A perfect day in Amsterdam
Where do you eat and drink in your favorite city? Steve Depp, food entrepreneur (including Amsterdam Kookt) and private chef, shares his favorite spots in Amsterdam.
Name: Steve Depp
Work: private cook, opening his own restaurant in the summer of 2016
Location: Amsterdam
“I start the day with coffee out and about, usually at Coffee Concepts in Zuid. The guy who works there knows exactly how to make the perfect double espresso macchiato. You simply have to try it. The atmosphere is very relaxed, everyone is nice and calm. It’s not loud or trendy.”
Ugliest of all
“But actually, my day doesn’t really start until around noon. While everyone in Amsterdam likes to go out for breakfast, I go straight for hot food. I go for a nice, heavy lunch at the ugliest Chinese restaurant in the Netherlands, Wing Kee in Chinatown on the Zeedijk. You eat there under fluorescent lights and the interior is so ugly and uncared-for. But when you eat the roasted suckling pig, the music stops. Everything stops. The meat tastes so good, it’s unbelievable. Add some nasi and I’m completely happy and ready for the afternoon. I drink sweet fruit juice or water with it; I prefer not to make things too complicated. When I drink wine in the afternoon, I’m no good for the rest of the day.”
I go for a nice, heavy lunch at the ugliest Chinese restaurant in the Netherlands, Wing Kee
“For drinks, I go to Mossel en Gin. I met the owner at a festival last summer, and afterwards he invited me to come and have something to eat. I’m a real caveman, a straightforward carnivore. So he comes over with a huge seafood platter, mussels, oysters and pulpo. It tasted absolutely amazing, and he managed to make me want to come back for his fish and mussels. Recently, I noticed that I also choose fish much more often in restaurants. I’m grateful to him for that, because besides appreciating fish more now, it has also improved my cooking when it comes to fish.”
Won’t give it away
“At eight o’clock in the evening, I always go to Castell, the restaurant for meat lovers. Out of nowhere on Leidseplein, there’s suddenly this homely restaurant. The rib-eye you can eat there is so good in its simplicity. You taste only the tender meat and the delicious smoky flavor. Of course, anyone can learn to cook a good piece of meat, but not everyone has the creativity to do something special with meat without ruining the taste experience. The chefs at Castell manage it by serving a beautiful sauce with the rib-eye. I’ve already asked the chef how the sauce is made and exactly what’s in it, but of course he won’t give that away. A piece of meat like that naturally needs to be finished with a good glass of red wine.”
“I end the evening with some friends at the Ton Ton Club at the Westergasterrein. It’s an arcade and restaurant where you can play a game of Mario Kart or Pacman. It’s the only place in Amsterdam where you can feel fifteen again without any problem. I don’t necessarily need to end the evening in a club. If you’ve eaten so well all day, you’re already completely satisfied.”
Text: Nora van den Heuvel
Image: Nora van den Heuvel
