Best Savoury Snacks in Amsterdam
Davies Amsterdam
Davies Amsterdam has a small menu of sandwiches, not cheap as you can see from the menu pictured, but oh my – the pastrami one, called “Lelie” on the menu, is delicious. I’ve been back a few times just to check that the quality is cinsistent!
Slagerij Vet – Best bread rolls in Amsterdam
Vet is a great quality butcher in the heart of Amsterdam’s old town on the Zeeedijk. It sounds odd in English… vet. Actually it also sounds a bit odd in Dutch too as it means ‘fat’ but it is just a family name. It’s a family business that’s been going since 1955, with the 3rd and 4th generation now working there. Their meat is superb and their customer service friendly and attentive. The reason I’ve got the place on this blog is becasue of their breadrolls, or “broodje” as we say in Dutch. They have daily specials, all freshly made with an assortment of cold and warm fillers.
The Broodje Zeedjik is their most popular product, one that gets locals queueing out the door at lunchtime. It is divine. I always have it on a white breadroll that has a very slight crisp on the outside but is soft inside. There are layers of thinly shaved smoked chicken breast, and you can actually taste the subtle smokiness. Plus crispy bacon, lettuce and a delicious secret ingredient sauce, think mustard / mayo. To order a Broodje Zeedijk in English, you can try saying the following: “broach ee zay dake” which comes pretty close to the Dutch pronounciation. That will set you back €3.75 and worth every cent.
They have another incredibly delicious combo of thinly slicced grilled ribeye beef with truffle may0 for €4. See their full range on their website.
If I’m really hungry what I get on the side is 100 or 200 grams of “kippeling” as well. These are pieces of chicken (the word for chicken in Dutch is “kip)” with a batter / breadcrumb coating and deep fried, served warm. It’s a wordplay on the traditional fish dish ‘kibbeling’ made in the same way but replaces the fish with chicken. Delicious!
Vet is open Monday to Saturday from 7:30am to 6pm (5 pm on Saturdays). You can find them in China Town at Zeedijk 99.
Tokoman – Asian specialities
I am not ashamed to say that I am addicted to Tokoman bread rolls or, “Broodje’s” as they call them here. The one I order the most is the Surinamese style beef which is tender and tasty and exotically spiced, I pick up hints of all sorts of amazing flavours that are difficult to identify. I might be wrong but recently I could swear that there are vague hints of cloves and start anise somewhere in there. I always have this with ‘peper en zuur’ which means red hot chilli and a thin slice of sweet & sour picked gherkin. Heaven.
My other favourite at Tokoman is the Broodje Pom. Nothing to do with the Brits. ‘Pom’ is something really special, a traditional Surinamese oven dish with dark meat chicken, the root of the tayer plant and citrus, generally orange juice, baked and in this case, put in a bread roll. Again, they will ask if you want ‘peper en zuur’, chili and sour. If you don’t mind a bit of spiciness, just say yes.
These bread rolls are extremely popular with Amsterdammers for lunch so try and be there earlier rather than later otherwise they will be finished. At €3.95 for an overstuffed lovely, slightly crispy bread roll, you just can’t go wrong!
Also of great value is the ‘wok box’. They fill it with your choice of 3 things: rice or noodles, a veggie dish, a meat dish. That makes up a decent sized, filling meal for €6.50! I’ve tried the Surinamese beef (super-tender), pork and duck and all were excellent.
There are many branches of Tokoman but the ones with bread rolls are the one at Waterlooplein, and the one on the Zeedijk.
Small World Catering – sandwiches and cakes
I wish I had known about this place earlier. It’s fab, the owner for 15 years, Sean, keeps up a constant welcoming banter with his regular customers who pop in to pick up, or to tuck, into their lunches. It is small and perfect for a quick drop by light lunch on the go. There are 3 window counter tables with bar type stools and a small cozy corner sofa. Outside are 3 recessed benches which must be great in the summer.
The salads look awesome and the cakes will definitely tempt me back. What I tried out last week were two of the sandwiches but to call them sandwiches doesn’t do them justice. The turkey, bacon, tomato & mustard mayo on thick sturdy brown bread was fantastic and the warm ciabatta with prosciutto, ricotta and oven dried tomatoes absolutely perfect.
Small World Catering is tucked away between the Haarlemmerdijk and the Brouwersgracht. The address is Binnen Oreanjestraat 14.
Vlemminckz – Best fries in Amsterdam
This is not controversial, these are the best fries in town, no doubt about it! You would think that a fry is a fry but no. Many places in town have reconstituted fries, so made from pulp and shaped as fries. This is not the way it should be! Belgian fries are cut from potatoes and then cooked once and then left to rest. Then they are cooked again just before serving. Timing and the cleanliness of the oil is all important. At Vlemmincks they always get everything just right.
A typically local topping to get is Belgian Mayo and a “Patatje Oorlog” is a very Dutch thing. They are fries with mayo and sate sauce with a spoonful of chopped onions over the top for good measure. It literally means ‘potato war’. It is actually very very tasty. My personal favourite topping is the mayo / green peppercorn mixture.
It is down a side street called Voetboogstraat (number 33) that joins the Heiligeweg to the Spui Square.
Open Daily 12h00 to 19h00, and 21h00 on Thursdays.
