Amsterdam Culinair 2006: a yearly culinary event in Amsterdam

I visited the Amsterdam Culinair last Saturday, the 2nd of September, to enjoy a nice dinner in that beautiful atmosphere: more than twenty local restaurants set up shop around the square for this annual event that offers a sampling of their tastiest dishes in the shadow of the stunning Rijksmuseum.

 

The tents and surrounding outdoor areas were impressively decked out with complete table settings, full bars and all sorts of mood-enhancing decor, from palm trees to strings of mini lanterns. And I didn't have to be worry about 'dining alfresco' in that night's cool air as the tents were also heated.

 

 

 

 

 

The restaurants which were offering their culinary art were: Blender, Cobra Cafe', The College Hotel, De Griekse Taverna, Hudson's,  La Scarpetta, The Mansion, Mercurius, Minevitus, Restaurant Bice, Restaurant Reflet, Shibli Bedouin, D'Vijff Vlieghen, Brasserie Schiller, De Ondeugd, Pasta e Basta, Saray, Tokyo Cafe' and Top Thai.

I met the organizer, Henk Pottinga, at around 7 pm and after getting some more information about the event, I went, as suggested, to the 'kassa' to buy some 'tokens', coins (Euro 1.25 each, dishes required about 5-7 tokens and drinks are 2). Then I started my journey through the melange of meals, including Dutch fusion, Italian, Japanese, Thai, Greek and Indonesian.

Difficult to choose one tent, but at the end I had to go where I could find the first free table as the square was pretty busy. I found with some friends a nice corner at the Top Thai: no traditional dining tables and chairs here, but a lot of big black 'pillows' where sitting down waiting for your drink and food. We had some very good noodles/rice with chicken/beef and a few drinks.

 

After our meal, we were almost having a nap enjoying our big and soft pillows, but the temptation to taste a chocolate dessert at The College's tent was stronger. The College, which is a training hotel for exceptional students of the Amsterdam Hotel Management School, was offering different kind of desserts, warm drinks and wines. The chocolate lollypop was delicious! We tried even the pistachio-vanilla one, but the chocolate one was the top!

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a warm drink we decided to live the place doing another quick tour around Museumplein. We really were thinking that it was a pity that our stomach was not big enough to have more than one dinner!

 

I entered the tent of the company J.J. Darboven, a coffee supplier, just to look around and ask for some information and the gentleman at the bar was so nice to offer me a 'Cafe Amsterdam Culinair', a sort of latte macchiato with a little flavour, prepared with amaretto syrup. Mmm'

I still don't know where the event will be held next year, but I am not going to miss it for sure: a unique opportunity to try the specialties of more than twenty Amsterdam kitchens.

 

Amsterdam Culinair took place on the Museumplein in Amsterdam from August 31st until September 3rd 2006. The event was an initiative of Stichting Amsterdam Culinair, a non profit organization. The target of Stichting Amsterdam Culinair is to organize and promote culinary activities for the restaurants in Amsterdam. The event will take place every year. The wish of the organization is to make it a well-known event in such way that once you have visited, you will return every year.

For more information www.amsterdam-culinair.nl and www.Iamsterdam.com