were they trying to impress their friends who couldn’t make it? Find someone they lost in the crowd? What was so important that you had to scream into a phone at the top of your lungs?


Trash anyone?
Then there’s the sea of plastic and paper that became our carpet at Dance Valley. What a waste of resources. I know these huge events generate tons of trash, and it’s hard to control the flow. But the attitude in Holland seems to be, just let it fall, and we’ll clean it up later for you. Just enjoy the party and don’t worry. Yeah, right. The mess at Sparnwoude gives Queen’s Day a run for it’s money. Oh wait, Queen’s Day is FREE! You paid dearly to get into Dance Valley, so you’d think the least they could do would be to provide some trash bins! Yeah there were a few small plastic ones, maybe a dozen. How about 30 or 40 of those huge metal bins strategically placed around, and big signs saying (in Dutch of course) “throw it here!”? Nope, let’s keep spoiling these kids, who in their naivete think it’s ok to throw their litter everywhere. Meanwhile you wade through ankle deep trash that recalls some dump on the outskirts of NYC. Not a pleasant sight, thank you.


Oh, Yummy!
Vendors were serving such “innovative fare” as hamburgers, ham and cheese sandwiches and of course lots of beer. I found that quite a contrast to the other alternative booths offering massage, alpha state sounds with flashing glasses, etc. Why not some alternative food and beverage choices??? Perhaps they tried these and found that the ravers aren’t into that type of food. Fine.

This scene is far different from the Roskilde and Lowlands festivals which attract similar if even larger crowds. First, the music in those places at least has some variety! And they both encourage the use of trash bins and have alternative food and drinks available. Does the Dance Valley management have no conscience?


The Long March!
Now about that long, long walk to the gate… why? The old entrance was right by the bus stop, why was it moved? Why make everyone walk around the entire venue, just to get in? This defies logic, and I’d sure like to find some reason that makes sense. And taxis were blocked several kilometers from there, forcing people to walk much further!

Love and Trash. Get it on!


Conclusion
The Dance Valley website says “Come and witness the future of dance music”. If this is it, it’s pretty sad. Yet most of the people there seemed to be having a great time on what turned out to be a beautiful day! In fact they were the best part of the show, as usual, in their colorful rave fashions. So who am I to complain? I must admit, I’m probably too old for this scene. Or too wise.

My advice is that if you want a crowded, uninspired, huge, overblown, overpriced party, Dance Valley is the place to be. If you’ve finally outgrown this scene, bravo to you! You’re ready to discover some new music, and there are plenty of other places to go to find it…

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Lana-Thai Restaurant

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No longer considered the bad neighborhood of Amsterdam, the Red Light District is filled with amazing treasures like Lana-Thai, on the Warmoesstraat. Located just a few minutes walk from Central Station, it’s now a pleasure to stroll through the narrow twisting alleyways which have been recently redone with all-new brick sidewalks and cobblestone streets. The lampposts in the area are all fixed up and brightly lit, and the throngs of happy tourists wandering around sure make this an interesting area to explore, for tourists and old-timers alike.

To celebrate a special occasion my friend and I sought out some authentic Thai food, spicy enough to burn a lingering summer cold right out of me. I wasn’t disappointed at all.

Entering Lana-Thai, you pass through a dining room with low tables and cushions, decorated in a rather decadent Oriental theme, and extravagantly comfortable-looking; although I prefer a chair with a back! In the restaurant’s mid-section there is a bar and service area, with several altars to Buddha, etc. Stairs lead below to a dining room, but the most-used room seems to be the dining area in the back, which opens up onto Amsterdam’s inner harbor, with a great view of the canal boats loading and unloading, and the Damrak, which leads from Central Station to the Dam Square.

The theme is again, opulent Oriental, with beautiful works of art, comfy chairs, and tables set with crystal and candles. My companion was bemused by the dozens of topless Thai beauties in the paintings on the wall. No doubt an immodest concession to the notorious activities of the Red Light District or perhaps Bangkok?

The menu is to say the least, quite extensive and filled with not just the usual Pad Thai and Red Curries. After going over the menu for what seemed like hours, we finally decided upon appetizers. I chose Kay Haw Baiteau (f 13.75), morsels of chicken cooked in bamboo leaves and presented on a plate of salad with vegetables cut into a delightfully decorative arrangement. After unwrapping the chicken, and dipping it into the spicy, sweet and salty sauce and popping it into my mouth I knew I was in Thai food heaven. We also ordered Yam Woon Sen (f 17.95), an amazing salad both warm and cold, with glass noodles, vegetables and Prawns. Absolutely delightful.

The soup was a difficult decision, with so many offerings, at what seemed to be high prices for small bowls of soup (ranging from f17 to f19 a bowl). We decided on the Potek (f 19.25), which was a great choice, being a mélange of seafood including Prawns, Scallops, and fish – in the best broth I’ve ever had – spicy to the max and flavored intensely with those traditional Thai offerings of galanga, lemon grass and fresh coriander leaves. When the top of my head starts sweating, I know it’s almost hot enough for a Thai person.

After these few tastes we were in awe, and wondering how they could top the appetizers and soup. I can’t remember how many times we’ve gone to a new place, had a great appetizer and mediocre soup followed by a dreadful main course! So imagine my surprise when the main course turned out to be even better than what we’d had so far!

I had ordered the Pla Saam Rod (f 37.75), and was amazed at the whole fried fish presented on a platter with decorative veggies, not quite swimming, but generously covered with another wonderful Thai sauce. My friend had the Gaeng Ped Koong (f 45.00), large Prawns in a Panang-style coconut-milk sauce curry with an assortment of Thai vegetables. A large bowl of freshly made jasmine rice filled the table with food. And what a feast it was!

The house red wine was a great accompaniment to the food (a carafe was f 17.50). However, charging f 3.50 apiece for glasses of tap water and putting it on the bill as Spa Rood is a disappointment. If you don’t smoke, be sure to tell the waitress to seat you in the section away from the smokers, or at one of the windows on the canal side for fresh air. A special toast to the Australian blokes who kindly put out their cigarettes after noticing our discomfort and dismay as well as inability to taste the delicious food! Would Dutch diners have favored us so?

Lana-Thai is a delightful restaurant, with good service and excellent food. A bit higher-priced than some others, but not unreasonable considering the quality of the food. And that’s the bottom line, excellent food and a wonderfully exotic ambiance.

Amsterdam
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