De Kas - My New Fav Restaurant In Amsterdam

Sunday September 18, 2011

Schipol Airport

Cold and Damp

Writing the last blog on Amsterdam as I wait for my flight back home.

So on the last day of IBC, I had planned to organize a dinner at de Peper – a “restaurant” ran and operated by legal squatters in the abandoned Dutch Film Academy building.  I had heard good things about it as the food is organic, vegetarian and very cheap.  But there is no table service and you have to call them between 4-630pm if you want to eat there.  The other option was De  Kas,  a restaurant started by the Michelin star chef Gert Jan Hagema.  De Kas was also highly recommended to me by my friend and is his favorite restaurant in all of Netherlands.  However, getting a reservation at De Kas is very difficult.  So while I was getting a headcount on how many people want to eat at de Peper , I happened to get a txt msg from my friend stating that he got me a reservation at De Kas!  So I quickly checked my email and found out that we did have a reservation and they were going to give us the business table with no extra cost but I had to let them know by 3pm.   And it was 250pm!  So I quickly, asked the team if they were OK with the change and confirmed the reservation.

And the restaurant did not disappoint.   The restaurant is located where an old greenhouse stood since 1926.   It was about to be demolished but the chef with helps from his friends and family saved it and converted it into a restaurant and nursery.  So when you walk into the restaurant, you can tour the nursery and also the farm outside.  It's quite a unique experience and a wonderful idea for a restaurant.

There is only one menu and the ingredients are either from their farm or farms they specially contract to who practice organic and humane farming.  The service was also exceptional.  They were very accommodating for vegetarian requests and as the main dish was duck and as I don’t eat duck, they made a fish dish for me.  And the price was reasonable as it came to 70 euros a person which included wine and drinks.  I have to say the vegetarian meal looked to be the best as the main course was risotto in an artichoke.  It was very special.  And for dessert, we had a strawberry soufflé but those who wanted cheese could substitute cheese instead of the soufflé.  The soufflé was perfectly cooked and came with a vanilla bean ice cream and crème anglais.  And just when we thought we were done, out came another pastry – almond crème filled cake, which was delicious!  And on the way out, one can take a fresh apple home !  We LOVED that place.    And it is definitely a restaurant we will go back to and also use to take clients.

 This is what you walk by when you enter the restaurant

The restaurant De Kas

The restaurant Garden

Tomatoes growing in the nursery

Fresh bread with house cured olives and pickled radishes

Fresh corn in a rich butter sauce

Savory Muffins

Risotto in an Artichoke - The main dish for the vegetarians

My snapper with a citrus sauce

Pickled lemon cucumber - very good and unsual

Strawberry Souffle

Bonus dessert:  Almond cake

We all thoroughly enjoyed our meal and rolled out of the restaurant very happy.   De Kas is now one of my favorite restaurants in the world.  

Comments

[Jenell Blasl]

Eating there must be really nice for you guys, huh? Well, who can blame you? Aside from those delicious looking food, the greenery outside is also pleasant.